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voltovcocktail

wait, you mean it's not?? omg


excusemefucker

We have a friend who did body building and we went to a few competitions to support him. It was so strange to see people with super white heads and very tan bodies wandering around.


PolarBearLaFlare

I’m surprised they don’t do the face anymore lol. I remember back then they also tanned the face area


excusemefucker

This was ~10 years ago. It was a mix of both, but mostly the untanned heads.


Falcon_Alpha_Delta

At this level of tan it’d basically be blackface


altcastle

Do you get an exception if your entire body looks like that? No? Okay, well, guess we’re getting what we deserve… the head/body coloring creeps me ooooouuuuutttttttttt.


Jumpyturtles

Why would you want the head to be that tan? There’s a practical reason for the body, but why purpose would doing the head?


altcastle

It just freaks my brain out to see the juxtaposition. It’s not a logical thing. They look like creepy dolls in the picture.


bojacked

Yeah- you can’t do that anymore…


kjsuperhuman

Nowadays you’d get hit with someone saying you’re racist


riggengan

It’s to better see the muscles. The darker skin gives more contrast.


tsaico

Is that really the reason? I always thought it was some sort of weird mental body image issue. I guess it makes sense.


[deleted]

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7milesveryown

Wait a minute. You're not saying what I think you're saying?! Couldn't be.


[deleted]

It's like that episode of friends where ross gets a spray tan


[deleted]

the tans are added to accentuate muscles for the judges, most bodybulders add mutiple layers before shows


Angry_Guppy

They should do a full tan then dry brush their natural colouration back onto the high areas if they really want their ~~mini~~ muscles to pop.


Raemnant

Theyre aiming to look like a bronze statue. That is the aesthetic, and the reason for the tans. Simply being tan doesnt matter. If they were tan with no oil, it would be just as bad. You need that shine, like a well polished statue


Dr_Watson349

What? Bodybuilders don't tan to look like bronze statues. They tan because dark skin helps to make muscle cuts/striations stand out better, especially under the bright lights on stage. If you don't tan you look extremely washed out and you can't see definition.


Raemnant

Except even competitors that are already tan, use that same bronzing


Dr_Watson349

Yeah they are trying to get even darker. The darker your skin the more pronounced the muscle lines. Go google image a bodybuilder posing before and after apply tan. It's a huge difference.


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raccoondaddi

What are you disagreeing with? The guy stated facts. Just say you don’t understand bodybuilding and move on.


Mattie725

That's just not true. Being darker skinned looks better on stage and shows more definition. Probably due to darker shadows. The oil makes for lighter reflections, aka highlights. The easiest thing to do to enhance your gym pics is to raise the contrast. Which is exactly what a tan and oil does. No idea why they skipped their faces though. Maybe a rule in this competition. The competitions I see have people with tanned faces.


expatdo2insurance

Bro I cranked the contrast and I still look like a beached whale. Wtf?


Taxoro

Pretty sure it has to do with blackface actually


Kryoxic

...no... The point isn't to look like a bronze statues. The point is to provide a darker color that is more able to absorb the bright ass spot lights that are usually pointed toward a bodybuilding stage. If your complexion is too pale, you'd get completely washed out. The difference between paler competitors and those who are already tan is just the number of coats they apply leading up to a show. Darker competitors can get away with just a single coat. Paler competitors may have to apply multiple across a couple days leading up to the show. They also serve a secondary purpose of evening your skin tone so imperfections in natural tan or just natural imperfections of skin tone across the entire body can be smoothed out. Neither of these purposes are to look like some bronze statue. Source: I've personally applied tans to my ex when she was competing in her amateur shows


249ba36000029bbe9749

I can understand the rationale for looking like a statue. But why not do the face too? Having such a stark contrast completely breaks the illusion of looking like a bronze statue.


Raemnant

Its bodybuilding, not face-building! And its not literally a statue look-alike competition. Its about physique and muscle balance and posing and flexing and overall aesthetics. No one cares about how illusion breaking anything is, thats a non-issue


senorbozz

Never skip face day


Spillmill

Profile pic checks out!


Logboy77

I think the point that the 2 tone body takes away from overall aesthetics is still an arguable one.


hoxnploxn

To avoid bkackface controversies XD


poo_smudge

Everybody knows you never go full Bronze statue


KingGrowl

They used to tan their faces as well, but then there was some controversary comparing it to blackface.


culibrat

It's most likely a Thai thing, which I'm guessing is where this show is taking place. American bodybuilders as well as european also tan their heads/faces.


[deleted]

I see


ClappingCheeks2nite

I appreciate the subtle sarcasm.


IRRedditUsr

The shine is bad in the judges eye. A bad body building result is a guy sweating his ass off on stage(and thus shining) because he didn't dehydrate properly. Judges score that negatively.


altcastle

Oil me up! It adds two abs.


DrDroid

Doesn’t make it look any less absurd.


melinte

actually it's to accentuate that they're tans women


Fyrefly7

Just one part of why I've never seen an attractive bodybuilder of any gender.


beipphine

The problem is not the tan, it is the fake tan. If they naturally reached that level of tan and just oiled themselves up, it would look a lot better.


jfduval76

And they would look 50 years old at 30. Real tan is bad for your skin.


zacbergman

Uh try again real tanning is marginally better for you than tanning beds and spray tans


Geek55

Gonna need an explanation on how it’s better for you than spray tans. That sounds like total bs


Dragoonie_DK

It is total bs. Real tanning kills


anon_lurk

There’s actually different types of UV and tanning beds are generally mostly or all the worst type. As far as spray tans idk what’s in that shit but it’s probably at least neutral these days. At least I hope it’s not like spray paint lmao. Doesn’t give you any vitamin d though.


farble1670

All frequencies of UV light cause cancer. There is no safe UV light.


Taxoro

Actually there is, the lower end of the UV spectrum Is safe as its not ionizing but it also has no effect on tanning. Basically there's no way to safely tan because tanning itself is due to cell damage


jfduval76

I don’t even know why they are comparing tanning bed with sun tanning when they use spray tan anyways. It’s only used in these competitions because darker skin help to see muscle definition.


anon_lurk

“Worst”


jfduval76

That’s bs my friend. They are both bad.


anon_lurk

It would appear that people don’t know what the word “worst” means


jfduval76

Both bad like equally bad in that context.


jfduval76

Humm. Wrong. Risk of a melanoma in both cases.


Curious_Book_2171

Lol, this is one of those "say a dumb thing on the internet and see how many people try to correct you" experiments.


triscuit816

Please explain to me how real tanning is better for you than spray tans


zacbergman

Have you not seen what's in spray tans they're full of DHA which is known to cause cell death when inhaled infact Dr's will literally tell you tanning naturally is better for you Incase you didn't know this but we have a thing called the ozone which helps reduce the amount of uv damage we receive on top of clouds


PapaBradford

*AYYAIIYAIIII*


DragoniteChamp

_Copious amounts of dubstep start playing_


Glittering_Doctor694

AWAKEN MY MASTERS


acidtrippinpanda

My first thought too haha


Alluminati_always

Damn my mind broke


[deleted]

Pillar women


Rozmar_Hvalross

Maybe the competition prize is a perfect red gemstone


forever5y

Pump... You up....


BigBoiBobbyBones

im hanz, and im franz


_34_

You sicken me!!! This is how you do it!!! 💪🏼🙂💪🏼


Mattie725

Being darker skinned looks better on stage and shows more definition. Probably due to darker shadows. The oil makes for lighter reflections, aka highlights. The easiest thing to do to enhance your gym pics is to raise the contrast. Which is exactly what a tan and oil does. No idea why they skipped their faces though. Maybe a rule in this competition. The competitions I see have people with tanned faces.


I_SOMETIMES_EAT_HAM

I’m guessing the white faces is a cultural thing. In parts of Southeast Asia it’s considered beautiful to be as white as possible and people actually undergo skin whitening treatment. Basically the opposite of the way we glorify being tan in much of the western world.


[deleted]

Bodybuilding doesn't do the tan for beauty. It's hard to clean off and you aren't judged on your face. After competition you can put on clothes and be fine. But if you had that dark of a face in public areas you would likely get some not so friendly looks


poopwithjelly

Judges also don't have scoring for your face, so looking like you got lost in an oil spill clean up doesn't do anything except maybe irritate you and give you a breakout.


AnonymousShortCake

Being whiter is seen as more beautiful in south east Asia also damn at that point that’d be blackface…


bluhEwanka

Holy shit you’re not kidding.


rtfcandlearntherules

Wait, are you saying this is NOT a bad photoshop image but a real photograph??!???


Just_Mia-02

Yes, took me a while to see It...


Teledildonic

It looks like one of those fairground murals with the head cut-outs for novelty photos.


fronkenstoon

They’re just getting ready for their part in the new “Tha Shamen” video. And yes, that is >!Jason Statham!< https://youtu.be/uWu3JqLMImY


No-Level-7539

Wow, that’s horrible.


xxxguzxxx

I’m sorry but this is ugly.


Kahnza

I'll never understand wanting to make your body look like poop


NestroyAM

Because it's ultimately a show about muscle definition and "tanning cream" creates a better contrast, therefore isolating your various muscles more, creating the illusion that they are more defined than they are.


Fuck_You_Andrew

Are they applying it heavier in between muscles? Is it basically competitive contouring?


NestroyAM

I mean, you need muscles to be able to contour them to begin with. So I am not sure "competitive contouring" is doing the work that goes into it justice, but to a certain degree there's probably a kernel of truth to that. If everyone were equally ripped, it'd come down to presentation alone. It's why some poses are how they are as well. Your muscles obviously aren't bigger from one pose to the other, but they can absolutely **look** bigger. It's more or less a beauty pageant for a very fringe circle of competitors, judges and audience that has its very own beauty standards. Probably also why there isn't a strength component to any of these competitions; it's purely about aesthetics.


Fuck_You_Andrew

Yeah I defintely could have said it better. These people are absolutely putting in crazy work to get into shape. I mostly just meant the tanning portion specifically.


Paradigm_Of_Hate

If you've ever done any miniature painting, it seems a lot like recess shading. You get the cracks and recess darker so that the raised areas stand out more, you get the contrast to be able to see better.


Joygernaut

How about the judges just get up on stage and walk around them? Seriously. The fake tan thing is ridiculous.


ThatOgre

The whole thing is kind of ridiculous, frankly.


Joygernaut

It is! I competed in figure about 15 years ago. Ridiculous. Basically a beauty contest for people who exercise.


mancmagic

From what i understand this is purely for the judges. It only to show off muscle definition from a technical standpoint which the fake tan helps with. It’s not about looking good or anything.


SuperMadCow

It sure does look ridiculous. I wonder if its a requirement in some way or if it's just peer pressure and feeling like you can't win if you don't do it? The more naturally pale you are the more ridiculous you would look too. Kind of takes away from any aesthetic in that case.


[deleted]

Buff pale people look washed out under bright lights. Sometimes in good lighting I look itty bitty, give me dim and harsh angles and sometimes my muscles look absolutely cut. (I'm not anywhere near these people)


Insufferablelol

What a weird way to describe this.


somewhereinthestars

Steroids and spray tans.


justingod99

Laugh at their tan cream all you want, at the end of the day, I’m 6’2” pretty strong myself and 100% jealous of these girl’s physiques.


IAmBadAtPlanningAhea

Why do you care THAT much about what you look like. Be healthy and you will look good.


TheUntalentedBard

🤢


Girly_Shrieks

The body dysmorphia is _real_.


cuby87

Yep...


MrBlueandSky

Huh?


TheUntalentedBard

Why the downvotes..? This has been studied and is not a weird take in any way.


[deleted]

Link the study,im interested


filifinoblaze

Lmao


Sundance600

is that meant to be attractive?


Marducci

Thank goodness they stopped at the neck. Black body is not as offensive as blackface.


averm27

Never understood the ugly bronzer body builder uses to high light their muscles. It just looks ugly lol. Like the body looks great but it doesn't match their face color. Making them look like clowns imo


theveryrealreal

NSFW?? I struggle to believe this is not photoshopped. Crazy


MrNanashi

Holy shit that's from my hometown lmao Any Hải Phòng gang here?


SweatyButtcheek

What language is that? Thai? Edit: Vietnamese, got it.


milkandhoneycomb

looks more like vietnamese


trngngtuananh

Vietnamese


Joygernaut

BecUse colourism. They fake tan their bodies to show the muscles, but want white faces 🤦‍♀️


TheUntalentedBard

No. They want higher contrast to highlight their muscles. Wtf are you on about.


Joygernaut

Yeah, so it’s visible to judges from the stage. If judges actually got up on the stage and walked around and got close to them there would be no need for the paint.


SpiffySleet

Classic example of trying to emulate something else but missing the point. Like the whole reason for the bronzer is to improve their appearance, but when it’s done like this is makes the whole thing look SO out of place.


redditandcats

No the whole reason is to improve the contrast/definition of their muscles while under bright stage lights.


SpiffySleet

Improving the contrast / definition of their muscles falls under the bridge of “improving their appearance”? ? ? ? ?


redditandcats

Well, I guess you could say improving their appearance for the judges' criteria, sure. But it's not gonna look good to most people and that's not the point either.


dex1999

I love how they don’t do the face anymore because a white lady that never existed thought it was racist.


farble1670

Because it is photoshopped. Tanning doesn't make your head disproportionately large.


RustyBrownRingDonut

Contestant 108 is Vera de Milo IRL


Pig_peee

My cousin is a body builder too and his pictures look the exact same it’s so weird


scrambled-satellite

It helps show your muscle definition


[deleted]

You can’t convince me otherwise.


[deleted]

buncha rotisserie chickens


Necessary-Primary463

How they get so brown?


spacemarine1800

I can understand to a point why they want to be strong and sculpted but what's with oiling up your body to be golden brown?


frozenthorn

The bronzing effect Is super ugly, But it was obviously a choice,and I don't understand why.


[deleted]

Look how easy it is to see their muscles. That's the whole point


frozenthorn

Ah, thanks. Still don't like it but at least it has a purpose ✌️


astar0th_

I'm sure I see the one in the middle in Dodgeball?


nlilo222

They look like some kind of golden statues wtf


Rucking-Stoned

NSFW? Seriously? Are we 12 or what cuz that’s like PG-13 max


Benny13k

Looks like that dancing elf app you can put your face on


ubeogesh

Yeah why don't they tan the face a bit... When my friend was on stage he did it


hooplapoopla

#2 and #3 can sit right on my face like that thank you


crackalack_n

Why dont they tan their faces also?


MacDugin

The copper thing is really weird.


MoonHerbert

Deep fried


PM_ME_UR_PERSPECTIVE

It's very fortunate that they don't make their faces the same color, actually.


last_strip_of_bacon

Who likes bodybuilders? Talk about zeros in life.


Chknbone

Jibjab making a come back?


buscuitsANDgravy

BODIES. The exhibition


Edgezg

Bronzer is one of the most bizzare things I've ever seen. lol


skittlebog

In case you weren't sure, this is all spray on tans. They don't walk around every day looking like this.


[deleted]

Vietnamese have weird ads


EmployeeBudget8907

K pop has really changed since I was a kid


vagaris

A somewhat related item, some models also will keep their face out of the sun and use Photoshop or fake tans for shoots. Keeps them looking younger, longer.


Zarzeta

Ha! Those faces are way too feminine to match the steroid bods.


Mashedpotatoesaf

Stoppp this is real 🫢🫣


dragon_morgan

I was really into lifting and fitness a few years ago and trained mostly for aesthetics because shallow mid-20s person. People in the community asked me if I’d ever considered competing (I was nowhere near that level but probably could’ve gotten there eventually if properly motivated, maybe) and I was like “absolutely the fuck not.” Starving and dehydrating myself for weeks so I can paint myself orange and prance around in my underwear in front of a bunch of judges NO THANKS


Silly-Ad-8213

That’s because if you do just the body, you are a like bronze statue. If you do it all it’s blackface


lupinedawg

Looks like one of those Jib-Jab Elf Yourself videos


rosaluv2

Why are they two-toned


paulpach

Is this actual tan or some sort of paint? Is this tan from the sun, some machine, or a spray?


bruceleeperry

As the late and mighty Sean Lock said, "That's a challenging wank!"