How Baby

There’s been a lot of buzz about ‘dad bod’ recently, and how it’s just so wonderful that women, long the arbiters of men’s appearances, have loosened the reins and started to appreciate the ‘dad bod’, a man who looks more at home drinking a few beers and working on the backyard than he does in the club.

If you can’t tell from my sarcasm, that is bullshit. Men have long been afforded more lenient beauty standards than women. And calling it ‘dad’ bod? Because, yeah, becoming a father takes such a toll on the male body.

You want to pat yourself on the back for accepting once-reviled body types, let’s talk about the ‘mom bod’. No one thinks I’m a better partner or provider because my tummy is flabby. I get concern-trolling about my health and ‘getting my body back’, or ‘working on my beach body’.

Let’s be clear, I’m all for bodies that look relaxed and huggable, attached to brains more interested in watching Netflix. It’s just the double-standard that’s burning me up. ‘Dad bod’ isn’t a revolution, it’s just one more way beauty standards don’t apply to men the same way they do to women.

This strip features a guest appearance by my patron Andrew, who graciously allowed me to draw him shirtless. 🙂