Manarexia

Ok, so skinny guys in Hollywood. I’ve joked too many times about wishing I had an eating disorder, but in reality, it’s a serious matter. It’s easy to look at skinny girls on tv or movies and say things like, “Eat a donut.” In reality, the desire to be thin hits everyone–men and women. Whether you are like me sitting on the couch gaining pounds by the hours or a woman sitting flipping through a magazine of touched-up photos, all of us sometimes feel bad about the way we look. Except Matthew McConaughey. I think he literally never lets it cross his mind.

Anyway, when I look at Rami Malek, who is talented and blessed with a solid acting career, I think, “That’s a strange looking man.” He built his career on it. Listen, I’m no runway model. But I look at pictures of his twin brother and I don’t get it. His twin is attractive with a normally shaped face. Rami is angular and odd and tortured looking. Is it a choice, or is it a form of male punishment through food–anarexia, a.k.a. manarexia. I read a story years ago that Dennis Quaid suffered from this. He was so controlling with his food and relationship that Meg Ryan went a little surgically crazy after she finally left him. It may all be a publisher’s way to make money, but the idea is real. Has the male need to see the “perfect body” in a mate rebounded into their own phobia? Have we created our own need for a thin appearance. I mean, it’s only justified. We deserve it. White men created this idealized world, so it’s only fair that we start feeding into it ourselves.

Men of color never seem affected by this affliction. Probably because they appreciate the value of a strong female. Also, let’s face it, they have better genes. At 50, I look like someone is experimenting with skin and prunes to be universally aligned. My friends with extra pigment look 10 years younger.

So, the question is…”Is manarexia a thing? And, if so, who is responsible?”

REMEDY FOR THIS CONVERSATION: The Peanut Butter Old Fashioned

Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey (2 shots), Orange/Regular Bitters, Italian Maraschino Cherries (and liquid, preferable real Italion, such as Luxardo), Orange Peel.

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Shake a generous 6 shakes of the bitters (or a combo of both types of bitters). Add a maraschino (Marasca) cherry with a bit of the thick syrup it sits in. Peel a section of orange peel, and run lighter along it to release it’s oils. Place it in the glass and add the whiskey. Stir to mix all the aromatics. You will soon not worry about what your body or anyone else’s looks like. You will just envision pouring the next old fashioned. (This is a sipping cocktail. Be careful. After 3, you will need to stay in a seated position to avoid self injury.)