[The Fountain] Return of the era of the body

As the age of the body returns, we need to answer a fundamental question: What are the standards of an ethical and honest body?

LEE KYOUNG-HEEThe author is head of Innovation Lab of the JoongAng Ilbo. In ancient Greece, physical training was a civic duty. The ideal body was a representation of a harmoniously developed mental and physical self. Physical workout was also part of training to enhance their chance of winning wars.

The ancient Olympics was a festival for Zeus. The winning athletes were treated as heroes. Not just the Olympians, but also the general public were recommended to work out. Greek citizens worked out naked, and the naked, muscular athletes are depicted in paintings and sculptures.

Modern people also aspire to have fit bodies. Twenty years ago, Jeong Da-yeon rose to stardom as the “fitness lady.” The public raved over how the ordinary housewife in her late 30s got fit.

Over the past 20 years, the admiration for muscular bodies seems to have grown. The “body profile” photo shoot is popular not just among stars and celebrities but also the public.

They engage in high-intensity training and keep a strict diet for months to carve their ideal body. They even get hair removal and tan, not to mention getting their hair and makeup done professionally for the photo shoot at a professional studio.

There are more than 4.3 million postings on Instagram under the “body profile” hashtag. Hashtag TWD, or “today’s workout done,” has more than 4.6 million posts.

The Netflix show “Physical 100,” created by MBC, cleverly picked up this trend. A hundred contestants compete for the prize of 300 million won ($236,500) to become the representative best body. The contestants are from various backgrounds, including mixed martial artist Choo Sung-hoon. The camera focuses on the movement of their bodies, muscles and sweat.

As if going back to the ancient Greek and Roman times, the stimulating matches captured global viewers. Last week, it became the first Korean show to top the Netflix TV show category.

A fit body is a trophy from a fight with oneself. In the first episode, the creators presented the phrase, “The body does not lie.” But outside the show, a controversy arose over contestants using steroids.

Training the body for display, not for health, costs money and comes with side effects. As the age of the body returns, we need to answer a fundamental question: What are the standards of an ethical and honest body?