Obsessed with Toughness: Gym Bros, Looksmaxxer, and Muscle Alphas in the Crisis of Masculinity

Description

An evening about the strengths and weaknesses of young men, with Sophia Fritz and Jörg Scheller The diagnosis is spreading: Young men in general are not doing well. While societal change demands emotional, mental, and social flexibility from them, they are stiffening: The harder, the better. Influencers underscore male empowerment fantasies with corresponding muscle tales. How does fitness become an ideology? When do these rigidities become dangerous? And where might a solution to the current masculinity crisis lie? Based on the loss of her brother, bestselling author Sophia Fritz explores the male ideal of toughness. In her new non-fiction book "The Man, the Victim," she asks: "Why is an excessive drive for fitness read as discipline and not as a warning sign, as might be the case for me with a sister suffering from an eating disorder?" Art scholar Jörg Scheller, himself a bodybuilder for decades, will answer this question. He has extensively studied male body and toughness cultures. Scheller brings practical and theoretical perspectives on muscles, strength, optimization desires, and competitive thoughts to the "Beauty Salon" at Urania. Sophia Fritz (*1997) studied screenwriting and dramaturgy at the Munich Film School. Her debut novel "Throwing Stones" was published in 2021, and in 2024, her non-fiction bestseller "Toxic Femininity" was released by Hanser Berlin. Her latest book, "The Man, the Victim," is an empathetic critique of patriarchal masculinity. Besides writing, she dedicates herself to somatic work, i.e., body-therapeutic experiential approaches, and offers workshops. Jörg Scheller (*1979) is a professor of art history at Zurich University of the Arts. He earned his doctorate in Karlsruhe in 2011 with a dissertation on Arnold Schwarzenegger. At Kunsthalle Zurich, he curated the exhibition "Building Modern Bodies." In journalistic articles for DIE ZEIT, NZZ, "Artforum," or "Psychologie Heute," as well as in monographs, he explores topics from bodybuilding to heavy metal to identity politics. In his spare time, he is a strength athlete, long-distance runner, certified fitness trainer, and metal musician. Rabea Weihser (*1981) studied sociology of music and marketing. Until 2021, she led the culture section of ZEIT ONLINE. Then she moved for two years to basketball champion ALBA BERLIN as the first Director of Communication & Culture of the Bundesliga. In 2025, her non-fiction book "How We Became So Beautiful. A Biography of the Face" was published by Diogenes. She now works as a freelance journalist and hosts the monthly "Beauty Salon" at Urania.

Highlights

• Discussion about the masculinity crisis with Sophia Fritz and Jörg Scheller
• Thematization of fitness as an ideology
• Insight into male body and toughness cultures

General Information

The event takes place at Urania Berlin and sheds light on the challenges faced by young men in today's society. Sophia Fritz and Jörg Scheller discuss the impact of fitness cultures and the search for solutions to the masculinity crisis.

Location

An der Urania 17, 10787 Berlin, Germany

Hide Map

Loading map...

How to get there

Get Directions