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At MuscleAdonis.com we feature some of the hottest beefcakes on the planet! Our collection of male bodybuilders and male fitness models is second to none. Our muscular studs spend countless hours in the gym honing their physiques, and we here at MuscleAdonis.com showcase them in all of their masculine glory! Below, is a detailed study of the word 'Beefcake.'
Beefcake is a slang word for erotic images or realistic photos of any well-muscled, well-built man, in a word play on 'cheesecake', used since 1934 of images of sexy young women. The photographs are usually of shirtless men. Beefcake is often used to denote male sexual attractiveness stemming from physical build, but is also used by women and men interested in bodybuilding and weight training.
Beefcake poses by male actors were used far less frequently than cheesecake layouts of actresses, nevertheless as early as the 1920's photographs were taken of such stars as Rudolph Valentino and Ramon Novarro to highlight their physical appeal. Male physique shots of famous stars were even less frequent during the early talking picture era outside of stars of jungle films like Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe. The 1940's saw a rise in shirtless shots of such handsome stars as Tyrone Power, Guy Madison, and Sterling Hayden and in the 1950's movie magazines began running swimsuit shots of actors such as Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter, Jeff Chandler, and Robert Wagner almost as frequently as it would of actresses. Also during this period came the rise of bodybuilding magazines, which continue to be popular to the present day, as well as musclemen movie stars like Steve Reeves who were often barely dressed in their action/adventure films.
The 1970's proved a golden age for beefcake with the debut of Playgirl magazine and its completely nude pictorials of men, Cosmopolitan magazine's famous semi-nude centerfolds of actors like Burt Reynolds, and the rise of pornography directed at gay male audiences in both magazines and films. Today it is common to see beefcake shots of actors like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise on the cover of general interest magazines.
Other actors who have occasionally posed for beefcake shots over the years include Errol Flynn, Robert Taylor, Jeffrey Hunter, Rory Calhoun, Peter Lupus, Joe Dallesandro, Sam J. Jones, Tom Selleck, Mark Harmon, and Antonio Sabato Jr. Many professional male bodybuilders advertise their services, offering advice concerning nutrition, training, etc., often marketing their videos in which training programmes are demonstrated. Since the late 20th century it has become more evident that buyers of such videos are attracted not just by a bodybuilder's mere bulk of muscles, but also by his toned body and sexual appeal. Browsing through a number of bodybuilders' home pages, one occasionally finds videos advertised which are said to include "frontal nudity", "sexually explicit material", etc.
A recent movie of the same name details the history of the Athletic Model Guild, an early company known for their photos of men.
Athletic Model Guild
The Athletic Model Guild is an inspiration for MuscleAdonis.com . We hope to emulate the success and longevity that The Athletic Model Guild has enjoyed. What distinguishes The Athletic Model Guild from the slew of competitors out there is that it has been around for many years, which automatically earns a sense of respect in the industry. The Nude Male Models who pose for this company are utterly beautiful and captivating. Below, is a detailed synopsis of the company.
The Athletic Model Guild was an old organization founded by gay pioneer Bob Mizer in the mid-1940s. US censorship laws at the time allowed women to appear in art in various states of undress, but not men. Parts of Asia have similar rules on the books today. Bob began his business by taking pictures of guys, both gay and straight, whom he knew ; usually not wearing anything. Many of these would appear in pictures which, while focusing on fitness tips and the like, were largely vehicles for the nice eye candy (a cousin to the "reading Playboy for the articles" argument).
As time went by and the laws were being questioned both in and out of court, AMG's pictures alternated between literally painting in "speedos" in the appropriate places for the pictures of men and having the models simply wear posing straps. After long legal battles, AMG eventually did away with clothing altogether, though by this time the newly-found freedom meant AMG suddenly had a lot of competition, some being in it for the quick and dirty buck, rather than an aim at more innocent, and possibly informative, fun.
Several muscle stars and actors, both gay and straight, of the day got their start posing for Bob and his friends. It is estimated that he took pictures of over 10,000 men throughout the course of his career. Andy Warhol's bisexual friend Joe Dallesandro, recently seen standing among the rows of people in Calvin Klein's CK One and Be ads, was among his models. He went on be an actor in Warhol's, and other's, movies, both adult and mainstream. Ed Fury and Glenn Corbett, of 77 Sunset Strip were among some of the other more well-known subjects.
Like Andy Warhol Bob actually had his mother living with him at some points ; even helping out with the business while guys, usually skinny-dipping, swam in the pool outside!
A recent movie, entitled Beefcake, combines actual footage with recreated parts and showcases the basic story of the organization, as told through the eyes of a fictitious main character (who could easily be a composite of the many men Bob met). The dvd edition of the movie includes some rare AMG films, near-impossible to find otherwise, as an added bonus. A majority of the films and photos from the company were inherently nonsexual in nature. The more innocent times simply had guys posing, sometimes more than one, not wearing anything, for whomever desired it. Actual model profiles and nutrition tips did appear in the magazines the company put out.
AMG's business did appear in court, for a combination of charges (censorship laws, drug use and prostitution - sometimes the guys would make a little extra money renting themselves out). AMG argued it was the business of the models, not theirs, to police themselves. Despite some setbacks the organization continued until the sexist laws were changed. After Bob passed away he left his large collection to Wayne Stanley, a friend and legal advisor. Wayne is retired, himself, so he just recently (2004) sold the entire collection to a photographer named Dennis Bell, who is in the process now of restoring, archiving and displaying the works.
Text courtesy of Wikipedia.
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