Will Smith’s “dad bod” reveal has inspired plenty of other men (famous and not) to post their quarantine-molded bodies online, which eventually birthed a social media challenge that has seen many of these men taking their fitness into their hands. One of the latest celebs to jump on the “dad bod’ bandwagon is black-ish star Anthony Anderson, and the sitcom dad threw himself into Will Smith’s challenge with a striking pose.
Anthony Anderson took to his Instagram to post a photo of himself taking on the same pose as Will Smith, and the black-ish vet even chose to give the Bad Boys for Life star and other participants a shout-out with his boisterous caption. Anderson decided to take the challenge a step further by setting up progress parameters. Check out the sitcom dad’s funny-yet-inspiring photo montage below:
With the “dad bod” challenge, Will Smith become an inspiration for millions of out-of-shape men to show off their untoned physiques with the promise of doing a better job in the physical fitness department. And while Smith has been known to fluctuate his weight somewhat for various roles, Anderson made waves years ago when black-ish was starting up, losing nearly 50 lbs. and redefining his look. So this challenge should feel quite familiar to him in some ways.
As with most fitness goals, Anthony Anderson needed and wanted a timeline and some boundaries, and it's always fun to have a fitness buddy(s) when trying to get healthier and into shape. Falling in line with the black-ish star’s brand of humor, the post showed one can be appropriately silly even when it comes to serious topics, and once again proved Anderson isn’t afraid to put himself out there in any way. The actor's funny response to Smith's challenge reached the masses in a completely different way, as revealed by Anderson in another post a few days later:
As previously mentioned, Anthony Anderson hasn’t been the only Hollywood star to accept Will Smith’s “dad bod” challenge. Fellow comedic actor Marlon Wayans took to Instagram to show off his quarantine body, and got quite honest about his quarantine weight gain, having marked his progression weeks before the challenge. Wayans gave followers an update on his progress a few days later with a mirror selfie, giving fans another look at how successful this challenge has been for some.
The “dad bod” challenge has certainly sparked discussions over men and body image. Oftentimes, only women’s body image issues are covered, with men’s bodies often treated as an afterthought or ignored completely. Will Smith, Anthony Anderson, Marlon Wayans and others moved the body positivity movement toward the male species, which is especially significant for Black men, as our health is oftentimes not prioritized. As such, it’s nice to see men embracing their various body types and shapes while aiming for a healthier lifestyle and outlook.
Will Smith and Anthony Anderson can serve as inspirations for others while widening the body positivity discussion. Anderson might have more motivation as his ABC sitcom was renewed for its eighth and final season. Either way, it’s nice to see even celebrities admitting to gaining pandemic weight and wanting better for themselves.
