Let’s be clear here – we are not making fun of Will Smith here. Far from it, we’re actually quietly impressed by his willingness to put himself out there and acknowledge that the events of the last year have impacted everyone, even world-famous stars.
Think about it – Will Smith has been under the spotlight for the last 35 years. For a significant chunk of that stretch, he was an A-list movie star and was likely in a constant battle with his body, trying to make sure that he looked the part. There’s a lot of pressure on stars to keep up appearances, so there’s something appealing about the idea of him just saying to hell with it. And yes, we know that someone like Smith is in a far different situation than the rest of us non-famous Muggles. That said, he’s also likely got a hell of a lot more eyeballs on him than we do.
It certainly seems like the majority of the public can relate to Smith’s pandemic body, though – the post received over five million likes in less than a day – and it’s a chance for regular folks to recognize the sheer commitment that it takes to maintain a movie star physique.
We’ve gotten plenty of social media posts about the frankly insane regimens undertaken by famous folks to maintain the not-at-all-realistic bodies that Hollywood requires of its leading men. Could we achieve the kind of ultra-shredded definition achieved by folks like Mark Wahlberg if we were being paid millions of dollars to do so? Sure, if we also had the option of spending hours in the gym each day and eating nothing but meticulously constructed food prepared by an army of professionals.
But who needs that kind of stress in their life?
There’s something refreshing about the honesty with which Smith is approaching the whole thing. Obviously, there’s no shame in sporting a dad bod. And hell – Will Smith is 52 years old. If he wants to spend a little less time agonizing in the gym and a little more time enjoying the finer things, who can blame him? Maybe it’s OK to just let things go a bit.
(It should also be noted that the worst shape of Will Smith’s life is VERY different than the worst shape of a normal human’s life. Sure, he looks a little thick around the middle, but for a dude in his 50s, he is looking damned good.)
So kudos to Will Smith for embracing the opportunity to set aside the constant quest for physical perfection. Sometimes, you’d rather drink a six-pack than have a six-pack … and that’s perfectly acceptable. It’s a goofy moment of self-deprecation that we don’t often see from the megafamous among us.
Now we wait and see if he inspires other A-listers to relax for a minute. Personally, we’re hoping to see what happens if/when Tom Cruise lets himself go.