Summary: It’s summer, the beach is calling, and so is the dreaded swimsuit! Americans are constantly bombarded by images of physical perfection, especially at this time of year. If it’s enough to make you want to run for cover, then BackStory is here to offer some comfort – exploring the ideal of the perfect American body, and how it hasn’t always been what it is today. From the initial emergence of skinniness as a desirable trait for middle-class men, to the 19th-century science of “nasology”—which held that the shape of a person’s nose was the key to understanding their character—hosts Brian Balogh, Peter Onuf, and Ed Ayers get to grips with a range of body history. Plus, they steel themselves for a look at the Cold War roots of that bane of schoolchildren everywhere—the Presidential Physical Fitness Test. For more on the guests and stories featured in this episode, and for an array of resources related to body image and physique, check out BackStory’s website at: http://backstoryradio.org/shows/beach-bodies/
