Model Petr Havránek from Love Island: 'Let guys cry if they feel the need'
What is the first thing you think of as masculinity and what does masculinity mean to you?
A set of characteristics and behaviors. To a large extent, this is largely due to society, where men are simply required to behave according to a certain definition, and anyone who doesn't can be perceived negatively in the sense that they're not a proper man.
Is that a good thing?
I don't think it's right, because I think masculinity is evolving, like a lot of other things and directions. What used to be masculine may not be masculine anymore, and vice versa.
So in your opinion, is it true that we can see some evolution in terms of masculinity, and people don't cling so much to the tradition that a guy has to be macho and alpha male anymore?
I think it's changing especially in the cities. When you go to a village somewhere, it's completely different. They'll have a much more conservative view of it and they'll have a completely different take on it, compared to people in the metropolis, where guys routinely go to the beauty parlour, take care of themselves and indulge in similar things as, say, women.
Do you think that makes traditional masculinity kind of toxic? Or should men be brought up more strictly?
I think we're in a time where everyone should do what they want. Not in the sense of hurting someone else, of course, but rather in the sense that if someone feels the need to cry, they should just cry. Whether it's a man or a woman. Alternatively, if they feel comfortable in an outfit that someone else finds too extravagant, then let them wear it, because we should focus on ourselves and how we feel. We shouldn't be so concerned with what other people think of us because then we are living their life rather than ours.
Petr is currently participating in the reality show Love IslandPhoto: Foto: se souhlasem Juana Calderóna
You've been modelling for a long time. If I were to relate the topic of masculinity to this world, how is masculinity viewed here? Because when you say model, I'm sure a lot of people think of a man who has some kind of care for himself and his appearance. Many will be of the opinion that there are hard demands on appearance. Isn't that why the modelling environment is a bit conservative?
I think it's quite the opposite. People in the modeling industry are much more tolerant. When I look at it from the point of view of sexual orientation, for example, it's a very balanced environment. Plus, there are a lot of homosexuals in modelling, maybe even the majority. And everyone is accepting and respectful of each other, there are no rifts.
For example, it happened to me personally many times that we went somewhere for a photo shoot and there was no other way to arrange it at the hotel than to sleep in the same room or even on the same bed with another guy, and even a gay guy. I have no problem with that at all. The fact that someone has a different sexual orientation doesn't change my view of them at all and I just accept them as they are.
You answered me from a slightly different perspective... I don't doubt that it's a tolerant environment, but my point is about the demands of modeling agencies and brands on what a proper model should look like. While there are different plussize models etc., you see completely identical types at most fashion shows, so I wonder if there is any chance that this will shift somewhere and we will see maybe very muscular guys on the runway or guys with a belly button?
Everything is now primarily brand-driven, with specific brands and designers projecting their ideas onto fashion shows and choosing their models based on that. Let's say that Giorgio Armani probably won't cast a transgender model anytime soon, and I think they'll follow the same line, but there are a lot of alternative designers who, on the other hand, are building shows on diversity, trying to cast diverse people and show that it's cool and that everyone should do it.
And to follow up on whether there are any appearance requirements, because of the times that we live in now, it's great that people are now taking people as they are. So if a designer wants muscular and toned guys, he goes to an agency and asks for them. If he wants more interesting types, he does the same.
That's another thing that's changing a lot, by the way. Modeling is not about being beautiful, it's about being interesting. Nowadays, modeling can be done by individuals who are maybe ugly to many people. But where is the line of beauty? Many people would say: how can someone like that do modelling? But for the modeling world, it's nothing out of the ordinary. You just have to be distinctive. Hence, today it is possible to see a show with guys who have huge ears, huge noses, etc., which was unthinkable before. Twenty years ago they would have been tapping their foreheads because we had an era of completely different models. It used to be all about muscles, whereas now they look for guys based on how their clothes fit. I had a bit of a problem with that myself. When I started, my shoulders were too broad. So I literally couldn't finish one jacket in Milan. (laughs)
Have you ever encountered people judging you for modelling? That it's just not a manly enough job? Is that how modeling is perceived at all?
I haven't encountered that in my environment. Or like this, I've never encountered anyone telling me that I should do a proper job. However, I played basketball for twelve years, so when I came to the gym and said I was quitting basketball and going to Milan to do modelling, of course there were comments like, " Yep, the model is here."
That's not what I meant. It was more like, it's not a real man's job...
We're in the 21st century, and with the rise of youtubers and instagrammers comes the trend of all the other young people wanting to do something similar. Everybody wants to be famous and modeling fits into that in a way, so people don't think about whether it's a guy thing or not. And anyone who is convinced that he is a man, simply doesn't have much need to think about whether what he likes to do is manly or not.
Did you have that kind of environment around you growing up? Or was there an emphasis on being a proper "traditional" guy by your parents?
Not at all. I mean, if I fell off my bike somewhere and screamed for half an hour, I'd already be yelled at to stop screaming, but no one ever suggested that I didn't have the right to be sad or cry or express any other emotion. This definitely strikes me as toxic for someone to raise their child with the mindset that they are a man and that men just don't cry. Let men cry when they feel the need. I've cried a lot, too. You know, heartbreak and all that... On the contrary, it's desirable, and it makes you feel a lot better. He washes it out and moves on with a clean slate. Let's all just be who we want to be and the world will be a better place.
