How to Talk About Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz
Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz tells the story of Aziz Shavershian, the Sydney teenager who became one of the internet’s first fitness icons. He died in 2011, aged 22. Boys who weren’t even born then still know his name.
In the late 2000s, before influencing was an industry, Zyzz started documenting his transformation from skinny teenager to sculpted, hyper-confident persona. Through forums, gym culture and rough, self-made videos, he became the face of “aesthetics”: the idea that if you rebuild your body, you can rebuild who you are. For millions of young men, that promise stuck.
We’ve pulled out seven themes from the film, each with questions to help you start a conversation with your son. They cover belonging, masculinity, slurs and language, body image and steroids, friendship, asking for help, and fame.