Ah, Hollywood: a place where winsome, dreamy-eyed slacker boys can go to become unbelievably shredded bodybuilders. The latest in our hit parade is the formerly dewy Jake Gyllenhaal, whose abs were glimpsed looking insane in brand-new Prince of Persia footage released over the weekend. Sure, Gyllenhaal has bulked up before for Jarhead, but the quality of his Persia sixpack and its lack of resemblance to concomitant, shirtless paparazzi photos have provoked the internet's most conspiracy-prone beefcake lovers to smell a rat.
Though Gyllenhaal's midsection doesn't look as egregiously painted on as, say, Gerard Butler's from 300, gay blogs are abuzz with scrutiny. The commenters at Towleroad, for example, allege that Gyllenhaal achieved the abs with practical effects:
"I still think that Jake used a prostheis around his midsection. I think he bulked up, but not that much in the midsection for his skinny frame. When relaxed, that ripple effect (ie. 6-pack) would not be that prevalent."
"There is something very unnatural looking about his midriff... It could be prosthetic, considering his bellybutton looks totally different than the one shown in the previous post."
"He has the look of those old Roman breastplates which molded a false set of muscles over the chest and abdomen, albeit in metal. If it's real, it's clearly 'better living through chemistry' as a certain Fortune 500 company once boasted in its advertising."
Other commenters were quick to leap to Gyllenhaal's defense, providing a Zapruder-like alternate reading of the footage:
"He's laughing. You flex when you're laughing."
Still, only one reader was kind enough to provide an interpretation everyone could agree on:
"Persian (Iranian) dudes can be pretty hot."
Indeed. So, did Gyllenhaal's abs get a Bruckheimer boost? You be the judge: