July 09, 2021 • bachelor insider
Mike Johnson & Bryan Abasolo Talk Thirst Traps and How They Handle Social Media Pressure
On this week’s episode of “Talking It Out,” co-hosts Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo shared their thoughts on thirst traps and handling the pressure that comes along with being social media influencers.
“You know how hard I work my butt off to try to obtain that #ThirstTrapThursday?” said Mike, who has a penchant for sharing sizzling hot shirtless snaps with his Instagram followers.
“The reason I do it — and I’m going to be so transparent — let’s be honest, Bryan, the world we live in, we get paid for having nice bodies,” he continued. “I don’t care what anyone else says. It’s just true.”
Bryan agreed, noting that he gets more engagement online when flaunting his own chiseled physique.
“Listen, besides pictures with [my wife] Rachel [Lindsay], the second most liked and viewed are the thirst traps. It is what it is,” he said. “The machine needs to be fed. I don’t know. I don’t make the rules, but that’s just the way it is.”
Mike went on to say that he hits the gym hard not only for the ’gram but “to prove to myself that I put in the work to obtain it.”
“It’s like you want to push your limits in every aspect of life. Career-wise, you want to keep going until you reach that ultimate climactic goal. Same thing with your body,” Bryan responded. “I love the saying, ‘It’s you versus you.’ That’s it. You’re not competing with Tyler Cameron, you’re not competing with me, you’re not competing with anybody else. It’s Mike versus Mike.”
Mike and Bryan each explained that they make a concerted effort to not compare themselves to others.
“Unfortunately, with social media, there’s a lot of the comparison game going on. You see all these different images, different bodies, different personality types online. People get caught up in that,” Bryan noted. “But they should just focus on themselves and maximize their vessel that they were put on this earth with.”
Added Mike, “Comparison’s the thief of joy.”
Listen to the latest edition of “Talking It Out with Mike & Bryan” below.
