In the 1990s, Bravo launched a recurring special section called This was a visual, almost clinical, guide to puberty. It featured labeled drawings of male and female bodies, showing exactly when and where hair grows, how breasts develop, and why your voice cracks. The Bodycheck was equal parts terrifying and fascinating.
Let’s break down why this phrase has become a nostalgic rallying cry, what each part means, and why “that’s me 11” still makes former readers smile. To understand the keyword, you need to understand Bravo —Germany’s most popular youth magazine, founded in 1956. For decades, Bravo was the Bible for teenagers. It contained posters of pop stars, relationship advice, and a legendary column simply called “Dr. Sommer.”
If you grew up reading European teen magazines in the 1990s and early 2000s—specifically Germany’s Bravo —certain phrases are permanently etched into your memory. Among the most iconic is a bizarre, proud, and slightly awkward declaration: “Bravo Dr. Sommer, Bodycheck, that’s me 11.”
So here’s to Dr. Sommer (real name: Martin Goldstein, who passed away in 2018). Here’s to the Bodycheck, with its clinical lines and terrifyingly frank labels. And here’s to everyone who ever studied that chart in secret, heart pounding, wondering: Am I normal?
