Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Objects of Desire…

For years women have objected vehemently to being objectified, and rightly so, of course. But, I have noticed more and more recently that this propensity for taking people and turning them into objects has been undergoing a transition. Everywhere you look in the entertainment fields, and particularly in the literary world of romance, the tables are turning, and men are being objectified now, rather blatantly. Everywhere you look, there are blogs, photos, covers, posters… all displaying buffed guys with their smoulder on high… And women are the ones posting for other women to enjoy and the comments get more outrageously sexual all the time.

So, is this sexy do you think? If men slobber over half-naked women and make remarks, it's sexist, tasteless, and a hundred other things. Is it really any different if the women are the ones making the remarks, or exploiting male beauty for the sole purpose of looking? I posted a photo album on Facebook ages ago, it's filled with beautiful men. That single album has incited the most amazingly wild comments at times...

At what point in time is beauty and sexuality simply part of who we are, and not a commodity to sell? And why the double-standard? In some cases I know personally, the very women who want to murder their husbands/boyfriends/partners for gawking at other women are the same ones who post and share photos of the men who are making a living with their good looks and contoured muscles. What's the mindset, do you think??

Beauty is beauty, in my opinion. As it ages, it takes on new aspects, but ALL people possess beauty and sensuality. Is this really something that should be bought and sold by commercial standards? Will look forward to your thoughts, and there's a surprise gift in the offing...


3 comments:

  1. Great topic, Denyse! I heard on the news the other day that anorexia and bulimia aren't just for girls anymore. Many young men are starting to suffer from the same poor self-esteem that has plagued teenage girls for decades. You are right that every person, no matter age, race or body type possesses sensuality and beauty.

    I also think the visceral response we all experience when we view our ideal of beauty is natural and should be embraced. Of course I'm not one of those women that beats up her man for checking out other people :)

    I've made a profession out of offering fantasy to female readers which I think is important for a variety of reasons. But it has to be treated as just that: a fantasy.

    Bottom line in my opinion--it's okay to gawk and indulge in fantasy, but we also have to appreciate real people for more than the beauty that is only skin deep :)

    HUGS, you gorgeous lady!

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  2. Well said, Cindy - and you get my point entirely - fantasy is something that is healthy for the mind and spirit, but obsession over body image is frightening and debilitating to the growth of every person who succumbs to the illusion of what beauty is all about. A very special man once told me that there is beauty in every living thing on this planet, and he's right - be it obvious beauty that causes a heart to beat faster, or the less overt beauty of a kind word or a gentle breeze...

    I think we can all appreciate an attractive man and/or woman, and no one should be slapped stupid, literally or figuratively, for doing what is natural. But, there is a fine line between appreciation and rudeness at times, and I think we, as a society, are forgetting that rather too frequently nowadays.

    The beauty that is eternal has so little to do with the outside of any person - and that's what we should be looking for in ourselves and others.

    Thanks again, Cindy!! Gorgeous lady, indeed, right back atcha!!!!

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  3. It all depends on how you define 'beauty'.
    Physical 'perfection', if you will, doesn't mean that a soul is beautiful.
    I have felt the acute disappointment in discovering that what's all pretty on the outside is really hollow and full of nothing - just like an easter egg, where the filling rarely lives up to the hype of the wrapping.

    I can appreciate nice looking chaps with the rest of them, but

    'Youth, it will vanish, and beauty will fade, and your wealth and position are all just a passing parade' (John Rutter)

    If there is no real substance behind the image then it's not worth the picture it paints.

    Beauty is where you choose to see it - and your friend is right Denyse, it is everywhere, in many guises. All it takes is a moment of calm to recognise it. True beauty has little to do with skin, hair or eye colour - and everything to do with the colour of your soul.
    Just as the size of your heart matters more than the size of your hips.

    LJ x

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