I think men work out to impress their mates as much as the ladies. In most cases it's a completely benign activity and an enjoyable pastime with practical benefits.
Agreed.
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After reading the whole thread again which I believe there are serious misunderstandings that has led some members to take the issue personally to the point of mocking each other which is uncalled for ,Y'all should have been patient enough to engage in proper debate or discussion without attacking each other. I would like to add my own fresh perspective on this after studying much on sexual objectification which I would recommend most members to do so before they post their random opinions and views in this thread. Ignorance is the mother of misunderstanding and creates discord.
Believe it or not, men are objectified sexually. Anyone that thinks contrary to that then one is biased or ignorant about it. We have had feminist authors like Christina Hoff Sommers and Naomi Wolf that acknowledge that by arguing that women's sexual freedom has led many women to view men as a sex object in a manner similar to what they criticize men's treatment of women. However,unlike men,women do admire and objectify them by considering other variables of personality than just the physical aspect.
Back in the day, men were objectified by women based on their financial assets that is enough to provide them home and garden in a suburbia but now due to feminist movements in the 60s and 70s, and sexual revolution. Women have the power to be selective(just like men too) and the for first time in this modern age, men are vulnerable to female sexual selection and rejection which makes it inevitable for the objectification of men to arise. It has become a new phenomenom in a pop culture. Here is a link to that:
linkLook at the mass media, how men are advertised with underwears, perfume,shaving sticks and creams e.g. Gillete, and even Marlboro ciggarates. We have actors like MatthewMcconaughey, Tom Cruise,Patrick Swayze,Stallone,Schwarzenegger,Van Dame and even Michael Douglas that are regarded as sex objects too.
Overall I think there are two sides of coin when it comes to sexual objectification IMO. Some women objectify themselves as an expression of empowerement over men which gives them the choice to objectify them, On the other hand, some women are sensitive to it which leads to negative self image of their body. I can say same thing about men too.
Personally, I'm one of those camps that don't really care,infact, I have been objectified many times for having a light skin colour among my mates and also for being tall which again I don't really mind at all but I do empathize with the sensitive ones which I believe SD and Zooby are talking about.
Off to watch the North London Derby.