Double Standards - Men and Women

“You can wear that so that your firm breasts and abs are on display.”

Inappropriate comment to post on a public photo of a woman: yes or no?

Inappropriate comment for a stranger to post on a public photo of your girlfriend/wife/sister/mom: yes or no?

Double Standards with Men and Women

I recently viewed a public photo of someone I know on a group page for an event happening, and he had gone in costume a few years in a row. One of the older woman organizing the event had made a comment about him wearing a shirtless costume so that he can go “…with all those chest and ab muscles on display.”

At first, I thought it was a little funny, but then I really thought about it. (Possibly too much thought given to someone who’s posting classless comments like this in the first place, but I digress…)

How is this considered something that’s acceptable to say to a man?

(Hypothetically speaking) Had this been a picture of a woman, and it was a male commenter saying that the woman could wear less so that her breasts and abs were on display, shit would have hit the fan! Especially on Facebook: the breeding ground of offense and opinion.

That woman’s boyfriend/fiancé/husband would have been angry, and I’m sure a thread of nasty comments would have followed until the original comment (or, even the photo) was removed. Who else knows – I rarely follow these things on Facebook, so I don’t really know if these things get resolved or just remain in the abyss of the internet.

Why am I posting this in my “Vegan Fitness” blog? Because it has much to do with the body, and how we view the body.

When working out, we’re striving for our goals. We’re working hard, we’re putting in the hours and effort to look our best. However, we are doing this to better ourselves. NOT to become a piece of eye-candy for people who seem to need it. We develop a sense of respect for our bodies, and how wonderfully they function. The performance we can achieve from our bodies is something of art and beauty. To have someone disgustingly degrade us in a way that puts us to the level of something to stare at is just pathetic. Fitness is an overall thing; mind, body, spirit.

I don’t get offended easily, but things like this bother me. Sexism bothers me, and it doesn’t just happen to women. But somehow, it’s more acceptable – and even “funny” – when it happens to men. It’s a disgusting thing, and it saddens me to witness it. It also makes me uncomfortable, and makes me feel violated, that someone could view someone I care about in that way.