#803 It pains me to chime in on a confession like
#802, and I usually wouldn't but I need to comment on it and some of the ensuing comments. I am a guy who has been pretty skinny for most of his life. Now, I have gained a little more muscle mass, and am comfortable with my physique and body. However, i have personally faced an enormous amount of societal pressure that I am not living up to the male standard, and have been called names and poked fun at since elementary school. I have seen woman after woman pine after the stereotypical hot, super buff guy, and turn around and ask me why I don't look like that. I have been called anorexic, stick, chicken legs/arms, beanpole, and more unpleasant things--ALL by women. Please, feminists and the like, tell me that feminist thought says there doesn't get to be an enormous double standard about commenting on the body and physique. Tell me that women can't say that to me, all the time. Tell me they can't poke my ribs and tell me to eat more food. How about I go up to a slightly overweight woman and tell her to eat less food or work out? See how that works. I see women idolize world cup stars, football players from the NFL and in high school my high school, while casting men like me with a lithe physique to the side, and hating on our body type all the while. It's time for the double standard BS to end. I will stand with feminists if they tell me that if I can't EVER comment on a woman's sex appeal, body type, physique, and weight, if women can't do the same to me, all the time, while holding me to a stupid standard. Granted, it has been way better at Mac, but don't tell me this doesn't exist, or that women have it that much worse--because that's a lie that I have lived my life long. The body criticism slides off me now, mostly, but past comments have really hurt me. Can we stop pretending that guys don't care when women make passing jokes about their chubbiness, lack of abs, lack of bulging muscles, and more? If women can ogle world cup players, I should be able to ogle in the same way right? Of course, in a just society nobody should be able to objectify anyone's body, but that is rather beside the point, isn't it? Yes, society and women HAVE been telling me, in ways subtle and not, that I need to be ripped/shredded/buff/huge to be fully manly, attractive, and sexually desirable, and that's blooming sad. Let's end this, together.