I burst into laughter when this image appearing in my Facebook feed yesterday …
Lots of my female friends “liked” it and made funny comments.
They said stuff like “it’s so round” and “nice piece.”
Bwahahahaha.
And then my first boyfriend (we dated for six years from when I was 16!) wrote: “Just looking for a photo of Miranda Kerr wearing a lovely brooch … I may get distracted and forget all about this post.”
And I thought He’s right you know!
If one of my male Facebook friends did the same thing with a celebrity’s boobs my feminist back would be right up. But a woman posting a picture of a bloke’s sexy bum and joking about it … that’s totally fine.
Except I suppose it’s not.
Oooops.
Why is that?
Why the double standard?
Oh, and just to be completely gratuitous … here’s a photo of my first boyfriend … just in case you were curious.
Fittingly, he’s the one in the pink T-shirt being objectified.
Sorry first boyfriend.
Ah, the ’80s … good times, eh? Good times.
Song of the day: The Communards “Don’t leave me this way”
housegoeshome 
Wow – I am jealous that you had a boyfriend at 16. I couldn’t get a decent boyfriend until I was 33. Meanwhile you’ve just outlined the very best double standard in society today. Perve on cougars! Perve on!
You really didn’t have to say that it was the ’80s – the hairstyles shouted out that fact. Although I guess some of your readers may not have been around so I’ll take that back. Forget I wrote anything.
LOL Char – I was thinking – look at the white socks – definitely the 80s !!!!! There are too many double standards to mention if I’m honest !!
Your first boyfriend looks vaguely like one of the Finn brothers. Was that why you went out with him Alana? Lol.
People used to say he looked like a Finn! Do you know, I can’t remember how I started going out with him … I think it was because we had a friend in common. Eeeek – my terrible memory!!!
Yes sometimes I think it is double standards. However, sometimes I think it is how the women and men react to these images. Sometimes it appears women’s reactions are in fun, perhaps appearing a little bit innocent. Men’s reaction and words can sometimes be more sexual, coming close to pornographic descriptions, making women feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. Maybe I am not correct in this thinking, but to me this is how it sometimes appears.
That’s a really interesting point, Gail. As I commented to Geoff, I was more amused than titillated by the photo. Mind you I did find the first Magic Mike movie quite stirring.
I think the difference is that blokes just don’t arc up about these double standards. Remember the TV ad a year or two ago with the cougar-ish woman talking about cream cheese (or some such) with the two fit, half-naked blokes in the kitchen? I believe it was women who complained to Advertising Standards and got the ad taken down…correct me if I’m wrong!
Like I said, men just don’t give a stuff about the objectification. If anything, they are either flattered, or jealous of it.
So you’re not offended by me posting the David Beckham thing? Must admit I thought it was funny more than anything else.