Throwing the Floor Open

[shanmonster]

I'm not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, because this is an issue I've been encountering over and over again for decades. But, I am intrigued by how it's more culturally acceptable for a man to show progress photos of physique development than it is for a woman. Why is this the case? Discuss!

Comments

[featheredfrog.livejournal.com]

Toots, you can show ME pictures like this ANY TIME YOU WANT TO. Getting some great upper arm definition there.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Thanks! My arms have been the hardest thing for me to develop, and now it's finally coming together for me.

[featheredfrog.livejournal.com]

but you GOT to stop making me breathe funny...

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

More cardio for you. ;)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Color me jealous of your triceps. Your rhomboids are looking excellent as well. I've never encountered the sexist double-standard for progress photos. Apparently I'm hanging out with the right people.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! I've been doing regular kickbacks for my triceps along with the Arnold press.

I'm guessing the rhomboids are coming from my wide-grip cable pulldowns and the Romanian deadlifts. I do back extensions, but I believe they focus far more on the glutes and erector muscles. That's pretty much all I'm doing for my back, right now.

The double-standard I'm talking about is when I show pictures such as the one above, I will eventually hear a comment along the lines of "put some clothes on" or "don't give it away," which I find very frustrating.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I will eventually hear a comment along the lines of "put some clothes on" or "don't give it away,"

OMGWTF I would go ballistic. Really? Really?

Wow, I don't know how I'd react to a comment like that. I guess first I'd assume the person was joking. And then I would tear his/her head off. I'm so sorry you've got asshats like that to deal with.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I'm used to it.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yeah. This is why I'm not on Facebook.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

It's not just FB. I've had similar responses on LJ, and in person.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

g-r-o-s-s

People suck.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I agree wholeheartedly.

Being proud of what you're accomplishing with your gym time isn't the time you should hide your light under a bushel.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

it's more culturally acceptable for a man to show progress photos of physique development than it is for a woman.

I suspect you already know the answer, and this was mostly rhetorical.

Male attractiveness, if you cut off the face, is assumed to be based on muscular development / appearance of strength / appearance of virility / yadda fucking yadda.

Female attractiveness under the same conditions is more generally focused on sexual appeal (primary and secondary sexual characteristics, such as breasts of such-and-such a size, hip-to-waist ratio, etc).

At the present time, and throughout much of the post-Industrial age, the general norms have been, to be incredibly simplistic about things, "muscles are sexy/desirable on guys, not women."

however, right now, you're showing a substantial skin, not to titillate, but to show strength and development, and that's outside the general cultural expectations when a woman is taking a cam shot in just her briefs.

For my part, since I've gotten much more into strength training, my tastes have evolved to include a slightly buffer (or leaner) preference, though my innate hard-wired response to extremely large breasts remains in full effect. as cultural attitudes drift towards fitness being desirable for both genders, I think that a slightly broader range of responses will be incurred.

and, in closing: you have an *amazing* ass. I know it's not the focus of the pose, but it's well worth remarking upon. :-)

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Here's where it gets wonky. Even if I were showing some skin to titillate, which I do when I perform burlesque, why is it any more acceptable to attempt censure? I am in control of exactly how much I want to show, and how I want to present it. Yet there are those who wish to take that power away. Why?

I am always astounded by the people who take it upon themselves, unasked, to tell me what to do, and how to live my life. It would never occur to me to remark on someone's photo with something like, "Eat a sandwich," "Oh god, you need to lose about 50 pounds," or "Put some clothes on." And I've also had someone who told me to "grow up and get a real job," with the thought that the tough love of a total stranger would set my life right. Seriously, wtf?

If someone requests my opinion, however, I will be blunt and honest. But not insulting, I hope.

Heh. Glad you like my butt. I grew it myself. I think my hind view has always been the better one.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

It probably all comes down to the viewer's expectations being different from what you're presenting. If you made a romantic comedy and titled it "Shock Force Delta," folks walking in might be put out or caught off stride by the disconnect in a similar (but more blatant) way.

It seems that the cultural expectation or assumption is that a woman showing her body is doing so for sexual aesthetic considerations first (or solely); when there's another reason, there's a cognitive dissonance that causes some degree of upset on the part of the viewer. Thus frustrated, they express their discontent.

Or I may be talking out my ass, because I don't understand the incessant necessity of some folks to be unremitting douchenozzles. I don't grok the need some folks have to just lay down some unwanted criticism, but that may just be a matter of being more satisfied with my own life, and recognizing that much of it stems from jealousy and/or insecurity in others.

[greyanna.livejournal.com]

Please don't tell me someone told healthy looking you to "eat a sandwich". I say that to husband about some women we see out and about, but these are model-skinny-omg-i-can-count-her-ribs-in-her-kids-tank-top. And never to their face. How fricking rude?

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's happened numerous times over the years, but oddly enough, not while I was extremely underweight (I used to be about 30 pounds lighter than I am now).

[tlatoani.livejournal.com]

I think it's totally appropriate. And impressive.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Gracias!

[miss-colombina.livejournal.com]

Not aware of such double standards. But this ignorance is my way of plowing right through them.

[forestmaster.livejournal.com]

People aren't used to seeing a woman's bare back unless it's in a more sexual context maybe? Keep up the good work :) I need to take a more recent picture...

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I have a matching front.

[tlatoani.livejournal.com]

You have sides too? ;-)

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Maybe that'll be today's picture. I haven't taken a gander at the side view of my lats in a while. I'm curious to see if there's been any appreciable change.

[forestmaster.livejournal.com]

I saw that from your earlier link to this picture. I think it's a cool picture and agree that if you want to show it, more power to you - it's your prerogative. It's tasteful, too (IMHO, not that that matters). I admire your abs in this matching front view. I got to do an L-sit exercise on Wednesday and my abs definitely can use more work.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Oooh, L-sit. I've never had luck with that, maybe because I have a long torso, and my arms are about the same length.

[forestmaster.livejournal.com]

We did (attempted) L-sits from raised parallettes as well as hanging from a pullup bar... I have a shorter torso, but holding out longer legs didn't seem to help any either...

... my eyes keep getting drawn to your new tatoo... in either picture.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I'll have to try the L-sit from a set of kettlebells or somesuch.

I keep looking at the tattoo in the pictures, too. I'm still not used to it.