New Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is, by international female consensus, hot. This may seem like (or even actually be) a case of woman objectifying the male body in ways feminists have always complained men objectify women, but don't be deceived. It is simply women doing to men what they don't like men doing to them because, well, it's their turn.
For years (centuries? Millennia? Forever?) men have rated the female body strictly as a machine for sexiness, while women during the same time never ranked one male as sexier than another, or at least not based on his appearance - or if they did they did not do so publicly and openly. Now, just when women are starting to take the power of, and right to, objectification for themselves, men are telling them objectification is wrong. When, the frustrated feminist wonders, will it be their turn to be pigs, or is that to forever be an exclusive male privilege?
I'm old enough (sadly) to remember when the feminist argument would have gone, "men objectify women. It is bad when people to objectify each other. Therefore no one should do it." Now the argument is, "men objectify women. It is bad when people objectify each other. Therefore we should all objectify each other equally." Everyone treating each other equally badly has become an adequate substitute for everyone treating each other well. This may be a legitimate, practical feminist reform, but it is not as easy for me to get behind or support as the old goal of building a society where no one exploited or objectified anyone. Call me an idealist (please) but the latter is a more attractive rallying call for me as a male feminist than the former.
It seems like we've lowered our goals.
As well, there is still the question of the individual male youth who internalizes this discussion of the male body as meaning he is not good enough, tall enough, doesn't have nice enough hair - in other words, ends up with poor body image issues. I know he would have to be a weak, effeminate, rare, sensitive, insecure male, but nonetheless such individuals may exist. Real men, of course, can take it. Why, real men love it when women look at them purely as sex objects; I know because a) I am a man, and b) because even though women pretend not to like it when guys cat-call them on the street, we all know that secretly it turns them on. Come on, all we're doing is appreciating your legs, you should be proud of them. It's meant as a compliment.
I know the male gaze carries with it the implied threat of violence that the female does not, but the gaze that objectifies, rates, discusses - coldly, matter-of-faculty - carries with it a sort of put down which is probably not healthy for viewed or viewer. You will never get people to stop responding to some people as sexy and some others as not. But what do you do after you've said to yourself, "so-and-so has a great body"? Do you shrug and move on. Do you harass? Do you start public online discussions about that person's body part? Do you get on your high horse and say that it's different when you do it because you've earned the right to ogle or disdain other people, and by God that's what you're going to do?
It's not a big social problem, by any means - women publicly objectifying men's bodies - but it is a bit disappointing for feminists to take it on as a cause. As a male I have had decades of hating myself and my body, and it effecting my social life badly. It really does seem to me that simple politeness dictates that if you think someone you don't know has a sexy body part, don't go on about it publicly and over and over. Messages build up, and weakened minds can take them the wrong way. Besides, it doesn't make the person doing it look very good. At some point we all (hopefully) have to get out of high school.
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