There is a recent trend in the Western mainstream to desexualize women. They are not to be sexy in movies, shows, games or advertisements.
I am disinterested in desexualized women. They are boring aspects of the culture unless young and comely. No, I do not think the same of men in the mainstream. MEN and WOMEN are different and I hold them to different standards accordingly.
My disinterest is not a choice. It is natural. Women are sexy or uninteresting. It is unnatural to be otherwise. Of course there are the exceptions… but not really. We are especially proud of our mothers and sisters if they are sexy. Women are especially proud of themselves if sexy.
My favorite genre as a reader, viewer, player and writer of fiction is action-adventure. The hero is the heart of the story. The women decide his greatness.
A hero is supposed to be virile. His heroics are not enough. No matter his prowess, if women do not find him irresistibly attractive, we do not respect him. The damsel in distress must want him. This is why Han Solo was greater than Luke Skywalker, though Luke was the greater warrior.
The idea of desexualizing women is uninspired thus uninspiring. It is a bad idea accordingly, especially as a criterion for things that must inspire to be relevant: art, music, dance and fiction.
Attraction is what brings the sexes together. Without it, there would be no interest in courting. We would remain apart due to our natural differences.
ReplyDeleteWomen would be like men but as annoying weaklings. They would fare much worse than they do now.
DeleteNo matter how people feel the truth is that there are different natural standards for men and women. A soyboy "hero" is uninspiring and not endearing to either sex. A woman in fiction is not better for being unattractive, on the contrary she is at a disadvantage. Sexiness is a powerful trait! Just as Han Solo's rugged masculinity is a defining trait that makes him greater than Luke. Desexualizing women isn't empowering its crippling...
ReplyDeleteMost of this is cooperate decisions, although it's not really accounting for fetishes for weird and ugly things. By the way, the fetishes don't really count because fetishes tend to be liked for their taboo or unnatural aspects. The mainstream in people prefer the fairly normal beautiful woman.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, as a writer of fiction: An ugly woman as the boss of many beautiful women is as sexy as the beauties she commands. Context does matter.
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