Men may think they are unique in checking out “the competition” when they are in the locker room, gym, or bathroom, but I do the same. I cannot speak for all women, but I find other women's bodies fascinating and of course beautiful. As I undress without modesty myself, I find my eyes roaming around constantly. It is as if I have special permission in this place to shamelessly look at women. I would gladly welcome co-ed locker rooms, where we all can ogle each other without censorship! My motive for looking at other women alludes me, but I can say that I do not believe I have competition in mind -envy, perhaps.
There are some things I love about myself and my body, but like everyone, there are things I wish were different sometimes! (The idea of bigger boobs is probably better than the reality, but I reserve the right to drool over big boobs sometimes, god damn it!) But who would not find the many differences in body type so interesting? There are very few places where one can see so much variety with so few clothes obstructing the view. You can often tell what area of a person's body they are concerned with, but I find it interesting how having some weight in choice locations actually suits people better than if they had less. But, if you thought about it, nice boobs are all about attractive fat.
I am reading Sex at Dawn: The prehistoric origins of modern sexuality (Dan Savage had nothing to do with my reading it), and the authors neatly deconstruct the beauty of boobs and buttocks by comparing them. So perhaps there is no such thing as a true boob-man or ass-man...in effect they are the same. I guess that means I can be happy with my nice ass and my un-sagging breasts! I am also lucky that, unlike primates, I can vocally state that I am available to the opposite sex.
The one hint that may indicate I am indeed competitive is that I prefer to be in better shape than the other women around me at the gym. I do not feel this way in life, but at the gym, I like wearing tight pants without being called for a fashion foul because I look good! I cease to be so unique with other fit and attractive women around me (especially if they have better tits). I do not feel guilty about this feeling, because I cannot be the only one who feels this way. I do think it is funny that I do not care about who wears a better dress to a party, but I do care who wears their spandex better!
Am I vain to think this way? The main definitions of 'vain' contain the words 'conceited' and 'futile' implying a false pride that serves no purpose. I am proud of myself and my body; I want to be health, fit, attractive and comfortable. I just like to improve things, even if they are already good (otherwise I grow bored). So working out, building strength, toning muscles are all activities I am doing to make myself better. If I am not proud of my accomplishments will I continue to go to the gym?
How can we bitch about what society is “telling” us we have to look like, when we ultimately do it for ourselves? Seeing a skinny model on TV or in a magazine is just that...seeing a picture. If you take it on yourself to look like her, well go ahead, if you can, but what makes her a better role model for you, than your mother, your sister or your friend? Women's libbers feel free to yell at me, but I refuse to accept women are passive receptors to society's messages on beauty! We make the decisions in our life about what we eat, how we exercise, and how much we spend watching the tube and reading those magazines. In the real world there are plenty of examples of different forms of beauty, but for some reason we do not care about them.
Next time you are at the gym or out for a walk, try to see that every body has its own beauty, but remember also, that healthy (physically and mentally) is the most attractive look!
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