Here’s what I really want to know: If our society has really taken a step forward for women, why do we keep insisting on taking our clothes off in photos for men? From Miley Cyrus, to Sarah Silverman half naked in a gorilla suit on the cover of Maxim, to practically any picture of Britney Spears, nudity sells.
If I was not sure of this concept when I started this column, I only have to look at the hits based solely on the title of my post. Stick the word “sex” in my title and I get more trolls than an Expedia.com commercial.
I’m not saying that nudity doesn’t sell, even porn for that matter. “Sex is a natural function!” many would argue. So is wanting to chow down on two dozen Oreos in one sitting. But I manage to not only control my urges, but I don’t need to watch 15 year olds lying about their age doing it on camera to enhance my eating pleasure. Just sayin’.
I suppose my even bigger question is that if it’s just so organic for women to get naked in front of a camera and moan with pleasure at some badly tanned fifty year old photographer cooing, “Make love to the lens” while he’s secretly dreaming of schtupping Carlos the assistant designer, why aren’t more men dropping trou?
When Jessica Simpson or Paris Hilton hump a car for residuals, are they really doing it just for the money? What about the reunion show they do at 45 where they convince themselves that they still look hot but the same photographer who shot the car commercial is selling photos to the Enquirer of their mid-life cellulite trauma?
Are women not allowed to age? Is our greatest hope to maintain perky breasts, get men off and then go to pasture pretending that's really what we planned all along? Meanwhile, at 45, those same women only have photos of their former selves, while men at 45 are hitting their prime and can go round two with women half their age.
This loop is nothing new. But if that’s the case, why are women still repeating it? Why in this naked demonstration against bull fighting in Spain , are the women sans clothes (barring a stringy bikini bottom) while the dudes’ men vegetables are covered in shorts? Are they afraid the bulls are hung more than they are?
For the record, I’m all for sex. I love that my husband gets schwing just looking at my breasts and would rather have sex with me than the 21 year old across the street. (Yeah, I know he's probably lying. But God love his loyalty.) But if my daughter ever posed like a cross between a Nightmare Before Christmas character and an Ashley twin with her hands over her non-existent breasts looking freaked out – like she just saw a Cheeseburger – I'd want to throw her in front of the Spanish cows. At last that bull crap is real.
Posted by Andrea Frazer
Good Housekeeping
* Would you cheat if there was no way you'd get caught?
* Look Five Years Younger
* Are You Spouses or Just Roommates?
* 20 Books to Curl Up With and Read in Bed
* For More Tips & Tricks You Can Count On: Subscribe to Good Housekeeping & Save!
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
