Skimpy Sexism

It's curious how we take our cultural values as given and obvious. Take for example skimpy bathing suits. A while ago a member of one of my groups told us a story of a whole group of Czech construction workers staying at a hotel in America. They used to wear Speedo-type swimwear, as Europeans do, and as I used to when I was a lightie. After a couple of weekends with them swimming and lounging round the pool, the owner of the hotel told them that it was a "family hotel" and would they please wear shorts, not swim briefs. Now, ironically, there were several women present, all in bikinis. Their attire was not considered indecent, however. This is very odd, don't you think? Women wear bikinis, men wear baggies. And no one asks why.


Of course, the reason is obvious once you think about it. It's sexism. Women aren't people, oh dear me no. They're sex objects. And so it's OK for them to wear skin-tight, skimpy swimming gear. A woman's sole raison d’être is to attract men. So it's OK for her to wear next to nothing. Men, however, don't need to attract anyone (after all, they are men, belonging to the superior form of our sexually-dimorphic species) We've got so used to this cultural tosh we don't even blink. Women in bikinis are normal and OK. Men in similar clothing are indecent.

But it is nonsense, isn't it?

Of course, maybe one shouldn't wear skimpy swimwear for other reasons. Aesthetic reasons. Like I wear a djellaba to swim in, so's I don't frighten the horses. (I got the pic of the man in the djellaba from here -- some great watercolours there) But if you are slim, you can wear Speedos. Whether you're male or female. It's OK. I approve.


BTW, I think both people in the photos are yummy. The woman reminds me a lot of of my wife when we first started going out. My lady was -- is -- very beutiful. The guy has a nice bod and a lovely smile. And vertical stripes are very flattering!