Body Shaming - Equality?

[The Accountant, OBE, KC]

Just switched on the TV and tagged on the end of a morning review of newspaper stories, including Cameron's handing out of peerages, was an off the cuff disparaging remark about Cameron's body in designer board shorts.

A picture of a shirtless Cameron in said shorts was next to a picture of Boris in shorts and a t-shirt. The cost of Boris' board shorts were compared to the cost of Cameron's shorts but the segment ended with the reviewer being asked who had the better body and his response was that the bar had been set very low with these two.

It occurred to me that Cameron and Boris would just shrug it off. They might have a few moments of thinking that they need to increase their workout routine and cut down on calories but I don't think there will be the angst and backlash from writers and commentators that I think there would have been if these same comments had been made about Hilary Clinton, Theresa May or Angela Merkel.

Is it a sign of equality that men's bodies are not escaping the scrutiny that women often face?

Or has some equality only been achieved when a woman can shrug off disparaging comments about her body and there is no backlash when female politicians are so publicly body-shamed?

I think the second option.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

I read the Wail article, I had the impression that the same was a snide joke that Sam looks better with her kit off than does Dave.

FTR I don't look as good with my shirt off as I did in previous decades. However if anybody really wanted such a photo I would happily oblige provided the receipt gave five squid to a charity of their choice.

[floo]

I can honestly say I have never been interested in my looks or wanting to impress anyone, including the male of the species. As long as I am clean and tidy the rest can go hang. This made my mother completely despair as she liked her girls to be dressed to compliment her, who enjoyed being the height of fashion in her designer togs!

If I could have got away with it I would have got married at Gretna Green, having to dress up on my wedding day was a pain!

[Brownie]

You had a choice, floo.  No-one has to dress up in a big confection for their wedding though most want to wear something good.  A lot of people feel like you and if I had my time over again I'd get married simply, just me and J and two witnesses (you can do that just as easily in church as well as at the Registrar).

However, back to the op:  in recent times many women in the public eye have stated that they don't care too much about how they look, dress or whatever;  if the paps catch them going out to the newagent in an old shirt, baggy shorts and flipflops, no make up or hair-do, they shrug.   They say they have to be comfortable when doing ordinary things and I agree 100%.

Male looks and apparel are criticised nowadays in the way that woman have always had to put up with.  A lot of young men spend a tremendous amount of time on their appearance and I don't just mean good clothes but personal grooming.  However, everyone is entitled to slob out without comment from others and it pleases me, when it happens, if the object of comment couldn't care less.

[floo]

You had a choice, floo.  No-one has to dress up in a big confection for their wedding though most want to wear something good.  A lot of people feel like you and if I had my time over again I'd get married simply, just me and J and two witnesses (you can do that just as easily in church as well as at the Registrar).

However, back to the op:  in recent times many women in the public eye have stated that they don't care too much about how they look, dress or whatever;  if the paps catch them going out to the newagent in an old shirt, baggy shorts and flipflops, no make up or hair-do, they shrug.   They say they have to be comfortable when doing ordinary things and I agree 100%.

Male looks and apparel are criticised nowadays in the way that woman have always had to put up with.  A lot of young men spend a tremendous amount of time on their appearance and I don't just mean good clothes but personal grooming.  However, everyone is entitled to slob out without comment from others and it pleases me, when it happens, if the object of comment couldn't care less.

I had no choice whatsoever, I was still under the age of majority, and when my parents said, 'Jump' I had to say, 'How High'? I wasn't even permitted to have a say in who came to our wedding, let alone anything else. As I have mentioned before my father and husband had to go to court a day or two before the wedding so I could be signed over from my father's care to that of my husband. I was not required to be present, nor was my mother!!!!!!!!!! That is how it was in those days in my home island!

[The Accountant, OBE, KC]

Floo and HWB - I think there are a lot of businesses that won't like people like you  .

It seems there is a lot of money to be made from persuading us to care more about the way we look physically and the way we are perceived by others- the millions spent on advertising to try and make us feel bad about ourselves in order to tap into some people's aspirations usually does pay off in terms of profits for the fashion and cosmetics industries. And it seems they target younger and younger people with beauty and fashion products, presumably to create that self-doubt early so that it is almost hard-wired into the brain by the time they become adults.

Products aimed at women are usually a lot more expensive than the equivalent male product, but not in the case of Cameron's board shorts compared to his wife's swimsuit apparently - so maybe that was why it was news.

Brownie - I think you are right - my teenage daughter and most of her friends seem to have made it a mission to dress in tracksuit bottoms and t-shirts or hoodies and not care about their appearance on a regular day. They do still seem to want to spend money on colouring their hair and make-up - my response - get a job to pay for stuff like that or better still save your money rather than getting conned into contributing to the bonus of some executive in the advertising, fashion or beauty industry.

Hope we are heading for the day where the majority of women shrug off pictures in the media and unflattering comments about their bodies. 

[floo]

If anything is heavily advertised I don't buy it on principle! When our kids were young they had to hope anything on their wish list hadn't been advertised on TV because they wouldn't be getting it, as it would more than likely be not worth having.

I use E45 cream as a moisturiser on my face, I have never seen it advertised. At present I don't have any wrinkles, which isn't bad for 66. Although that could partly be the result of wearing make up once in a blue moon. I was once told by the make up artist who was applying make up to my dial when I was an invited guest on 'This Morning', that the fact I used make up so rarely was why my skin is in such good condition.