sexxay

As most of you all are probably aware, I have hung out in some weird quarters of the internet over the past fifteen years or so. (I have a lot of interests and hobbies, and they shift from time to time. Don't judge.) I have learned a lot about human nature and group behavior from this, so I am sure the many many hours I have spent reading, typing, arguing with morons, gnashing my teeth over the general illiteracy and total failure to grasp logic of the English-speaking public, and rolling my eyes at how other people decorate their dining rooms has not been a total wash.

Of late, however, being very interested in what I am doing with Liz and my growing veinity, I have been perusing the forums on bodybuilder.com. Not that I have any intention of becoming an actual body builder. It's just what comes up when you search for weightlifting forums, and it's a huge, huge site. Huge enough that there are special sections for teenagers, people over 35, and women, along with the general interest folders. There are a lot of people on there that really know their shit, as well as people who don't. (My very favorite term/insult from there is "broscience"--which I don't think needs a translation, does it?) And there is a sad concentration of extremely obnoxious 17-24 year old boys, plus a few older douchebags who should have outgrown their testosterone poisoning by now. This, I guess, is what led to the women's section being created, though you can't actually keep the douchebros out of it. And so occurred a trainwreck of a thread a few days ago.

A young woman posts that she is a noob at the gym--often the only woman in the free weights section--and the guys stare at her, which makes her feel very insecure, as she is sure they are thinking she's doing everything wrong and that she looks like a moron. Now, unfortunately, this how-can-I-get-past-this query is accompanied by a profile pic in which the young lady is bleached platinum blond, is wearing a lot of (going out) makeup, and is showing cleavage. At first there are some gentle "well, of course they stare at you, you're hot" comments. These are quickly followed by "god, you're conceited if you think everyone's looking at you--you aren't THAT hot" and "you shouldn't dress like a slut at the gym and then no one will look at you." (Ed note: the picture posted was not a working out shot; no evidence that this woman dresses like a "slut" to lift weights.) These comments come from both men and women, by the way. Most people completely ignore the fact that the woman specifically states she thinks she's being stared at because she's a dork, not because she's hot, and those that don't, tell her to stop being a baby. This devolves even further into remarks that all women who bleach their hair like her are skanks and that guys only want girls that look like her for one-night stands, not as girlfriends or wives. The pile-on (from people of both sexes!) just because this woman posted a sexy picture is ridic. Finally a few more level-headed people listen to what she's actually said, some people give helpful advice, some of the worst douchebags are put in their place, and the thread calms down.

Okay. So also on bodybuilder.com, besides the forums and besides the online store at which my kid buys omega 3s, there are articles. Lots and lots of articles. This morning over coffee I decide to see what they have on the "Women's Superfeature", article-wise. The very first sentence on the index page is "Women, are you interested in losing that stubborn body fat for a strong sexy body or are you just looking for extra motivation to keep up with your training?" This is illustrated with a more-buff Paris Hilton look-alike (bleached blond hair, false eyelashes, blue eye shadow, shimmery pink lip gloss, cleavage). The word "sexy" is used at least six more times and there are at least two more pictures of boobs. This is just on the index page, mind. The index page of the sponsor of the forums where a poor girl was excoriated for having a picture of herself with eye shadow, platinum hair, and a rack. The irony, it burns!

But, seriously, that index page did piss me off a bit. It reminds me of when I was searching for "women's health" books on amazon while I was at war with my uterus last year, and most of the results were diet books, diet books promising me a "hot and healthy body," 'Cause god knows, being hot is more important than being healthy. If you're a chick. While I certainly think, against all evidence, that my new veins are sexxay, and while I keep jokingly telling, or agreeing with, my friends that now that I've been going to the gym regularly, I am hot, that that is supposed to be the sole selling point of exercise to someone because she happens to be female sucks, frankly. Especially from bodybuilding.com, if they are, as they seem to be, one of the premier weightlifting sites on the web. How about going to the gym because it's fun, and because being strong is useful, and because it makes you feel like you can kick ass, and so you don't break a hip when you're 70, and and and? Women have other motivators other than being hot. Even when we freakin' are.

And now, to objectify a dude. I was telling Liz about the insane pistol squat guy's video, and she suggested I look on youtube for "bartendaz" if I enjoy such insanity. She particularly suggested I look for the one where the gentleman is not wearing his shirt. Ahem. I think I found it!



xoxo