Isn't the real ass being highlighted the idiots who made these statements and the ones who hold the contest?

Hey, at least it's a break for those of us guys who aren't obsessed with preternaturally large, silicone-enhanced boobs.

Just read the article. What's up with this line?

She notes that North America's obsession with the derriere started roughly seven years ago with the release of the "Thong Song" by Sisqó.

Huh?!!? Dare I bring up Sir Mix-A-Lot?

"Huh?!!? Dare I bring up Sir Mix-A-Lot?"

I think there was always a good deal of focus on behinds in the African-American community. Now it seems to have gone mainstream.

Some of the comments in the article are hilarious:

"I would much rather go up in a thong contest where I am fully covered rather than showing my breasts or something," Lome says. "To tell you the truth, it's just a bum, just skin."

Fully covered, huh? In a thong. Yep, that sure sounds fully covered to me. And are the breasts made of something other than skin?

I see a clear connection between the article above and this article:

http://tinyurl.com/2q6tbg

Perhaps its all part of a nefarious patriarchal conspiracy to lionize the female posterior.

*gag*

The best quote in the whole article:

"A thong is swimwear or lingerie worn by women and, to the horror of many, men."

A rash guard is a shirt with sleeves that water sport athletes wear. "Basically a T-shirt that covers a lot," Shiaty explains.

Yeah. The rash guards those broads are wearing sure do "cover a lot." In fact, why didn't I wear THAT to work today, instead of that skimpy Target t-shirt that hits just below the beltline?

How long before butt implants become another unnecessary necessity like breast implants?

Remember, ladies: you can do side-bends or sit-ups, but please don't lose that butt.

God forbid they should recognize these women for their athleticism. We just don't do that in this country.

Talk to me when you hold a flabby gut contest.

(Because I'd win.)

And then we have this article that is coming from I don't know where

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/237789

"Why I'm not competing at Wakestock"

"Bikini Contest: In a world where anorexic looks are chic and boobies are plastique, this event scares me the most. As participants step out from behind a curtain in their itsy bitsy pieces of nylon, they're not just being heckled by hundreds of beer guzzlers, but physically judged by professionals ("Yes, I'll be your judge. I've got my BA in Butt Firmness and a PhD in Those Titties Look Fine, Girl!"). Combine all that pressure with the laxatives they took to slim down in the weeks preceding the competition and you're dealing with a really crappy situation. "

Say what???!!

LOL, Liza. You may have yourself some competition in one SarahMC.

It's so depressing that we reduce accomplished women to their body parts once they succeed at something? Excellent athlete? Let's have a contest to see if your ass is as hot as your fast-pitch. Fought in the Israeli army? Here's your bikini. Sigh.

Gosh, I never knew that large-chested women weren't allowed to surf!

21st Century Mom, the immature child in me is laughing a horrible, evil laugh at the thought of women consuming laxatives and then going to a thong contest. Oh man, I hope the men in the audience nearest the stage really get what's coming to them.

Heh.

And I love Liza's idea of a flabby gut contest for WOMEN. They have shit like that for men all the time -- why can't the ladies show off their eating-and-beer-guzzling skills too??

“Promoting an ass contest as a subversive statement. Classic.� - Vanessa

I bet it is empowering as well. ;)

"Gosh, I never knew that large-chested women weren't allowed to surf!"

Either that or they are allowed to surf and the exercise burns up body fat so after a while they're less likely to have large chests?

OK, you know what would really be "subversive"? An elbow beauty contest. I'm serious. Everyone would just walk out in short-sleeve shirts, and win points based on the attractiveness of their elbows, both bent and straightened. That would, I hope, highlight the utter absurdity of reducing human beings to a given body part.

But asses? How is that subversive? It's not like men staring at women's asses is some kind of radically new activity. For God's sake, consider the bustle. That was all about ass augmentation.

And anyway, "elbow" is just a funny word, in my opinion.

"Hey, at least it's a break for those of us guys who aren't obsessed with preternaturally large, silicone-enhanced boobs."

Why, congratulations qwertster for being such a progressive! That’s right, bravely cast off the shackles of the oppressive male beauty standard by telling “The Man� that you’re all about that overlooked and underrated rear end and not those lousy clown boobs! Because you know, women on a feminist website TOTALLY want to hear about which female body part the menfolk prefer to objectify!

Will somebody please give qwertster his much-deserved cookie?

Yes, this contest is like those tawdry and raunchy wet T-shirt contests they have at metropolitan nightspots. You know what would be a subversive bodypart; eyebrows. Now that's something nobody looks at at a partner at all. Goodness forbid that these women should ever want to compete in a surfing contest. But you have to look at it this way, these women want to be lionized by the patriarchs because if they didn't, they would have raised hell and demanded that they compete. You don't see that now do you?

Sorry to break it to you, Mike, but people definitely notice eyebrows. I mean, you've heard of the unibrow, correct? Unattractive in either sex -- and fortunately it's becoming more acceptable (at least in my end of the woods) to expect men to keep theirs groomed as well.

I love your old "but you really WANT to be objectified, otherwise you wouldn't let it happen" straw man. I guess blue collar workers also must WANT to do dangerous and unpleasant jobs, because otherwise they'd all be lawyers and doctors, since it's just so easy to find something else that puts as much food on the table.

You know what would be a subversive bodypart; eyebrows. Now that's something nobody looks at at a partner at all.

You've not heard of plucking? There isn't a woman in the mainstream media with natural eyebrows. Hell, even my beloved feminist parents took me aside when I was 13 to suggest that I "do something about" my eyebrows. I think I told them to shove it.

"Will somebody please give qwertster his much-deserved cookie?"

Frankenkristin- exactly what body part could I focus on that would NOT make me a chauvinistic pig? Am I not allowed to care at all about the way a woman looks?

"OK, you know what would really be "subversive"? An elbow beauty contest. I'm serious. Everyone would just walk out in short-sleeve shirts, and win points based on the attractiveness of their elbows, both bent and straightened. That would, I hope, highlight the utter absurdity of reducing human beings to a given body part."

I once saw someone pull his elbow out of joint, spin his forearm around in a circle, and then put his arm back together. Could he win the talent portion of the M. Elbow 2008 pageant?

I hear "breast" men tend to have more respect for women as whole people than "ass" or "leg" men, who supposedly tend to view women as objects. I hear this is true of Robert Crumb, for instance, who more or less openly hates women.

Anyway... just makes sense to me that asses would have such appeal to those sorts of men. The face isn't as close to the ass. Less incentive for communication.

I just love how these people, like our friend Shereef, think they are such great "difference makers" (thanks Colbert). OK people, so now we're judging women on their asses and not their boobs...what an improvement. It's insane for me to even read this...

"Hey, at least it's a break for those of us guys who aren't obsessed with preternaturally large, silicone-enhanced boobs. "

You ass-judges are an inspiration. Bravo... bravo. (*tear)

"Exactly what body part could I focus on that would NOT make me a chauvinistic pig?"

Um, yeah. Well how about you stop focusing on women's body-parts and start seeing them as complete human beings? Of course everyone has sexual preferences as to which aspects of a person's body turns them on, and of course you're allowed to "find women attractive" (and I think you're just being disingenuous there), but to reduce women's selves to a collection of body parts to be objectified is degrading and sexist.

I am a smart, funny, well-travelled, educated and accomplished person - I may also have a nice bum (and I'm glad my BF appreciates it), but that's not what I want to be solely judged on - especially by strangers who do not appear to care about any other aspect of my self.

The problem is that too often women are judged PURELY on their physical "assets" (as in this pathetically retrograde "contest"). This impacts on how men view women in society - believe me, I am still condescended to or overlooked by men who are too busy checking out my ass or legs or whatever to realise that I'm about a million times more smart or interesting than they'll ever be. Because to them, I'm an ass and a set of boobs - and that's it.

I don't mind someone finding me attractive, I just don't want that to be the sole measure of my worth.

Correction: "I just don't want that to be the measure of my worth" - I don't want my appearance to have ANYTHING to do with my value as a person, and really no woman (or man) should be "judged" on their looks at all (except in the context of personal sexual attraction to a potential lover, and even then it shouldn't be the primary or only consideration).

"Either that or they are allowed to surf and the exercise burns up body fat so after a while they're less likely to have large chests?"

I exercise a ton (not like a professional athlete, but I'm unemployed so I have nothing else to do...and even when I am employed, I still work out a lot) and I still have a giant chest. Seriously, it's like having a child hanging off of me at all times. :(

why can't the ladies show off their eating-and-beer-guzzling skills too??

Because eating and beer-guzzling are FUN! Only men are allowed to indulge in fun activities, silly! Women are supposed to starve ourselves, duh! (Actually, I might have a little more respect for the men who enjoy this shit if they just would admit that all these types of beauty contests are really a which-woman-punishes-herself-the-most contest.)

Also, did anybody else notice that for a supposed ass contest, none of those women even have much of an ass? In fact, all their bodies look pretty much fucking identical to me, but of course we all know that we're pretty much interchangeable to men, anyhow.

And that they're doing this to female athletes, ugh. I remember I used to want to be a professional baseball player, until one day while I was about 12 and playing baseball with my dad and some boys in the neighborhood, my friend Justin and I were exchanging good-natured barbs about each other's various physical features (we've known each other since we were born, so we can do that!). I mocked his buck teeth, and he came back by saying I have knobby knees or something like that. Even though I wasn't upset, my dad felt the need to intervene on my behalf by saying angrily "Jenny DOESN'T have knobby knees! She's going to have really SEXY legs when she grows up." This was the first "compliment" I ever received from him (almost every time I opened my mouth throughout childhood he called me stupid) and I was so mortified that I very rarely played baseball again after that. You have to wonder how many other women want to get involved in sports but shy away from it because they know this is what they'll be subjected to, like that high school track star whose picture and video at a track meet was posted all over the Internet by pervs who now lust after her. I remember in a Washington Post article she talked about how she'd worked so hard to be a great athlete, but now it's as if all her hard work doesn't matter and nobody really sees her for herself.

And that, sadly, is going to be the story of women's history if men like qwertster have their way -- who we are, how hard we work and how much we accomplish will never fucking matter. All that matters is that we bend over backwards to look hot and accept that the only way to gain approval in society is by presenting our bodies as various dismembered pieces for male examination and approval (or disapproval, as is often the case). And somehow, when I hear stories of these tittie/ass/leg contests, I always find myself thinking of the Biblical story of the traveling Levite who gave his concubine to the Benjaminites to be raped and then chopped her into twelve pieces and sent them to his enemies. Seriously, why do straight men have such a fucking dismemberment fetish when it comes to women?

And finally, speaking of men who find dismemberment sexy, qwertster, FUCK YOU. Fuck you to hell for being part of the reason why I can't walk down the street without severe fucking harassment, why I can't run my computer lab at work without severe fucking harassment, why I can't go to a party without being driven away by fucking harassing assholes who talk to my tits or grab my ass, and for being part of the reason why I am seen as SEX and ONLY SEX. I know I should probably feel sorry for you because you obviously have about as much sense and self-control as a little yapping poodle humping its master's leg, and because you're a fucking loser who hangs out on the Internet all day long posting about issues you care nothing about. But somehow, I can't bring myself to feel any pity for somebody who doesn't even consider me human.

One thing that really irks me about "ponies and rainbows" these other posters who complain about body image issues is that they always seem to imply that women have it worse; that they have more body insecurities than men.

Well as a guy let me tell you: men actually have it much worse. Men are under just as much pressure to have nice bodies as women. But unlike women, most of the body insecurities men have aren't easily corrected. Let's compare.

These are the top body-related insecurities for women:
-weight
-breast size
-aging/wrinkled skin

And these are the top body-related insecurities for men:
-height
-penis size
-muscle mass
-balding/hair loss

All three of the female insecurities are easilty correctible by going under the knife. For weight, women have liposuction. For breast size, women have implants. And for wrinkles, women have facelifts and botox.

And for men? NOT ONE of their insecurities are easily correctible through a surgical operation. Height and penis size can't be changed at all. Muscle mass can only be increased via months in the gym, and baldness only by painful, unreliable medical procedures like hair transplantation.

So men are really the ones who have it rough. Quit compaining, ladies! You don't know how easy you have it.

Eyes.

I must admit I sometimes objectify women based on their eyes.

I'm a monster. *sniff*

Has anybody been playing Troll Bingo with Qwerster? Because so far I count "Men just naturally like looking at women," "Men have it worse," and "You just don't want men to find women attractive." With the free square in the center ("Men and women are just naturally different!"), we could have a winner pretty soon.

qwerster, you can increase both your height and penis length through surgery. the penis one is actually relatively quick. you can get calf and bicep implants that look like muscles. I don't see how hair transplantation is any more dangerous or painful than breast implants. recovery time from implants takes weeks, and women have died, gotten infections, and lost body parts due to that "easy" procedure.
however, I don't know if being offensively stupid is "easily correctible" (sic) through any type of surgery. I thought all your other comments were fair enough, but that last one was beyond redeemable. I wanted to write an intelligent reply but I'm too shocked. I'll settle with "go fuck yourself." Unless you were being satirical, in which case it's a very funny example of satire and I'm genuinely impressed.

EG- Is this how you deal with people who disagree with you? Calling them "trolls"? If you want to take issue with substantive aspects of my arguments, fine. But ad hominem attacks are what I consider trolling. And that's what you're doing, not me.

Qwertster – fuck you. I tried to give you a considered and rational response like a fool, even though I pretty much realised that you weren’t really looking to engage with the issues, you just want to rile up the feisty femi-nazis. I'm sure you're getting off on it. Because you couldn't find an intelligent response, and because you don't really give a shit about women's opinions or concerns, you just start crapping on about how "easy" it is for women to "correct" their ugly imperfections by having radical and expensive surgical alterations to conform to society’s idea of what’s beautiful. I'm sure you have body insecurities, but the difference is, you're much less likely to be judged and belittled for your perceived "imperfections".

And Shadowen – you’re not a monster, you’re just a fuckwit.

qwertster, you won't win friends and influence people by showing up on a feminist blog talking about how much you like asses and suggesting that men are just as insecure as women so we should just quit bitching and get plastic surgery to make ourselves happier.

Here's the thing, a man gets hairplugs and it pretty much only influences how he sees himself. A woman gets a boob job, and it only really affects how she looks to other people. See the difference?

"I'm sure you have body insecurities, but the difference is, you're much less likely to be judged and belittled for your perceived "imperfections"."

Ledlight - How on earth can you claim know that? You're in no position to speak for all men, especially someone you've never met. I've had former girlfriends "judge" me just as much as you feel you've been judged by the men in your life.

ponies and rainbows- I'm sorry to hear you get harassed by men, but what exactly does that have to do with me? Am I responsible for the actions of everyone on earth who happens to have Y chromosome?

and genny, when did I ever explicitly say "i like asses"? I never remember saying that.

It really seems a lot of posters are ganging up on me for the sin of PWM (posting while male). I see female posters saying things on these threads alot more inflammatory than what i've said. It's not fair to pick on me just because I'm a guy.

BTW Ponies and Rainbows, I always find your posts amazing - they're so articulate, engaging and relevant, yet so righteously angry. I really like the fact that you emphasise the personal aspect of the political by sharing stuff that's happened to you - this isn't just theoretical, this affects women's lives directly, from childhood to old age.

Sometimes as a feminist I try to really be tolerant of other people's bullshit misogynist views, and try to patiently explain to them why it's offensive and damaging - but thanks to you I've found to courage to say "fuck you". If someone can't understand the idea that women deserve equality and basic human rights, and won't listen to reasonable arguments to the contrary, then why should I waste my energies on a lost cause?

I'm not going to waste any more time on you qwertster, but I want to thank you for being the first recipient of a well-deserved "fuck you" from me in what promises to be a long line...

Oh, pardon me qwertster, what you actually said was:
"Hey, at least it's a break for those of us guys who aren't obsessed with preternaturally large, silicone-enhanced boobs."
My mistake.

And yes, your girlfriends judged you on your looks, that's about the only people who can acceptably do so. Any romantic/sexual partner is going to have preferences related to what they are or aren't attracted to, and are allowed to judge potential partners against those preferences. I would never date someone I was not sexually attracted to, because otherwise it's just a very good friendship. The problem ponies and rainbows was alluding to is that women are judged on their appreance for simply EWF (that's Existing While Female). We aren't just judged by the men in our lives, we're judged by all men, all the time, as soon as we step out the door. And if you ask some of the other men frequenting the site, PWM is really no problem as long as you're respectful of women and can look past their apperance as a measure of their worth and don't try and play off men's experiences as being the same as women's experiences.

And I'm throwing in the towel there and taking my cute but jiggly ass and non-silicone boobs to bed. EG, I'll take the over-under on that bingo game you've got going ;)

qwertster - there is simply no way that men have it worse in regards to body issues than women. Women are bombarded with images of airbrushed standards of beauty constantly.

When I was a teenager I used to feel the pressure that society expected me to sleep with a super model a night. Then I realsied that at least I wasn't a woman who was being told to be a supermodel!

Where's men are not even raised to consider their appearance besides their penis size.

Surgery is never the answer to things like this. Nor is taking out you issues on a website.

As a guy, I really don't think men have it harder than women, please stop being so reactionary.

P&R, you deserve better.
You deserve parents who take you seriously on your own terms. You deserved to be raised to believe in yourself and encouraged to do things you were good at. You deserve to live in a society where you're valued as a person and not prodded and used like livestock.

That's not the world we live in, but it needs to be, and that bears repeating.

One thing that really irks me about "ponies and rainbows" these other posters who complain about body image issues is that they always seem to imply that women have it worse; that they have more body insecurities than men.

That's because, from any reasonable analysis, they do. Don't let that stop you, though...

Well as a guy let me tell you: men actually have it much worse. Men are under just as much pressure to have nice bodies as women.

Not even close. Men have a much broader range of acceptable body types than women. I'll grant that the expectations for men to have "perfect" bodies is getting worse- but it's by no means as bad as women have right now. That the expectations on men are becoming more unreasonable is not evidence that women don't have it worse.

These are the top body-related insecurities for women:
-weight
-breast size
-aging/wrinkled skin

And these are the top body-related insecurities for men:
-height
-penis size
-muscle mass
-balding/hair loss

Let's try that again, because you missed a few.

-weight
-breast size
-aging/wrinkled skin
-height
-having clear skin
-hair
-issues surrounding make-up
-skin color
-muscle tone
-breast pertness

Just to add a few.

All three of the female insecurities are easilty correctible by going under the knife. For weight, women have liposuction. For breast size, women have implants. And for wrinkles, women have facelifts and botox.

And a big eff you. They shouldn't have to "go under the knife" to "fix" this shit. It shouldn't even be an issue. Going under the knife is not an easy solution, and it's bullshit to claim that it is.

And for men? NOT ONE of their insecurities are easily correctible through a surgical operation. Height and penis size can't be changed at all.

Height is a non-issue for the vast majority of men, though. What you really mean is "being short" is seen as a problem. The issues you listed for women are surround all women. Women can't win for losing- if you've got large breasts, they're not pert enough, or your nipples are too big or too small or not the right color or your breasts are too big... if they're small, they should be bigger or you don't have good cleavage or you don't have clothes that show them off enough or...

No matter what a woman looks like, she never looks good enough. She's too skinny or not skinny enough or doesn't have nice enough skin or doesn't have nice enough breasts or ass or legs or etc etc. She's too tall or too short...

When you look at the men who are deemed sex symbols, they're all over the spectrum- there are old men, young men, tall men, short men, men with long hair, men who are bald, skinny men, muscular men, pudgey men... Yeah, there's some pressure on men not to have male pattern baldness, but shaving your head is seen as an entirely acceptable solution. And there's some pressure for young men to be fit, but hardly at the levels that women experience.

Meh.

::crushes on Roy::

I agree with all the feminist comments above (excluding the non-feminist ones, of course *cough*), but one interesting (not enough to be redeeming, but at least it's interesting) point no one has made yet:

The women aren't wearing heels.

The contest is awful, of course, but flip flops? Practical and comfortable shoes in a sexist-body-part-objectifying contest? Interesting. They're not even super-platform flip flops...

"The contest is awful, of course, but flip flops? Practical and comfortable shoes in a sexist-body-part-objectifying contest? Interesting. They're not even super-platform flip flops..."

Flip-flops practical? Aren't shoes more practical when they're more supportive of both ends of the foot?

it's a break for those of us guys who aren't obsessed with preternaturally large, silicone-enhanced boobs.free games

it's a break for those of us guys who aren't obsessed with preternaturally large, silicone-enhanced boobs.free games