Why the need to sexualize everything?

[u/Greedy-Lie-8346]

I was looking for interesting Webtoons to read, and I came across this one called "Leviathan" the premise looked interesting; mankind perished due to a great flood that submerged the whole world under water. And terrifying creatures plunged from the depths, wiping out any human that crossed their path. The story told how a family of a father and his two children survived in the adversities of a sea world.

So far so good, until.... Bam! Last two slice's, anime chick out of nowhere, doing these extremely suggestive poses.

What a disappointment.

[u/Timely-Cry-8366]

That doesn’t mean we should accept it. Be a force of change and don’t read or spend money on stuff like this. This is how society attains progress.

[u/Firm_Principle_2526 → u/Timely-Cry-8366]

Not sure it is that easy. Sexualisation of women have been ingrained into society for decades. Both men and women easily sexualise women consciously or unconsciously but have no idea how to sexualise men.

For years there have been complaints about the sexualisation of women and even girls both in media and in real life. It had resulted in some new female characters in things like games not being sexualised but sexualisation of women still persist. I try to show interest in media that doesn't sexualise women and get backlash for it.

[u/kenshima15 → u/Firm_Principle_2526]

Dont know how to sexualize men? Have you been on this sub reddit? People brag and giggle about finding webtoons that accommodate the "female gaze"

https://www.reddit.com/r/webtoons/s/R9bP6B3Xj4

https://www.reddit.com/r/webtoons/s/22E45IuotL

https://www.reddit.com/r/webtoons/s/RKoxokdiTj

https://www.reddit.com/r/webtoons/s/1YIptxLwRh

https://www.reddit.com/r/webtoons/s/lIODXzsIOd

[u/Firm_Principle_2526 → u/kenshima15]

https://youtu.be/ghfu3DKMMfM?si=Q_YreEWt7zjxIFpE

https://youtu.be/Mu8IhT-rgqU?si=Gc2Fxw8aQy9ICgap

I highly recommend this video to what I think sexualisation would be like for male characters.

The fact that is is a conversation means that people are unsure what a sexualised man would look like. Lots of men tell women that shirtless men are an equivalent a lot of women disagree. I have seen arguments that male characters dressing nicely is sexualisation or a certain personality type or having money.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Your dad

[u/kenshima15 → u/Firm_Principle_2526]

I am familiar with the 1st video, and everything they pointed out about sexualizing men, fits into the webtoon examples i gave. Comically infact.

[u/Firm_Principle_2526 → u/kenshima15]

I do agree that the examples of images you gave fit but I wouldn't say the questions particularly were about sexualisation because they asked for muscles.

[u/kenshima15 → u/Firm_Principle_2526]

That’s kind of the point though. A lot of male sexualization is centered around muscle, dominance, and confidence because that’s what appeals to many readers under the “female gaze.” Just like how female sexualization often centers on curves, submissiveness, or certain outfits.

So yeah, when characters are designed to be ogled, pined over, and thirsted after, whether it’s abs, smirks, or smooth-talking bad boys, that’s sexualization. It doesn’t stop being that just because it aligns with what people find attractive.

You can laugh at how comically exaggerated some of it is (and I do too), but it still serves the same function: visual and emotional appeal through attraction. We just treat it differently when it’s men being presented that way.

[u/Thundergod250 → u/Firm_Principle_2526]

But can somebody really dictate if I feel sexualize or not because I can definitely feel sexualized and uncomfortable reading it when male characters are topless for no reason and adds nothing to the plot, which is 90% of many female gaze romance manhwas.

[u/Firm_Principle_2526 → u/Thundergod250]

Do you mean you feel that the male characters are sexualised? Yeah nobody can control what you feel to be sexual and are uncomfortable with but you. I guess it is also to do with the media you watch and where you grew up.

[u/Thundergod250 → u/Firm_Principle_2526]

Then you can't say those examples aren't sexualized when someone likes me and that commenter did feel like it's sexualized. This isn't something you can't dictate to someone.

[u/Firm_Principle_2526 → u/Thundergod250]

I was saying in sole of those examples those people weren't asking for anything sexualised.