The Acceptable Double Standard

There is an advertisement running on network television right now that caught my attention last night. In the ad, a young, hunky model is escorted through a retail department store where he is introduced to Martha Stewart, who remarks that she's really looking forward to working with him and as he turns to continue onward she makes no effort to conceal her checking out his ass.

Maria Carey is also in the store, and she oohs and aahs over him as he walks by. Many of the other female shoppers / employees in the store are similarly affected; at one point a crowd of women are standing nearby practically dripping with desire and when our young hunk notices they all scatter and pretend to be busy. Eventually, when this choice piece of eye candy finally arrives at his destination, a rather glum looking Donald Trump is seen standing off to the side, and he comments how they're all so shallow.

Of course, right now, for the life of me, I can't recall the store that is being advertised, and based on that, it's not an effective ad. (My sister used to work in advertising, and this is one test of an effective ad that I remember her mentioning...) BUT the point I'm making here is the interesting double standard that is virtually unmentioned yet seemingly accepted.

If the roles were reversed, and this was a sexy young lady and a bunch of men were ogling her tits and ass, and an older guy sneered at her "I'm really looking forward to working with you!" I am positive there would be such an outcry of protest from women's groups across the country that the ad would be pulled. Yet, there is nary a peep about the same sexual harassment if it's applied to a guy. Why is that?

I'm sure some critics out there will wave me off as jealous; certainly I wouldn't take issue if I were similarly desired by the same type of women depicted in the ad (they are, of course, all gorgeous.) But I don't think so--this is really more of an issue with a lack of consistency in standards, which is a big deal to me.

So guys aren't allowed to ogle women, but woman are allowed to gape and stare and men.
If a guy stares at a woman, or makes a suggestive remark, or some other visual or audible indication of arousal, it's harassment...but if a woman does it it's fine.

That's bullshit.

Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of people making all these rules that apply to everyone but themselves. If you're going to cry foul when someone kicks you in the nuts, then it isn't ok for you to run around kicking every else's groin. Honestly, is this concept so foreign that everyone has forgotten the saying "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."?

I'm sure there are women out there who are pointing fingers and saying "See what it feels like to be a considered a sex object??" It has nothing to do with that (in fact, quite honestly, I would be lucky if even one woman took notice of me as I walked by); it has to do with a double standard that, in my opinion, is lending itself to a mentality that condones capricious dictates that lack equality for all.

All right, that's off my chest. I'm going to go look for my steel toed boots...