In the men's locker room at my local gym is a poster that's probably supposed to be motivational and inspire the guys to work out...but I'm not quite sure I agree with their choice of picture. The person in the picture is in the Bent Over Row position and is lifting a free weight as they work out their Lats. Because they're working out they're wearing a rather skimpy singlet top, and because the camera is positioned directly in front of them, we're looking straight down their top at oodles of cleavage. Yes, it's quite apparent to even the casual viewer that the person working out in the picture in the men's locker room is quite obviously female.
Now admittedly the pose the woman is in is a perfect Bent Over Row position and it's entirely appropriate for the exercise she's performing, and yes, the picture is in a gym, and no, I'm not a Wowser or a Prude, but the shot could have easily been taken from a side angle so it didn't look quite so cheesecake or the woman could have been a guy. No, it would not have been gay to have a picture of a guy working out in the men's locker room. In fact it would have been just as inspirational. "Hey, guy. Work out and you can have a body like mine (nudge nudge, wink wink ;)." Ok, so maybe it could be construed as a little gay :P
What's everyone's thoughts, here? Am I a Prude? I haven't complained about the picture, well, not to the gym :P and I think the action of complaining and requesting it be taken down is what makes the Wowser. But should I really be offended by this picture? Remember it's in the men's locker room in a gym, so contextually the picture is in the appropriate place. Then again, it could be argued that a more appropriate place is out in the gym where it could inspire both men and women alike. "Oh, but we couldn't have that picture in the general gym! Some people might get offended!" So it's ok to have an offensive picture in the men's locker room, but it's not ok to have it out in the gym itself? Am I a Prude? Or am I just truly becoming a father where I don't think it's ok to objectify women.
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3 comments:
I suppose as long as the woman who posed for the picture is ok with it, then other people should be too.
The gym I used to attend had a similar picture in the mens locker room only this one was a woman on the chest machine (the one where you start with your arms in an L position and then bring them forward to touch your elbows). Of course the woman in the picture was waiting to perform the exercise so her breasts were basically staring us all in the face.
I think that gyms do that because it is a fact that if you have a nice body, then you too can have a woman who looks like the photo. Or at least thats what the gym owners would like you to believe. ;)
I suspect that's the reasoning behind the photo, and it probably is a motivator for quite a lot of people. Interestingly, my wife informed me that her locker room has exactly the same picture, which also makes sense.
The women are being motivated to work out so they can look as good as the woman in the picture; the men are being motivated so they can look good to better their chances of scoring with the woman in the picture.
Rofl it's a perfect strategy. Pay one model, and sell the same amount of posters you would with two models! Marketing Masterminds!
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