Not sure what I think of this ...

[Mr. Bloom]

This MAY be one of those times when a man should keep his opinions to himself, but in case someone cares about a male perspective:

First, I've seen lewd before, and this isn't lewd and I don't find the poses particularly offensive...but I could see where some of you do.

However...

A few years back, I was in the grocery check-out and there in front of me was LIFE magazine with a cover picture of the US Men's Olympic Soccer Team NUDE except for soccer balls covering their "boy bits". I WAS INCREDIBLY offended and flummoxed by what I saw as an unnecessary display

Why was I offended?

• Am I prudish? No
• Was I turned on? No
• Were they in an offensive pose? No, a speedo would have been more revealing...and the pose was completely asexual...

For me, I was offended because they were flaunting what I wasn't...buff, athletic, lean...etc. Just like many woman who appreciated the Leibovitz picture of Lance may be offended by Gunne-Rita's photo spread, I am more often offended by same gender "show all's" that leave me shaking my head with a "what were they thinking???" bewilderment.

Now, if a man appreciates the female form, is he automatically objectifying her? I don't think so...do you remember the responses to the "HOT MALE RIDERS" thread that has gotten 8,254 views in the last 3.5 months on this very forum??? Do the member of this forum objectify men by looking at that 8,254 times....the second most views on the non-cycling forum???

Don't misunderstand, porn does objectify women...and men too. But, those pictures are usually clearly lewd and I suspect often that the women (and men) in those pictures lack self respect...and personally, I feel sorry for them...but I say this as a 44 year old...I didn't have the wisdom or insight to understand that when I was 18 years old...