# One of the most politically incorrect questions of all time - are gay men really attracted to asses? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2017, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010 "2017-01-24T03:56:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/21 "2017-01-24T18:16:19Z")
I asked my husband if he would enjoy looking at a slideshow of vulvas all day and he looked at me blankly and said " that sounds boring. I’d rather look at the whole package." he’s a straight man, so perhaps one of the underlying assumptions of the OP needs to be re examined ( that straight men would never get bored just looking at pics of female genitalia all day). A slideshow of parts only would be boring to me, and not very sexy at all. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/22 "2017-01-24T19:50:20Z")
I don’t think this question has anything to do with “political correctness,” for what it’s worth. Instead of offending anyone I think you’ve got all of the gays & straights scratching their heads and slowly backing away from your slide projector. Also, put me in the column of “straight lady who likes a good butt butt butt.” ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/23 "2017-01-24T20:28:10Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > I asked my husband if he would enjoy looking at a slideshow of vulvas all day and he looked at me blankly and said " that sounds boring. I’d rather look at the whole package." he’s a straight man, so perhaps one of the underlying assumptions of the OP needs to be re examined ( that straight men would never get bored just looking at pics of female genitalia all day). > > A slideshow of parts only would be boring to me, and not very sexy at all. Reducing women to body parts is objectification, so not really a surprise given the OP’s past comments about women. I’d guess attraction between gays is as varied as it is between heteros. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/24 "2017-01-24T20:33:28Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Reducing women to body parts is objectification There’s nothing particularly special about parts in this context. Looking at slideshows of entire people for the purpose of gratification is also objectification. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/25 "2017-01-24T21:26:07Z")
I’m not sure there is _anything_ I’d want to look at a slideshow of all day. 'cept maybe puppies. Yeah, puppies would be OK. mmm ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/26 "2017-01-24T22:46:52Z")
Objectification of puppies. SAD! ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/27 "2017-01-24T23:22:27Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I’m not sure there is _anything_ I’d want to look at a slideshow of all day. > > 'cept maybe puppies. > > Yeah, puppies would be OK. > mmm I’ve been looking for a place to post [this](http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/three-puppies-found-alive-5-days-after-italy-avalanche/ar-AAm8QK7). FTR I am automatically attracted to fireman carrying puppies. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/28 "2017-01-24T23:36:23Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I generally find clothed women much sexier than naked women. … And I don’t even want to look at any orifices except the mouth! > > And I definitely prefer to ogle (or date!) a 36-25-39 beauty queen (or even a 36-28-39, Michelle Obama’s measurements!) rather than a beauty queen with those bust and hip figures reversed. Be careful what you wish for though! While the idea of a beauty queen with 39-inch hips is awesome, the average American woman has 44-inch hips! 36-24-36? Only if she’s 5’3". ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/29 "2017-01-24T23:49:46Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Straight men like myself can look at slideshows of nothing but vulvas and vaginas all day long and never get bored -1 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/30 "2017-01-25T00:03:10Z")
> [@astro](#): > > It’s like saying are you attracted to a women’s vagina as the primary point of interest and that’s not really how it works for most men. A vagina is certainly necessary at some point but in and of itself it’s not the milkshake that brings all the boys to the yard. Your fascination with vaginas as discrete entities is kind of your special thing. Men like vaginas in context but (IMO) endless pussy slideshows would get old and off putting kind of fast. Just to be clear, I am not talking about gynecology level images. It is simple things like Sharron Stone inadvertently giving a blurry, 2 second upskirt video in the movie Basic Instinct that caused a sensation at the time. Female bottomless images rank much higher on the taboo scale than topless ones and certainly higher than dressed in everything from magazines to strip clubs. HBO and Showtime made countless crappy after-hours movies in the 80’s and early 90’s whose main purpose was just to show a few seconds of full nudity interwoven into otherwise terrible movies and people still watched them just for that. Playboy didn’t even do bottomless shoots for almost two decades after it started and it wasn’t because people didn’t want to see it. It was just considered too provocative. I can’t be the only one that such strategies were marketed to. It seems to be a timeless and wide-spread tactic that many people will fall for consistently. My question is whether most gay men would find a short video of a guy bending over in the shower to be the equivalent or is it more complicated than that. I know that people have individual (and often freaky preferences as the rise of specialized web porn has proven) but I am just talking about broad generalities like your most plain vanilla straight guy compared to a gay man. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/31 "2017-01-25T00:55:54Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > My question is whether most gay men would find a short video of a guy bending over in the shower to be the equivalent or is it more complicated than that. I know that people have individual (and often freaky preferences as the rise of specialized web porn has proven) but I am just talking about broad generalities like your most plain vanilla straight guy compared to a gay man. I don’t know why you are asking about anuses (not asses!) when the clear equivalent would be penises. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/32 "2017-01-25T01:05:22Z")
The answer to your question is “it’s more complicated than that.” I’ve found my tastes in objectification, as a straight woman (who has been described as the most bent straight person my gay friends have ever met), align fairly closely with those of gay men, as in solely gratuitous photos and videos of a nice round male bubble butt (in any variation of dress or undress) is very much appreciated. And male butts enclosed in baggy pants that make men look like they’ve got a loaded diaper under those pants, is very much not appreciated. There is a certain aspect of gay porn that features rectums in various states of expansion and/or prolapse. That is not a popular aspect, but it’s out there. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/33 "2017-01-25T01:20:51Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > The answer to your question is “it’s more complicated than that.” > > I’ve found my tastes in objectification, as a straight woman (who has been described as the most bent straight person my gay friends have ever met), align fairly closely with those of gay men, as in solely gratuitous photos and videos of a nice round male bubble butt (in any variation of dress or undress) is very much appreciated. And male butts enclosed in baggy pants that make men look like they’ve got a loaded diaper under those pants, is very much not appreciated. > > There is a certain aspect of gay porn that features rectums in various states of expansion and/or prolapse. That is not a popular aspect, but it’s out there. Thank you. That is part of what I am trying to understand. I know I sound like a imbecile in this thread but it isn’t intentional. It is like asking a colorblind person to write a sonnet celebrating the different shades of green and red. I simply don’t get it but it is a serious question and I figured the SDMB may be able to help but it is also possible that none of us can see anything past our own particular reality. You bring up an excellent point. Straight men tend to very visually oriented often in specific ways while heterosexual women tend to be more holistic in their attraction. I could rephrase the question to ask whether gay men are closer to the former or the latter. Again, this is about sexual attraction only. We are talking about Tinder and porn level stuff and not the deeper quality of anyone’s character. It isn’t about who you would marry. It is about simple things that cause powerful attractions. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/34 "2017-01-25T01:40:18Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Do you lie in bed, bemoaning the fact that you don’t have a 4-headed penis, like an echidna? I will from now on. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/35 "2017-01-25T02:02:02Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Do you lie in bed, bemoaning the fact that you don’t have a 4-headed penis, like an echidna? Well, sometimes when I lie in bed I do be moaning. mmm ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/36 "2017-01-25T02:55:35Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Straight men tend to very visually oriented often in specific ways while heterosexual women tend to be more holistic in their attraction. I could rephrase the question to ask whether gay men are closer to the former or the latter. Ok, when you put it that way… I tend to be much closer to the latter than the former. Very holistic, in that I get turned on by the totality of my husband… simply because it’s HIS body, HIS personality, HIS voice, and not somebody else’s. That is not to say I can’t appreciate a total stranger’s ass… or cock or balls or chest or eyes or nose or hands or nipples or hair, etc., etc., etc. But watching a slide show of men’s asses would bore the hell out of me. But don’t take me as typical of most gay men. In most respects, I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/37 "2017-01-25T03:17:47Z")
I didn’t expect this thread to turn into a discussion about teleological evolution. Many posters seem to disagree with the OP’s contention that straight men enjoy looking at women’s genitals. I’ve heard, through second hand sources you understand, that an alarming proportion of the internet was dedicated to serving that very desire. As for the OP, you would probably get better answers if you asked this in a gay forum. Alternatively, you could perform field research and see what the male gaze in gay porn is like. I think that’s already been done by academics trying to compare it to straight porn. All I remember in that area is that it was also objectifying in similar ways, and often used tropes of patriarchal straight relations (e.g. a strong, older “masculine” man is dominant, a smaller, younger “feminine” man is subservient). > [@panache45](#): > > First of all, nothing is “designed” for anything. Evolution is not goal-directed. P-V sex obviously evolved for the purpose of procreation, but sex exists for other reasons, equally valid. You contradicted yourself. If nothing is designed and evolution is not goal directed then sex can’t have a purpose. This is frustrating and makes discussion difficult, which is why most people use teleological language when discussing evolution, e.g. eyes are for seeing. There are other purposes for sex, like pair-bonding, but I don’t know if you could say they were equally valid, at least from an evolutionary POV. If sex fails then the species goes all female, like rotifers, or more likely for mammals, goes extinct. If pair-bonding fails, then there’s a lot of single mothers. > [@AK84](#): > > Only the Penis and Vagina are designed for sex. Charitably, they’ve evolved to fit each other. Anyone who doubts this should look up the subject of sexual conflict or sexual arms races of animal genitals, like how female ducks have maze-like vaginas and male ducks have curved, flexible penises longer than their body. Or cryptic female choice, where females evolve different methods of storing, sorting, and choosing sperm from many partners. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Remember, the clitoris is the ONLY organ “designed” solely for sex. I’m not sure if it’s possible to say anything about the purpose or origin of the clitoris without stirring controversy. Over the ages, various learned men have claimed to “discover” the clitoris. I recall in one case there was a bit of controversy, with his opponents saying he wasn’t examining women at all but hermaphrodites with tiny penises. Their poor wives… > [@Giles](#): > > I think that’s nonsense: in humans, the number one sex organ is the brain, not the genitalia. A common saying with horrifying visuals. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/38 "2017-01-25T03:26:50Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > I didn’t expect this thread to turn into a discussion about teleological evolution. > > Many posters seem to disagree with the OP’s contention that straight men enjoy looking at women’s genitals. I’ve heard, through second hand sources you understand, that an alarming proportion of the internet was dedicated to serving that very desire. Lots of straight men enjoy looking at pictures of naked women. That’s not quite the same thing as “lots of straight men enjoy looking at pictures of female genitals.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/39 "2017-01-25T05:16:11Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Straight men like myself can look at slideshows of nothing but vulvas and vaginas all day long and never get bored even though there isn’t really much to look at. Gynecologists don’t find female genitalia arousing in that context - or they shouldn’t, anyway. My family practice doctor, a very handsome straight man, said while examining me, “People have no idea how many times a day we have to do this.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010/40 "2017-01-25T05:24:58Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > There is a certain aspect of gay porn that features rectums in various states of expansion and/or prolapse. That is not a popular aspect, but it’s out there. Like, for instance My Pet Goatse? (NSFW, if you don’t know) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-most-politically-incorrect-questions-of-all-time-are-gay-men-really-attracted-to-asses/778010.md?page=3)