One particular experience of this has for some reason burned itself into my brain, probably because that’s when I got how this works.
It was completely mundane, really: A young lady at my workplace, who happened to be in possession of considerable frontal assets, had posted a picture of herself on a popular social media website. She was wearing a garment clearly design to show off said assets. The picture was taken from above, at an angle.
I could observe the following:
a) Yes, she was showing off her cleavage.
b) The men posting comments under the picture, remarking on and critiquing her feminine assets, were *not *doing themselves any favors. They did not come off as classy.
It’s a kind of paradoxical sexual display, where the potential suitors who respond the strongest and most blatantly are actually revealing themselves as the least appropriate mates. Those who remain unimpressed, or ignore the display completely, score points.
I know, right? Then it’s perfectly acceptable for guys, as a consequence, to be totally lecherous due to that finely turned out, harlotty ankle, man. Duh.
I wouldn’t exactly say Little Red-Hot Riding Hood is being very discreet herself!
I once read an off-color joke about a woman sashaying down the street with an exaggerated swaying motion of her hips. A man, somewhat irritated by her immodesty, approached, and, pointing at her rear end, asked, “Is that for sale?”
I freely admit to sometimes showing some cleavage and then getting squicked when guys leer. Why on earth would I do that, you ask. Do you really, really want to know? Okay, I’ll tell you. Sometimes I just get fucking sick of crew necks that come up to my collarbone and want to wear something pretty. And since I’m well past the F-cup range, pretty much anything that has a v-neck or a scoop neck and isn’t stretched inappropriately tightly over my boobs is going to show some boob or cleavage when I bend or move or stretch or lean against a counter or whatever. Sure, I could make sure to always wear a cami under whatever it is, but some shirts look funny layered. Besides, it’s summertime in Kentucky–wearing two shirts all the time is just too damn hot.
I’m not trying to be provocative or issue an invitation, or anything else. I’m just trying to go about my day like everybody else on this rock, and my day would be a lot better if you stopped blatantly staring at my tits.
Does the garment that hides cleavage also impair the movement of your arms? I’ve wondered whether women wear garments, that show some cleavage, simply to give their arms more freedom of movement. Who could object to that?
Since other posters have replied in similar ways. Does this mean that:
The teenage boys with their pants low showing their underwear,
The men with the plumber’s crack, however they got it,
The men who are wearing shorts and finely chiseled ankles and legs,
The men wearing tailored suits that show off a beautifully shaped butt,
The men who for some reason are wearing tight pants that demonstrate some bulge,
The athletic men who are shirtless either because it is too hot or their shirt got dirty,
Are they all advertising their assets? Be it to women or, let’s also be equal, to the gay men? Should then they be perfectly OK with gay men ogling at them, looking at them with elevator eyes, whistling at them, and telling them unsavory comments? They should, since, after all, they’re showing the equivalent of women showing cleavage.
Or would you be disgusted if that happened? Or are only women who should be policed when it comes to what they wear, since their body apparently is not of them but public property or private property that is always on sale to the highest bidder, while men are excempt of that?
It’s really funny how, on this subject, men can behave like a strange blur of lecherous pig, misogynist, free-spirited liberal and old-school moralist, all in, I swear, the space of a single thought.
“Women should stop being upset about it when I ogle their tits. What? I should stop looking? What do you mean? I can’t control my impulses. Women must dress more modestly to accommodate me! WTF? Where did the scantily clad women go? Take those turtleneck sweaters back off, dammit, we’re supposed to be a progressive society here!”
Even a burqa wouldn’t be enough to protect a woman who behaves in a reckless manner. Let dougie_monty’s post serve as a warning to you about the perils of immodest actions:
This woman was walking in public, without even a chaperone! No wonder the man thought she was a whore.
You know, I was considering actually replying to dougie_monty’s post, but then I thought, nah. When someone brings that much rope, and seems to be having that much fun hanging themselves, I might as well just sit back and eat my popcorn.
If a guy did dress any of those ways, and then complained about being looked at, what would you say to him; “you have the right to dress however you want and shame on anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable”, or “get over yourself, you’re not that special, and possibly homophobic”? I’ve never heard anyone defend those who walk around with plumber’s crack.
