Quick Read on images of male sexuality

Came across this older post at don't ya wish your girlfriend was smart like me?. I'm glad I (eventually) found it because lindabeth is right on about so many things - how male sexuality becomes obscene in the eyes of other males. lindabeth writes,

Finally, what I’m also quite interested in regarding this video news story, is that the campaign included images of girls, depicted in much the same way as the guys are…yet he never mentioned being bothered by the “obscenity” of those! When we take this reaction, and think about the male anxiety around male nudity in general, and especially gay male sexuality (but of course, not lesbian sexuality), it it very clear that, in popular culture, sexuality becomes ‘obscene’ when it does not reinforce heteronormative masculinity. Images are only seen as improperly sexualized when it’s the male body on display for a (presumed) het female audience.

Check it out.

(By the way, I love the name of lindabeth's blog - I always tell my friends "daaaamn, you got a nice personality!")

Abercrombie & Fitch...Children's Hospital?

In Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, named after Columbus-based Nationwide Insurance in exchange for a donation of $50 million over 10 years, has been considering a name for its new emergency department that is to open in 2012.

The Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center. Catchy, no? I’d say so, for the tune of the $10 million that Abercrombie has pledged for the construction of the center.

I see some problems with this, and it all goes back to what seems to be a theme for some of my posts on this blog: sexualizing young people.

“Abercrombie & Fitch, based in the Columbus suburb of New Albany, has earned a reputation for risqué catalogs and promotional photography featuring scantily clothed models.”

The hospital is not sure if it will include Abercrombie & Fitch’s names on signs anywhere in the hospital yet, but I hope not. I can’t even walk into one of those stores without cringing at the staggering lack of clothes on their models. I think it would be a highly inappropriate move by the hospital. Especially a hospital for children.

I think it’s great that Abercrombie was so generous, but until they find a way to sell clothes without having their models take them off, and they stop targeting teenagers, I do not want to see their name associated outwardly with the place.