Men spend billions of dollars every year to look at naked or scantily-clad women. By comparison, women spend virtually nothing to see unclothed men. What’s going on?
Talking Points:
- Socialized objectification? Some argue that the reason men desire to see women naked is that they are socialized to view women as sex objects, and this is reflected in how much money men spend on pornography and related media.
- Socialization is important, but it’s not the biggest piece of the puzzle. Men are intrinsically attracted to visual stimuli in a way that women are not.
- If you’re a man, it’s important to be aware of things that affect you and why. Because men are easily stimulated by the visual, pay attention to how advertisers and businesses want to motivate you with imagery of good-looking women.
- Men and women have some big differences in how they live life and view the world around them. These differences don’t make one sex better or worse than the other, but they do affect the experiences of being male or being female.
Talk About It
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What role do you think socialization plays in how men and women view one another? Explain.
- In your experience, does the behavior of businesses and advertising back up or discredit the claims in this video? Explain.
- “It’s impossible for a woman to truly understand how men react to visual stimulation.” Explain why you agree or disagree.
- What are some ways women have different experiences from men as it relates to this topic?
- Read Matthew 5:27-30. How should we put Jesus’s teachings into action in our lives on this issue?
- Biblically, why do you think men struggle so much with “lusts of the eyes?”
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
See the FLEXTALK version of this topic.
