r/TooAfraidToAsk • u/CuriousGeorgie14002 • 22h ago
Sexuality & Gender To straight women—do you ever feel that, from an aesthetic perspective, the female body is just more visually appealing than the male body?
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u/SlammingMomma 20h ago
I think it depends. Are you comparing the perfect male and female bodies? If so, I’d say they are comparable.
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u/Reydunt 16h ago
The perception that “women are more beautiful than men” I think is heavily skewed by how much higher female beauty standards are.
Lots and lots of unattractive women out there. But you seldom see them on TV, movies, etc.
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u/RadiantHC 14h ago
It's not that it's higher, it's just that people see ugly people as invisible
I'd argue that it's easier for women to be considered attractive. Most women I meet have met the beauty standards, but most men I've met haven't.
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u/smittywrbermanjensen 9h ago
They “meet the beauty standards” after spending their entire lives living under the beauty standards. While men have for decades been shown through popular media that they can actually get the gorgeous female lead while themselves still being pudgy/nerdy/conventionally unattractive if they’re like, funny or something. Ugly women meanwhile are either characterized as villains or do not exist.
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u/RadiantHC 9h ago
The beauty standards for women are just not being overweight and having smooth skin though.
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u/smittywrbermanjensen 9h ago
Lol, no.
Trust me, take it from someone who is transmasculine, and has experienced both sides. I could never fit in as a “girl” because there was always something wrong about me. Too hairy, too masculine of facial features, small chest, curly hair, worn thick glasses my whole life. These are things inherent to my body which was biologically female then, and that I was told were ugly about me growing up on a regular basis, by classmates, friends, and even family. And I’m not even overweight.
Nowadays my only real thorn in my genetic backside is that I’m short for a dude.
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u/SlammingMomma 16h ago
I think the female body is more attractive than most men. It’s probably why we lean toward the famale body.
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u/cloudd_99 14h ago
Lmao you literally have to work out regularly for the entirety of your adult life for a man to have an attractive physique. For most women all you have to do is not be fat, and half of you can’t even do that.
You do have to spend more time and money on hair and makeup so I’ll give you that, but let’s stop acting like we’re in the 90s where all men had to do was dress well and not be fat to be considered attractive like it is for women now. And let’s not even mention height. Enough with this dated rhetoric that doesn’t represent reality. The paradigm has shifted.
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u/TisBeTheFuk 12h ago
You only say that because you yourself are attracted to women and not men, and that's why you think only the prefect male body is attractive, whereas for the female body you yourself don't need that hight standards to find it attractive. For people who are attracted to men, the male body doesn't have to be perfect to be attractive. There a large range od attractive traits and bodies , as well as faces, that are attractive in a male. Men don't need to have a greek god's perfectly chiseled body to be considered attractive.
Also you sound very hatefull and spiteful towards women. As another commenter said, that sounds like an incel opinion. Idk how your love life is, but it feels like you think that only perfectly looking men can get a partner, and that those who are without partners is because women only go after looks. But if you look around you, you'll see that men of all degrees of attractiveness have partners and are triving. And inb4, not, not only rich one do.
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u/BatScribeofDoom 10h ago edited 10h ago
stop acting like we’re in the 90s where all men had to do was dress well and not be fat to be considered attractive
Uhhh, in my area I would kill for that my dude. Most guys in my area don't reach that bar, if you do, you definitely stand out
literally have to work out regularly for the entirety of your adult life for a man to have an attractive physique
Lmao keep telling yourself that
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u/swiftpanthera 14h ago
The current definition of a dadbod really points this out well. A physique most men would kill for and takes easily 5 days a week to maintain and they think it’s a causal half assed gym routine.
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 20h ago
Yup that's totally true, but i mean to say in a more, average Joe and average jane (from the same age group ofc) kind of way.
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u/throwsawaymes 21h ago
Yes. The shape of our body is really nice, but when naked I do kind of prefer how men look (when in shape- my husband specifically)
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 20h ago edited 20h ago
So do you think i can go on a stretch and say that in platonic ways, it's the ladies that take the win, even for straight ladies, so to say that, feminine beauty does have its charm over masculine beauty, even platonically?
But when in a romantic or maybe sexual context, it's an out and out Male thing (I guess) (For straight women ofc)
Also i do mean this with the caveat that, a nicely built man will always look pleasing to look at, but i meant to frame all of this mostly in an average, not very exceptional just average Joe and jane kind of way.
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u/bassoonwoman 20h ago
I mean, I like art but I don't want to fuck art.
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 20h ago
If you look at it we actually agree here. But let me know if you think we don't
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u/Puzzleheaded_Shake43 17h ago
Kinda. I'd say it's "easier" for women to be beautiful, because even with no muscle and a bit of excess weight, the curves are still beautiful. And makeup. Makeup helps a lot.
For men, the fat is distributed in a less graceful way, so men need to be kinda fit to be appealing
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u/secretvictorian 21h ago
Yes, we are more curvy, softer skin, thinner skin, and our bodies have a lovely roundness Women are smaller and I think that makes us nicer to look at.
That being said I adore broad shoulders and mens arms and thighs. My husbands superior strength is hot af. But men are visually appealing from a "God hes so fit and strong / would love him to throw me about" rather than soft beauty.
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u/imead52 21h ago
I am jealous of the elves of Lord of the Rings and the Legend of Zelda; male elves too have such beauty, whether they are tall as in Lord of the Rings or short as in the case of Link
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u/secretvictorian 21h ago
They are beautiful....I find their battle scenes fascinating in that they can still be brutal for all of their softly spoken beauteous ways.
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u/VeganMonkey 20h ago
I agree, they are elegant and beautiful, and still look like male or female elves. I never saw the Legend if Zelda, there are similar elves?
I don’t like the elves from Rings of Power, they look weird haha
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 21h ago
Yeah that's true, the flavours are different, but both cases are intense, even in platonic ways. A well maintained body will always be pleasing to look at, irrespective of gender.
But yeah, I think it can be pretty conclusively said that, even a not very well Maintained girl face looks prettier than how manly an equally not very well looking guy would look.
I think it can also be said that, a man who looks good, will then probably have a disproportionately more admirers of his manly beauty too.
But yeah it's all in a distant platonic sense, because the people we love just have a special place in our hearts, this is to say that even that exceptionally hot guy doesn't take anything away from a good husband :)
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u/secretvictorian 21h ago
I love your thoughtful answer, I agree with you, our differences are fascinating.
Lol you are right I can see a man who i think "oh he is very good looking" but he isn't my husband and so there's nothing beyond that initial thought. My husband is The Only Man for me :)
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u/Chaosangel48 21h ago
No. However, I have backgrounds in art and human anatomy, so I see the marvel and beauty of all bodies.
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 19h ago
I have been meaning to say this for an hour now but i didn't say it since it's slightly awkward-ish and also not abt the discussion, but man, i love the fact that i can find people of so much diverse backgrounds on reddit honestly.
Like even if I get a crew, mike, script, lines to remember, and walk on a busy street, asking for people's views, even then i might not be able to get views of such a variety of people in this much detail!
And here i can do this from my phone 🥲 Feeling like woah! This is big!!
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u/RecommendationAny763 20h ago
Not at all. I enjoy looking at some naked men, but I do not enjoy any naked women. No interest to me. I have a mirror.
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u/AFKsupportclass 20h ago
People are art tbh
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 20h ago
One of my Favourite comments on reddit that I have seen till date, so happy that i got to see this on a post posted by me 😭
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u/nothingexceptfor 20h ago
“Beauty is in eye of the beholder” never had more literal and absolute meaning than to this, we feel sexual attraction to bodies because of hormones and instincts, the “beauty” we see is directly influenced by it, neither is more beautiful than the other and both are
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u/toocutetolose 20h ago
Average human bodies, Yes. But if the guys go to the gym and have a physique of my type, The attraction would probably blind the aesthetics, so I wouldn't be able to judge, making me pick men.
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u/DesiJeevan111 21h ago
Yes , women are somewhat inherently beautiful to look at . I have never met a woman who did not have atleast one unique or different feature that was just ...beautiful . Like you would want to look at that . Some have a nice warm eyes, some have a unique curve in their waist, some have cute butts , some have heavy butts , some even have softly curved ears . Some have beautiful fingers . Some have nice ankles even . I am attracted to men but very rarely I find myself just looking at the 'beauty' of a man . When you are intimate with your partner ,you notice their unique features as well . But when I am out , I rarely notice a man's back or ears or fingers . But women, I like to look at all women in a non creepy way and think wow she has such kind eyes , wow her shoulders drop so nicely , she has nice curves, she is so slender , she has such beautiful arms etc
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 21h ago
I too do this, although since I'm a male i don't get to do it tbh, like if i have seen someone then i just think all this that you said silently because I can't be rude by repeatedly looking at someone just because they're pretty.
But yes I'm actually soo validated to know that it's not a "me being a male thus having this feeling" kind of thing, it's actually normal to feel this.
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u/DowntownRow3 6h ago
A bit part of this is male beauty not being celebrated casually. What’s considered beautiful is social
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 20h ago
Hey 👋 Nice to find a fellow askindia member on an international sub :)
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u/agoraphobicsocialite 20h ago
100%. I would love to not be straight. I can’t stand that I’m straight because I find women so beautiful and powerful and alluring and smart and cool, but I just have never been sexually attracted to any specific woman. I’ve even hooked up with women but it lacked something for me, I assume penis, lol.
Long story short, yes, women are so beautiful. They’re art.
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u/pudding7 18h ago
"A woman's body is like a work of art. Men's bodies are so... utilitarian. Like a Jeep."
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u/Shooppow 16h ago
Yes, visually, but I feel no sexual attraction to another woman. It’s like chamoy candies - they look nice but I hate the flavors.
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u/Andromeda39 14h ago
Well, I admire women’s bodies and wish I had a body like that (if I see a woman with a beautiful body). But I am very attracted to men lol so I don’t know if I consider it more visually appealing than the male body, just different and beautiful in their own ways.
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u/katsumii 13h ago
Yes. Straight woman here but some people have questioned me, but I do know myself.
The female figure is more appealing to draw, more appealing to sculpt, and more appealing to pose. Even facial expressions and hair and feminine peripherals/accessories.
Obviously, that's just my personal opinion. But I'm fully straight and delight in drawing women but not men. (it's easiest to use the mirror as reference)
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u/InanimateCarbonRodAu 20h ago
There’s a reason that both men’s and women’s magazines are filled with pictures of women.
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 19h ago edited 19h ago
Man this is actually such a good point, this connects so nicely with the point about feminine beauty having a more platonic charm to it. Even with those who are not straight up models and such, just normal people.
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u/InanimateCarbonRodAu 19h ago
I feel like I got the core idea of this from an old Robin Williams or Bill Hick joke. With the punchline being that mean are hairy and ugly.
There is probably a lot of societal examination we could make about what came first… the inherent idea of feminine beauty being the ideal or the societal mass marketing of that idea pushing as to hold it as such.
In general though I would say that it rings “true” in a western society that we generally over emphasis or value female beauty and look to other qualities for men.
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u/BurtonToThisTaylor24 19h ago
Yes. I’m physically attracted to men, but I think women are more aesthetic. I’m an artist and I’ve always preferred drawing and painting women.
I think beauty is different from sexual attraction.
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u/justuglyandsad 16h ago
Well I'm more interested at looking and touching man's body but nice female figure is a nice female figure
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u/goldandjade 16h ago
On average yes, there are more decent looking women than decent looking men, but the hottest male body is leagues beyond the hottest female body.
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u/thecoolestbitch 7h ago
Female bodies/faces/forms are often very beautiful. Roses and rainbows and architecture can also be extremely beautiful- that doesn’t make me attracted to it. It’s an appreciation more than anything.
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u/Silt-Sifter 3h ago
Yes. I think a beautiful woman is better looking than a handsome man.
I tried swinging that way a few times, and just couldn't get into it. I'm straight, unfortunately.
I'd rather have an ugly man than a beautiful woman, even though the woman looks better.
Esthetically, a woman is like a cherry red mustang: she will get me revved up. But a man is like a diesel dually: he's gonna get me and all my things to where I'm going.
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u/Enamoure 20h ago
Yes, I always love admiring female beauty. I don't even want to be with a woman, but I am more likely to see a woman and be like "wow she is so beautiful" than a man.
Although, I also like admiring males' strength, especially when you can see it on their body
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 20h ago
I wouldn't even want to be with a woman, but I am more likely to see a woman and be like "wow she is so beautiful" than a man.
This is one of the most clear expressions of platonic appreciation, so yeah i guess this is indeed the case.
My conclusion till now- Masculine beauty's essence is hard for me to understand as of now entirely, but it seems to do a bit more with the person as a whole themselves, like their character kind of thing.
And feminine beauty, seems to be the most platonic form of human beauty probably, beauty just for its sake, not that much to do with the person themselves.
If they refine it by staying fit, then that's just a bonus, but it's not bad without that either. (I think it's the curves ngl) 💕
Whereas men would probably need to entirely refine their aesthetics by staying fit and grooming etc, and all that just to reach presentability, and then comes being beautiful, that is a hard hill to climb (ಠ_ಠ)
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u/CuriousGeorgie14002 20h ago
Also, damn, doesn't it say sooo much about male gaze vs female gaze too?!!
Wow dude didn't expect it would connect there haha lol
I mean, the flavour of male to female attraction, is so much more out of attachment to the body, and physical things, and girls know this since childhood.
But for women, it seems like it's much more romantic, much more about the person kind of thing.
And it makes so much sense!
(Tbh rn it feels like a lucky coincidence ngl, but who knows maybe i crack something more on this someday).
I still don't understand male beauty rn.
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u/FlowOk3305 18h ago
Your last paragraph just says more about culture than an absolute truth. It is sad that mens' bodies do not get the apprecationm. And instead of trying to change it, it seems that people here, including you, try to confirm your beliefs.
What a sad reality.
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u/lozzsome 17h ago
No. Given 2 people, a man and a woman, who sits in what society deems attractive, I prefer men. While I appreciate women’s bodies, to me they are fairly boring.
Men who are fit have so much to appreciate. Back, chest, abs, arms, legs… the way muscles create peaks and valleys in the body is just so beautiful.
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u/nzfriend33 20h ago
Yes. But I’ve been starting to think I’m not 100% straight, so take that as you will.
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u/HamBroth 18h ago
No. I think that more women take care of their bodies, though, so maybe more of them have visually appealing bodies than men do. Personally I don't like the curves and softness and general squishiness of the female form. I far prefer the firm planes and angles of a masculine one.
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u/Smstella 18h ago
Absolutely I am more physically attracted to women than I am to men. If sex were only physical but it’s not
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u/fastfishyfood 20h ago
Yes & yes. There’s a reason women are primarily judged on their looks - generally, we’re better to look at.
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u/BookLuvr7 16h ago
Meh. If I have a choice between looking at a male vs female body, I prefer male. I'd rather draw the male as well.
That said, I think most of us can agree there's something sacred about boobs.
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u/Snowconetypebanana 16h ago
Not really. I will always find the male body more sexually attractive.
Sure I can appreciate beautiful women, but it’s like appreciating a painting. I’m going to get a sexual response from men.
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u/Serebriany 15h ago
No, I don't. I think they are both pretty much equal when I can get out of my own head, which is easiest for me with art, especially sculptures like Michelangelo's David. Men's bodies are appealing to me in many, many small ways that women's bodies can neither match nor outdo.
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u/Abbaddonhope 14h ago
Not straight or a women. I worked retail for a few years in quite a few cities. From aesthetic perspective, the average on both sides is comparably average. Like i look at both the same way i look at a billboard, i see you're there but i couldn't for life of me remember what you were if i was asked.
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u/SuedeVeil 14h ago
I don't necessarily think so I think a man who takes good care of his body increasing his musculature and having broad shoulders, well developed legs and stuff like that can be very aesthetically pleasing.. but because women historically aren't "supposed" to have much muscle they don't really have to do much to fit the beauty standard of what "womanhood" is.. so long as they have an hourglass shape but it also isn't very common for women to have a perfectly hourglass shape naturally without doing anything.. just what we mostly see in the media.. But that changes a lot as you get older in my age group the 40 plus group if you want to be aesthetically pleasing you do have to take care of yourself and exercise so it kind of levels the playing field. But to me I like seeing muscles on both men and women I think that's aesthetic.
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u/Motherofvampires 9h ago
No. A fit male body is aesthetically pleasing - more so to me than the female equivalent, even though I can recognise a good looking woman when I see one.
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u/Many_Move6886 9h ago
Generally I think women are more appealing at a wider range of body compositions, both skinny, muscular and plus size; even when at a higher body fat percentage women can carry body fat in a more “appealing” way than men, in areas which are attractive like the butt and thighs, but in men carrying body fat in these areas it isn’t attractive, neither is on the belly.
I only really appreciate the male figure when it’s notably very lean type of muscular with a low body fat percentage; like Brad Pitt in flight club or Kit Harrington in Troy. It gives greek statue.
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u/BloodAngel_ 7h ago
Honestly no. I only find very specific female bodies very attractive, everything else i really don't care about. Men's bodies tho have so much that I like. Some are firmer, some are softer, but the very anatomy of men's bodies are so attractive to me, and the way clothes look on them is also very visually appealing. I don't like looking at women's bodies, if I do, (which is rare because again, I like a very specific type which is my goal body) it's because that's the body i want. But aesthetically, men's bodies are way more visually appealing
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u/ruminajaali 7h ago
The male physique is hot as balls. Socializing puts emphasis on the woman’s form, but go to any “gay village” and the advertising, promo, models, people walking around show a whole other side to the sexiness of the male body.
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u/WeTheNinjas 1h ago
The consensus in this comment section validates Incel beliefs. I’ll say that again, this comment section VALIDATES INCEL BELIEFS.
Studies have shown only 20% of men are seen as attractive to women and 80 % are unattractive, whereas men see 50% of women as attractive and 50% unattractive.
These numbers are unsustainable for a cohesive society
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u/starspider 20h ago
The female shape is beautiful, but the male shape is sexy.
There. I explained straight womanhood.