INDIAN AD TURNS THE MALE GAZE BACK ON ITSELF AND IT'S AWESOME

[MineralMan]

225. Recognition of someone's appearance is almost instantaneous.

It doesn't require more than a glance in passing. In some cases, the reaction might even be "Wow! What a beautiful woman." And then you move on to other things in your day. Anyone who ventures out of his or her own house is likely to see dozens, if not hundreds, of people. A few of those people are likely to catch one's eye. But that's the extent of it, or should be.

When I was a small child, my mother taught me that staring at people, for any reason, was impolite, unless they are at a podium speaking or something. Children stare, until they learn that staring is impolite, and then they stop doing that. The difference between a stare or a leer and someone catching your eye is striking.

I don't stare at people. I notice them. If I don't know the people I notice, that's the end of it. Do I sometimes think a particular person is good looking or even beautiful? Of course, but I don't stand there, slack-jawed, and imagine that they are anyone but some passing stranger.

One day, when I was working at my father's auto repair business, a bunch of guys were standing around with cups of coffee, early in the morning. The business was near the local high school, and kids were walking by on their way to school. One of the men who regularly showed up for coffee in the mornings said this: "Would you look at the ass on that one?" I was getting my tools ready to start the work day. My father said, "J.B. - That's your daughter."

The guy with his coffee was so intent on looking at the "asses" of the high school girls walking by that he didn't even recognize his own daughter. That pretty much says it all, as far as I am concerned. That is what is being discussed in this thread. That is the objectification that is being talked about here.

If you find yourself thinking "what a nice ass," look up. You're leering.