by Alex Birch
All men who fear strong women, take a good look at Michelle Obama's gym-enhanced arms:
First Lady Michelle Obama stands tall and regal in her official portrait, a double strand of creamy pearls around her neck, her figure clad in a fitted Michael Kors dress. But there's one aspect of this seemingly benign photograph that's causing something of a commotion, and it lies in that exposed 10-inch-or-so stretch between her shoulder and elbow. The first lady is buff, and she's not afraid to show it.
Her curvy biceps have become something of a lightning rod for remarks from both sexes in a larger discussion of how much female muscle constitutes too much. While some praise Obama as a role model in a world gone obese, others say she's gone too far in displaying the fruit of her workouts. Read one online forum comment: "There is nothing uglier than manly, muscular arms on a woman. Mrs. Obama should be hiding them instead of showing them off."
And though strong legs and a flat belly are often interpreted as sexy features on a woman, bulging biceps . . . not so much. "It crosses the boundary from having sexy, toned arms to having arms that display, 'Hey, I'm working on being strong.' " Banet-Weiser says. "The evidence of that work . . . is quite threatening."
This is the Gail Trimble syndrome on display again. Most people simply don't like assertive, strong and competitive women, because it threatens their self-image. Women perceive other competitive women as bitchy and arrogant, which is why they can't work together, and men typically want subordinate women or else they feel their male position is under threat.
My 2 cents: stop playing sensitive Communists. Enforcing one standard on all people doesn't work. We don't need to get self-defensive as soon as we spot a female bodybuilder or a dominant woman at a work place. Some women have lower doses of estrogen, which grants them some typically male-oriented features. They need to exist, too. In fact, they make society more interesting and challenge other women to get their act together and improve themselves. Here's a few reasons why we should embrace strong, manly women more than what we currently do:
I think the case is closed: when you think about it, alpha females are pretty cool. We need more of them.
men let their ego get in their way!
I don't mind awomen take charge at all!
First of all, I don't think
First of all, I don't think the work-out is what decides whether a woman is manly or not.
And what do you mean "I like my women to look like women."? As a man you can look as a man in good or bad shape, and as a woman you can look as a woman in good or bad shape. To think it's womanly to have a weak body is just pathetic.
2 cents worth
I value strong women in business, government, etc, etc.
But not in the home.
I am not what you'd call a "strong man." Therefore, when it comes to my mate, a strong woman will completely rule the domain and that is a situation I cannot tolerate.
Equal -- yes to that.
Capable -- yes to that too.
Just my opinion.
I mean, you know, back during
I mean, you know, back during the ancient times, I'm sure women probably played a more active role in tasks more 'befitting of a man' before villages and settlements were established. But I think the question here is whether or not women that take care of themselves are attractive. I think that a woman that takes care of her body should be respected for that alone.
Where do I vomit?
I like my women to look like women.