Why you need to stop drooling over hot topless men

LONDON — So Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has changed its policy. If you did not already know, the clothing company, which is really more like an institution than a shop, will no longer hire impossibly attractive models to work the shop floor. Nor will it even call its staff “models” — they will be known as “brand representatives” instead. And — most shockingly of all — A&F and its sister company Hollister will get rid of the topless male models who stand outside its stores and welcome hormone-charged teen girls inside.

It is the end of an era for girls who grew up on a diet of preppy sweatshirts accompanied by beefy fake-tanned men. But it is also a welcome one. The concept of giggling teens rushing to take selfies with half-naked men is an uncomfortable one. It is objectification. You just have to reverse the scene and imagine a group of young men taking photos with scantily-clad women to realise that.

Over in Britain, actor Aidan Turner, who stars in the BBC drama Poldark, has a currently infamous “topless scything” moment that has been ogled over by millions of women, most of whom are unafraid to admit just how sexy they find his hot bod. But Turner’s co-star Heida Reed has pointed out that if he were a woman, we would all be calling it sexism.

“I don’t think it should be any more allowed than if a woman was in the same situation,” she said in an interview. “I think it only undermines the rest of the show. We know Aidan and think he is a great actor, and he put his heart and soul into this part.”

She is right. Just because Turner is male does not make it any more acceptable than if he were a woman — he is still being reduced to his looks. We have now reached a place in society where we recognise the objectification of women and are unafraid to call it out — but we struggle to do the same for men.

The issue, of course, is that women are more often at the receiving end. And sexual objectification can be a more serious problem for women because it is linked to sexual violence and harassment. Seeing women as passive objects perpetuates a culture where perpetrators may not recognise a woman’s consent. It can lead to attitudes that amount to: “She was asking for it”.

“Women are coping daily with a threat of rape that men aren’t,” said Fiona Elvines of Britain’s Rape Crisis. “I don’t think it’s nice for anyone to be judged only on their appearance — no one likes to feel they’re just being judged on that. But while men might find (sexual objectification) annoying, it doesn’t have that scary meaning.”

It might not be scary, but it is still time we shelved the objectification of men, too. Currently, even if we do recognise it, we tend to look for a female reaction. When actor Jamie Dornan appeared semi-naked in Fifty Shades Of Grey, the focus was on his wife’s struggle with his nudity — not his. Even when it comes to Turner, people have questioned how his girlfriend feels. The fact that he is “baffled” by it and would clearly prefer the attention to be on his acting is largely ignored, said Reed.

Then there is Games Of Thrones’ Kit Harington who said: “To always be put on a pedestal as a hunk is slightly demeaning. It really is and it’s in the same way as it is for women. When an actor is seen only for her physical beauty, it can be quite offensive.”

Of course, not all men will feel the same way — and it is true of women, too. But it is important to recognise when we are guilty of sexually objectifying anyone. A&F has taken a step in the right direction, but it is time the rest of us followed suit in not reducing men to six-packs on legs — scythe or no scythe. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH