Firstly, I thought Amanda was extremely hypocritical drooling over Strike one minute and then criticising the sexual nature of the magic act the next.

Secondly, had Strike comprised of a couple of attractive lasses who took their tops off, the women in the audience would have been chating Off Off Off!

Is anyone else getting fed up of the inverted sexism on telly these days?

Strike stole most of their moves from the other acts for the final. It was pretty dire of them to do that. There were so many things wrong in letting them through, including the ones you mentioned, I don't know where to start.

The belly dancing lady (not the Urban Gypsies but the other gorgeous one) and the three girls from Newcastle were quite scantily clad and I don't recall any of the women in the audience chanting 'off'.

There's a difference between sexy and tacky.

Now a couple of 'attractive lasses' aren't going to be taking their tops off on the show are they?

But that's your bog standard belly dancing costume She didn't wear it for effect.

If Strike were performing a karate routine, there was absolutely no need to take their tops off. Unless of course they were after some cheap votes

But why are the rules different for a couple of attractive young men?

Everyone's after cheap vote Sid.

I know!

I'm not faulting Strike so much as the female viewers and audience members

I just think they would have reacted very differently had a couple of fit young women performed an identical routine to the two fit young lads.

The magic act try to do sexy but just come off as sleazy. Really unpleasant

It got my vote

I don't understand why you have a problem with female viewers. Of course they're going to cheer on a couple of 'attractive men'. Do you seriously expect them to have the same reaction to women? Do you not understand the male/female thing?
I'm sure if two young women had been doing the exact same act they would have got the same appreciation from the male viewers. Or, are you complaining because there weren't any topless women?

But that's the point. The women in the audience would have had a very hostile reaction to the female equivalent of Strike (booing, jeering, hissing, chanting). But the men in the audience did not react negatively when the the two lads took their tops off last night did they?

IMO you're missing the most evident instance of double standards.

- Judges criticise acts for not being original saying they're no different from before

- Judges criticise one act for being original because they don't know the piece

Really? That's rather presumptuous of you.

Maybe in your eyes, but I'm pretty certain I'm right.

Not exactly a female equivalent, but Sophie Mei was sexily dressed and had Simon, Piers, Ant and Dec all salivating after her, and I didn't hear any booing or hissing from the females in the crowd.

(sorry, think someone else made the same point above.)
Last edited by Mehenny : 29-05-2008 at 14:24

If two women had been doing the same they would not have gotten the same appreciation because they would have been criticised by Amanda for degrading themselves and would have been rejected by the other judges for being smutty and pornographic.

In modern society (which the media reflects) there is an increasing prevalence regarding reverse sexism. That is to say, the treating of men as mere objects of sexual desire and of no other relevance. Prime examples in advertising would be the Diet Coca Cola series of adverts and the Areos chocolate advert (with the naked man eating chocolate). Imagine if you will that the sex of all the characters in these adverts were reversed and so you had women being objectified as sexual objects, I believe there would be a torrent of complains form feminists and female members of the public regarding its sexism and they would have been quickly removed for circulation. However, because the same sexism is against men it is perceived to be acceptable and appropriate for a mainstream prime time audience.

Throughout society the role of men is being degraded to a point at which husbands/fathers/brothers are considered to be of no use. People wonder why society is disintegrating, why male youth violence is increasing and why academically boys perform worse then girls. Could it be due to the above message regarding their uselessness and insignificant role in society?
True feminism demands equality for women not some quasi-superiority founded on the degrading of men and the male role in society.

Strike tried to be sexy and it worked.

There was nothing sexy about a middle aged dracula wannabe wandering around the stage alone lighting candles.

It is also worth noting that a woman removing her top is a bit different to a man doing it!

And tomorrow night you will see the much cheered and supported Scala... no doubt in revealing outfits while Simon oggles them! Their image is an important part of their act.

EDIT: Both men and women are marketed as sexual objects when the occasion suits. Walk into any newsagent and you will find shelves stacked with the nations best selling tabloid which has a woman topless for no other reason than for men to take a look. Then there is the multitude of "lads mags" where the women are objectified as "sexual objects".

You seemed so sure in earlier posts.

Exactly

*Confused*

How are they different? Both are anatomical regions that have a significant sexual connotation. Most heterosexual men find female breasts arousing just like most heterosexual females find a nicely shaped/sculpted torso arousing. If is just that society has decided that one is accepted to be seen on prime time television while the other is smutty and pornographic.

Methinks that could be a bit of a double standard!

I agree but the double standard comes when sociaty considers one to be more acceptable then the other. In Addition, one is sold in a shop to be used in the confines of ones own home while the other is being presented to a family audience during prime time television. There in lies the difference!

I did state in an earlier post that women would not perform topless in response to the op. I am not suggesting they should. Follow the thread and you will see that.
As for your comments re men being regarded as sex objects, did you just fall out of the christmas tree? Women have been treated as sex objects for a very long time - was that not degrading for them? What makes you sure that men are not jumping on the band wagon?
Oh, and I didn't notice 'Strike' being under any pressure to take their tops off.

Yes! I completely agree that women have for years been treated as sexual object and that that was completely wrong and inappropriate. However, in are more enlightened times I would have thought that this sort of objectification of either sex would have stopped. In addition, I believe it is the role of everyone including those in the feminism movement to help end this instead of prompting its reversal.

In regards to your second point about Strike not being under any pressure to take their tops off, I agree that the initially pressure may not have be overt but with Miss Holden's repeated and inappropriate comments regards their appearance they became pressured to continue to appear topless in order to win the competition. People now have expectations regarding their performance and would look less favourably if they were not meet.

What planet are you on?