This is in response to a blog posted earlier today by Ursula, which can be found here. Ursula is not allowing comments on her own blog entry, because as we all know, it's always the sign of utmost confidence in your argument when you forbid public challenge of it. Since this is the case, I am replying to her here and to all other women who may agree with her.

First, let me be completely honest by saying that I am indeed a man and that I also appreciate looking at attractive women. Yes, I know, everybody go ahead an gasp in horror at the primitive brute! Let me be even more brazen about it: I like tits and ass. I don't give a shit about Hayden Panettiere's personality, I just think she's hot and I enjoy seeing her pretty face and nice figure.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

Which part is it that you ladies find objectionable? I'll most definitely be allowing comments, so feel free to tell me. Do you find it obnoxious that I enjoy beauty when I see it? Do you find it insulting that I don't take the time to stalk beautiful women I see in public or on TV so that I can get to know the "real" them? Or is it that you prefer men who keep these thoughts to themselves rather than speaking openly about it? You prefer liars then, is that it? Because any man who tells you that he doesn't enjoy the sight of a sexy woman is either lying, gay, or asexual. That's a fact of human evolution, sorry if it's hard to swallow, but facts don't change just because you don't like them (as we often tell the theists).

Or is it perhaps that you take it as a personal insult against you because you're not the winner of America's Next Top Model? Yes, men find women attractive! The hotter they are, the more we enjoy seeing them (though certainly every man's idea of "hot" is different). But if you're not as attractive as a supermodel (or maybe if you're even downright ugly), we don't have anything AGAINST you. Me thinking that Hayden Panettiere is fine as hell doesn't mean that I think less attractive women should be shot on sight. I mean, that's the way many of you act. Like, if you don't "measure up" to what you think a man's "standard of beauty" is, that somehow means we don't like you at all and don't think you have any value.

THAT'S ABSURD!

In fact, the very word "objectification" is stupid. It implies that when a man finds a woman attractive, we see her as nothing but a mere object, not as a person. Again, that's stupid. No, I see an attractive woman as a PERSON who happens to be attractive. Even though I don't know Hayden P. on a personal level and I know nothing about the "real" her, I don't think she's an object, I don't think she's beneath me, and I think she deserves all the respect in the world. Finding someone to be "sexy" doesn't mean I don't respect them, and what a damn ridiculous idea that the two concepts are mutually exclusive!

What about the real person inside? Well, I don't fucking know her, do I? It seems to me that it's an unreasonable standard that a man should have to personally know any woman he finds attractive before he's permitted to say that she's hot. Do I have to know the Swedish bikini team before they can be attractive to me, or is it ok with you ladies if I just have a goddamn opinion about the purely physical aesthetics of someone?

And finally, I have to truly wonder if the women who are so easily offended by such things are, themselves, the sexists. It seems that to be so utterly and quickly pissed off, a woman must first make the assumption that men are nothing but sex-driven unevolved animals whose *ONLY* opinion of the women around them is their physically based opinion. It seems to me that we men are judged pretty harshly when we're honest about enjoying the physical attributes of a woman, and it seems to me that that's pretty damn unfair. I've seen and heard PLENTY of women "objectifying" men. The difference is that we men DON'T CARE, because we don't take it as an insult. We often take it as a compliment; possibly because of the strange idea that if a woman finds me attractive, it's a NICE sentiment. At least, those of us who are mature and secure in ourselves do not take it as an insult. Hell, my wife LOVES Bruce Willis and I swear she'd run off with the man if she could. But does she know him personally? Nope. So isn't she "objectifying" him and in some way secretly saying that I'm not good enough? No, she isn't and to think that she is would be retarded.

I'm not sure why so many women are insulted when men appreciate beauty. I'm not a woman, so my understanding is limited in that regard. I have postulated some possible reasons here and surely the ladies of T|A will correct me if I'm wrong. One thing I WON'T be doing is making the cowardly move of denying people the opportunity to comment on (and possibly refute) what I've said here. If you ladies would like to tell me that I'm being a sexist asshole, please do so, and while I may disagree, I applaud the use of your right to free expression and would not dream of denying it to you.

A few of you ladies are insulted by the calendar. Ok. I don't understand it, but you're entitled to your opinion, as I am entitled to mine, that your feelings of insult come from immaturity and insecurity and these things are your problems not ours, so please stop projecting. You may not want to be in the T|A calendar, while many girls may wish to. But don't worry. I'm sure enough women have bought into this "I don't have to do anything that a man would enjoy because I'm so liberated, look at how awesome I am" bullshit that plenty more will take their ball and go home.

I tell religious people this all the time and now I'm telling you: There is no constitutional right granting you freedom from being "offended.' If you're offended, too damn bad. You don't HAVE to participate. You have the freedom to be pissy about it, act like a 5 year old who didn't get to play the game by her own made-up rules, and walk away. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

(I hope the staff of T|A will be kind enough to let this rebuttal stand)