Dear Chris Pratt, Objectifying Men Won't Lead to Gender Equality, It Will Just Increase Body Image Pressure

Swooning over Christian Grey, Poldark and even Chris Pratt may seem harmless on the surface, but it has the potential to increase body image pressure on men, so why on earth would we want to make objectification the norm?

If there's one thing that's been made clear from casting call Tumblr Some Lady Parts and the red carpet #AskHerMore campaign, it's that in 2015, women are still objectified in the media.

Unfortunately, it's all too clear that the constant focus on women's appearances (instead of their talent) is putting pressure on young girls to look a certain way.

In the UK, girls as young as six are dieting due to worries over body image. Meanwhile in the US, studies have linked the sexualisation of women in the media to a rise in the amount of girls between the ages of 11 and 16 wanting to have cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance.

There's no two ways about it - something needs to change.

Actor of the moment and star of Jurassic World Chris Pratt thinks he may have the solution, but let me tell you, ladies and gents, he really doesn't.

Speaking on Radio Four's Front Row, Pratt said he feels "totally objectified" due to the recent media interest in his abs, but doesn't "feel appalled by it".

"I think it's appalling that for a long time only women were objectified, but I think if we really want to advocate for equality, it's important to even things out," he said.

"Not objectify women less, but objectify men just as often as we objectify women.

"There are a lot of women who got careers out of it, and I'm using it to my advantage."

Seriously, did his mother never tell him that two wrongs don't make a right?

Pratt may be happy to be ogled, but treating men in the media in the same way that women have been treated for years will only make matters worse for young people.

The rise in the amount of young men seeking help for eating disorders shows that males are not immune to body image issues.

What's more, BODY charity says the number of men who suffer with "muscle morphia" has doubled in the last two years, while roughly 80% of their male clients say images in the media affect them.

Swooning over Christian Grey, Poldark and even Chris Pratt may seem harmless on the surface, but it has the potential to increase body image pressure on men, so why on earth would we want to make objectification the norm?

Pratt's suggestion that we start treating men in the same way we treat women is reckless. The rising trend in objectifying men should not be laughed off, nor should it be justified on the grounds that it happens to women.

Objectifying men won't help women in any way, shape or form, it will only put more pressure on guys to change their appearance.

Let's stop talking about body parts, and start focussing on character parts, for both men and women.

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