Recently, there’s been an influx of media attention on “gym girls,” women who document their fitness workouts on social media, often while wearing revealing outfits, including bra tops and bike shorts so tight, they look like they’re in children’s sizing.
What’s brought this trend to the forefront of news coverage is the propensity for these young women to complain on social media about receiving male attention during their workouts. In the original video, a female influencer is seen being approached by a male stranger who offers to help attach a weight to the barbell she’s lifting. The woman adjusts her shorts, blaming “deep-rooted misogyny,” and tells the camera she feels “unsafe.”
Of course, women do experience sexual harassment at the gym and elsewhere. This is not something that should be made light of. But not every instance of a man looking at or speaking to a woman is an instance of creepy behavior. Anyone filming in a public place while muttering to themselves should anticipate other people staring at them. What explains this behavior? Some women surely do it for male approval and likes on social media (while protesting that they only dress this way for themselves). Operating from an evolutionary view, this is a form of bragging — complaining about unwanted sexual attention can be a way to signal female status and discourage the competition of one’s rivals.
Alternatively, because liberal feminism actively encourages these mental distortions, many young women believe that dressing provocatively is empowering and that the so-called “male gaze” poses an existential threat. In turn, men have become terrified to talk to women they don’t know, much less show romantic interest, because the result could be a video racking up 14 million views while chastising them for it, or worse.
Considering that physical exercise usually involves raising your heart rate, moving in unnatural directions, and sweating, I think women should wear what they feel comfortable in while working out. They should also own their choices and not shame men if they do receive friendly attention.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM RESTORING AMERICA
The influencer in question has since apologized and deleted the post after receiving widespread condemnation. Good on her for acknowledging her mistake. The whole ordeal will hopefully leave a net positive culturally, inspiring greater humility when interacting with the opposite sex.
Dr. Debra Soh
is a sex neuroscientist, the host of The Dr. Debra Soh Podcast, and the author of The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society.
