People often talk about the sexualization of women in games, anime, and media. And rightly so. But why is the sexualization of men so rarely treated the same way?

It often feels like society sees men as sex machines, as if their value lies in being physically attractive, having the perfect body, and fulfilling other people’s fantasies.

Look at Love and Deepspace. Look at yaoi, fan art, Rule 34, Wattpad, AO3, and even bestselling YA romance novels. Male characters are often portrayed as ideal objects of desire. They are incredibly attractive, physically perfect, emotionally available, sexually confident, and seemingly created primarily to appeal to the audience’s fantasies.

If female characters were portrayed in exactly the same way for a predominantly male audience, there would likely be widespread discussions about objectification. But when it comes to men, it’s usually dismissed as harmless fan service, romance, or even a joke.

I’m not saying the sexualization of women doesn’t exist. It obviously does. I’m asking why we so often apply different standards. Why is the sexualization of women widely criticized, while the sexualization of men usually passes without much discussion?

What do you think? Why do you think society reacts so differently to the sexualization of women and men?