Women’s bodies have long been censored both inside and outside the Church, but a new report suggests a man taking his top off in public is an example of toxic masculinity.
Finally in the UK, sun’s out, tums out. But that might not be for much longer. It turns out that when 2,000 of us Brits were surveyed*, 75% voted a resounding “no” to men taking their tops off in public, unless they are by a pool or a beach. I’m quite surprised. Come a heatwave, the Great British belly is as ubiquitous as tepid hummus and canned cocktails in the park. But could this be the last we see of it? And is it really that offensive?
As ever, I struggle to get too wound up about a bit of skin on show. Given the state of the world, a few hairy torsos pale (naturally) into insignificance. But for 33% of those surveyed, the sight of a topless chap is so offensive that they want it banned, with almost a quarter going further to insist any culprits should be prosecuted and fined. Wowzers.
It reminds me of a conservative church that a friend used to go to where the leadership would allow slim women to wear strappy tops and encourage larger ladies to cover up
I suppose at its heart it’s about respect. I may be an eighty-year-old, pottering down the street to get my morning coffee. The sight of your exposed belly button might make me gasp and swallow my teeth. It’s nice to be considerate. If you take respect to the extreme, it becomes a matter of consent. I haven’t asked to see your belly and in 90% of cases, I probably wouldn’t choose to.
Unfortunately, those in the last 10% of cases never seem to be the ones going shirtless. This was also picked up in the survey - 46% of both sexes agreed there could be exceptions to the rule, if someone is in peak physical condition. Lol. It reminds me of a conservative church that a friend used to go to where the leadership would allow slim women to wear strappy tops and encourage larger ladies to cover up. Red flag.
Read more on dress codes and modesty
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It’s easy to find Bible passages on respecting your fellow people. Romans 12:10 says “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Honour is another angle on respect, and it’s a reminder that we should be considerate of each other’s sensitivities, as we are all valuable and created in the image of God.
there’s a double standard at play, as women can’t do the same
There is also the possibly-moot-but-whatever-I’m-going-to-mention-it-anyway point - there’s a double standard at play, as women can’t do the same. I’m not getting into my free-the-nip thoughts here but suffice to say that were we all to walk down the streets topless, there would be considerably more road accidents. And sunburn, to be fair. That said, the topless lads thing could be interpreted as a flagrant display of this inequality. Seven in ten of the females surveyed, said the action of removing your shirt in public was just another example of toxic masculinity. Yikes.
As with most nudity, context is king. To keep everyone happy, stick to the approach of tops on, unless you’re around a considerable body of water. If you find yourself in the grey area of a BBQ with a paddling pool, then perhaps check if anyone minds if you remove your shirt. It can only go down well - I’ve heard that women love consent.
*Study conducted by research agency Perspectus Global. perspectusglobal.com
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