After posting a before and after clip, a bodybuilder on TikTok was surprised to hear one woman's unsolicited hot take about his post—and to what extent he was physically attractive in his current state.
In response, the bodybuilder posted a lengthy rant that has gone viral.
It all began when TikToker Kevin Clevenger posted a clip that showed his former, less muscular physique before cutting to his current look: stocked with extremely defined muscles from head to toe.
But one TikToker was apparently unimpressed by the transformation. In fact, she was turned off.
Operating under the moniker @healthyalternativemom, the dissenting TikToker took it upon herself to school Clevenger's online followers.
"This is a perfect example, to me, of female gaze versus male gaze."
"Technically what the female finds attractive is in the first picture."
Clevenger, who goes by @ironsancturary on TikTok, was having absolutely none of that.
He made a mirror selfie video outlining every single reason why.
"This is a perfect example of 'How about we keep our thoughts to ourselves'."
"What if maybe I did that, not because I wanted you or anyone else to find me more attractive? What if I did that because, one, I personally did not like the way I looked and, two, I was training for a bodybuilding competition in which I was judged on my physique."
Clevenger then said the woman treated him in a way—if he were to do so to a woman—would be considered misogynistic.
"Here's a thought. Maybe let's stop using other peoples' bodies as an example to say this is what's attractive and this is what's not. Do better."
@ironsanctuary #greenscreenvideo do better
Many of the over three million people who saw Clevenger's video leaped to his support.
But according to Daily Dot, many other TikTokers weren't so enthusiastic about his tirade. They accused him of taking the woman's video--which was far longer than the clip Clevenger included--out of context.
Although her original clip is protected by privacy settings, it reportedly included plenty of supportive compliments.
"Don't get me wrong, that gentleman looks great both ways, right? He looks like he worked really hard to get his body the way he wanted it and you know, no disrespect to him, he looks [chef's kiss]."
"But technically, what the female finds attractive is in the first picture: solid, strong man, strength that looks like he could provide for you, and he's not just looking at himself as the centre of attention."
The Daily Dot went on to share some of the comments that gave the woman the benefit of the doubt.
"Am I the only one that thinks she wasn't trying to be disrespectful, if you watch the whole video it seems like she was trying to explain something."
Another assured the woman with a direct comment to her.
"That guy's a tool and took this WAY out of context. And so many people jump on with him without even seeing your stitched video."
As for @alternativemom, she held her ground too.
"He was literally pissed that guys were making fun of him so used me as a scapegoat. A nice man made a video defending me. So out of line."
"Genuinely sorry he took this the wrong way … He butchered my video… Nothing to do with you, sir."
And here lies the caveat with the stitched TikTok video responses: the onus is on viewers to chase down the whole story.
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