We like to make big deals of things, don't we?
See? It's happening right now.
Reddit user, szMacias, wanted to know what we should dial it back on when they asked:
What is a common everyday-thing that's overly sexualized?
It doesn't have to be anything big. It could be a word, a way you dress, or a simple act, that gets you all kinds of unwanted attention and teasing for being too "sexual."
Children Of The 90s Really Messed This One Up
"Literally anything involving a type of nut or a ball." ~ ThePlagueDoctorBoi
"I do the online grocery order fulfillment at my store and I had to get a product called "Nut Pods" which is some sort of alternative milk creamer." ~ Daisy716
Bend, And Snap!
"Bending over to pick something up" ~ MaronJohnstone
"Another reason to lift with your knees" ~ Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Madame! Cover Thy Shoulders!
"Ask any school dress code and shoulders are clearly the most dangerous." ~ lextherex69
"At my high school guys weren't allowed to wear tank tops at all. Funny side story, albeit a little unrelated; when I was in high school, they tried to ban yoga pants and leggings for girls for being too provocative, but for whatever reason guys weren't officially included in the ban, as I guess they didn't think guys would wear leggings to school. Well, they were very very wrong."
"To protest the ban, a bunch of guys wore their compression leggings, including almost the entire football team, for which I heard they got run real hard for that stunt, but ultimately, it was the angry letters from parents that got the ban overturned." ~ mildewmoisturizer
"Yoga. It's a spiritual practice and form of exercise. People always make silly sex jokes about being able to bend into positions" ~ trinaoflimbs
How American...
"Ad campaigns for food that try to make it about sex." ~ Swimming-Chapter9857
"Well now I just want a hamburger. While washing my car." ~ BrittaForTheWinnn
Some acts are so simple, so mundane, you may not be aware you're doing them. That is, until someone comments on you saying something you probably shouldn't have.
Maybe Start Eating From The Middle?
"Bananas. I stopped eating them in public, because someone always compares it to a phallus." ~ YippeKiYote
Oh Father, What Have We Wrought?
"Probably the word "daddy". When my kid starts talking it's going to have to be "Dad" or "Da". ~ CommunityHot9219
"My kids are gonna have to call me bro, or dude or some sh-t the way this is going" ~ RedLightning259
Eyes Down, No Problems
"Walking up stairs (especially in high school) behind women and NOT inspecting the stairs." ~ OverlordTwoOneActual
"Mmm, yes, these stairs are made of stairs" ~ dank_bonkripper79
There does seem to be a reflective nature to some of these "oversexualized" practices, doesn't it? Feels like it says a lot more about the person doing the teasing than the person committing the act.
Making Something Of Your Family
"Step-siblings" ~ mcnugs98
"seriously, i was best friends w my stepbrother and people always had nasty sh-t to say" ~ clairbby
Unable To See Past Preconceived Ideas
"A female and a male that are very close but don't have anything between them" ~ calikov
"What's worse is if something develops between them suddenly."
"My wife and I were completely platonic friends for almost 15 years. Even lived together as roommates for a while. Then suddenly [out] of the blue something changed and we both fell for each other at the same time."
"Now we get all of our friends saying "told you so" and usually assuming that I nursed a crush for years while wearing her down." ~ dead_wolf_walkin
Username Aside, Good Point
"I'd say women's breasts, at least in the US. They certainly are secondary sex characteristics and are attractive to the opposite (or sometimes same sex), but I feel like American culture really makes a bigger deal about than it should."
"Like, for example, women are often shamed for breastfeeding their babies in public. Or that a nip slip on TV is seen as some kind of catastrophe, but all kinds of violence is totally fine." ~ PMME_ur_lovely_boobs
Nice.
"The number 69." ~ horny_underdog
"Nice." ~ AKeeneyedguy
Not everything has to be sexual. Not everything needs some kind of secret innuendo about it. Sometimes, a thing is just a thing.
That's what she said.
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