DO MEN REALLY CARE ALL THAT MUCH ABOUT A WOMAN’S “BEACH BODY?”

Inspired by MEL’s Summer Body Issues package, I got to thinking, how much do men actually care about a woman’s “bikini body”?

This, of course, sent me down a rabbit hole of vanity, insecurity, Ashley Graham videos, BIKINI BODY MOMMY™ workouts, beauty standards and what really constitutes “the male gaze.” Most importantly, the call I put out to my Twitter followers on the subject left me feeling deeply sad for women because by far the most common answer was: “I wish she could see herself the way I see her.”

But here speaks the voice of a long-married man: “I’d rather her get into shape so I don’t have to hear about it anymore.”