A funny article on US men and speedos

[ffboy357]

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/doon ... _swim.html

[BozeHawk]

I think you may be on to part of the issue with the Puritan foundation of the USA, or perhaps in part whiplash to the 'whatever' attitude of the 60s. Being born and raised overseas, Speedos, or at least brief-type swimwear, have always been what you wear when swimming, and communal showers mandatory in school after sports.

However in the States there seems to be some fear or shame about exposed flesh, as if it were some kind of sin much like burkas are de rigeur for women in some societies. And same-sex communal bathing, my God ... it must be sexual. It isn't; it is about getting clean. Perhaps that is a part of the American psyche. It is kind of sad in my opinion, and leads to fetishizing Speedos as something exotic or erotic rather than normal every day swimwear.

Guys are guys, we all have the same parts to varying degrees. Some have bigger feet, some smell more than others, some are hairier, some are more or less fit than others. It doesn't make any one better or worse than any other, nor mean that anyone's eyes are directed to you in particular or that anyone even cares?

[speedoswimmer]

I'm from the US, and in my experience friends have always dumped on speedos because of the bulge, not because of the amount of skin showing. I've tried to get them to try jammers, but they avoid those too because of the bulge.

Even though they don't wear proper swimwear, they don't wear super long and baggy boardies either.

[DrD]

Bozehawk you are right - swimwear should be about comfort and ability to swim. I only recently stepped up and stopped wearing shorts (even though they were not the huge long ones) I found I improved no end. I'm not worried anymore about how I look (nearing 40 with 2 kids it's no big deal) but I agree speedos have become a sexualised piece of clothing and that is wrong.
Sure I can see the way they can be sexualised and I have no problem with that - same could be said of a woman's bra and knickers, but they are still practical items of clothing and in some cases very necessary...
If I was wearing Speedos at a party or club sure I might be out to impress and get others aroused or at least interested in me. At the pool - I'm here to swim without encumberment or at the beach to get a tan...
It's weird about the bulge issue cause girl use pushup bras and tight tops to show off their boobs why is it a big deal to show off your boys bits the same way? You see guys in tight tops to show off their muscles or abs yet they wear baggy pants or the guys in tight skinny jeans wear a long shirt to cover their groin??? Why?
It's almost like they want to show off but only let people glimpse or tease it... hahaha