This guy is kicked out of gym for wearing speedos. Sexist or not?

[BaronArtz]

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/24451453/man-kicked-out-of-novi-gym-for-wearing-tiny-speedo-is-that-sexist#ixzz2qV9tbK18

 

This gentleman was asked to change into something 'more appropriate' when he wore square cut speedos to his gym. When he refused, one of the gym attendants threatened to call the cops. Is this sexist or not?

[+ Gar1eth]

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/24451453/man-kicked-out-of-novi-gym-for-wearing-tiny-speedo-is-that-sexist#ixzz2qV9tbK18

A

This gentleman was asked to change into something 'more appropriate' when he wore square cut speedos to his gym. When he refused, one of the gym attendants threatened to call the cops. Is this sexist or not?

 

The guy is an exhibitionist. He likes to show off. You can tell by the way he was sitting spread eagle during the TV interview. Most guys wouldn't have sat that way on TV.

 

If it's a family place, I can understand. That suit is only slightly less revealing than a jockstrap. It probably would have been ok in France. However he has a point. I don't think the women should be able to wear bikini briefs or tight one pieces either.

 

I'm assuming the two layer rule as it applies to men is that suits either have netting or you wear a jock strap or underwear underneath the suit. I'm not sure how it applies to women unless they are wearing a long t-shirt over their suits. I don't think I've ever seen a female suit with netting.

 

Gman

[bigvalboy]

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/24451453/man-kicked-out-of-novi-gym-for-wearing-tiny-speedo-is-that-sexist#ixzz2qV9tbK18

 

This gentleman was asked to change into something 'more appropriate' when he wore square cut speedos to his gym. When he refused, one of the gym attendants threatened to call the cops. Is this sexist or not?

 

I don't think that you can label this as sexist, every gym has dress standards. Signs are posted all the time at my gym reminding members of dress code policy. Obviously for me I think that he looked fine, but if you listen to the video, you can tell that the young man has a bit of an attitude, and it sounded like the Life Guard that first approached him could have been more discreet when he first talked to him. Perhaps if they had pulled him aside in an office somewhere and calmly explained there dilemma, that they can only enforce policy, not change it, then things would have gone smoother.

 

If he feels that a double standard is going on, then that needs to be addressed with people who have the power to make changes, but I think they looked great on him, and he did have a nice little ass and a nice little package.

[Phil_musc]

Did anyone else think the guys comment about women wearing clothes that left nothing to the imagination except their skin color was a little odd?

[rickp]

Was he at a swimming pool or inside of a gym? It says gym in the headline, but then says the lifeguard approached him. If he was at a pool wearing a swimsuit, then yes, I think it's both sexist and absurd.

[+ Gar1eth]

Was he at a swimming pool or inside of a gym? It says gym in the headline, but then says the lifeguard approached him. If he was at a pool wearing a swimsuit, then yes, I think it's both sexist and absurd.

 

In the video he said a hot tub. In either case-pool or hot tub-it's part of the gym.

 

Gman

[EZEtoGRU]

Did anyone else think the guys comment about women wearing clothes that left nothing to the imagination except their skin color was a little odd?

Yes that was an odd comment. It makes no sense.

 

As far as the policy being sexist or not, I don't know. I would first have to see what women are allowed to wear. If the guy

Is accurate in saying that women are allowed to wear skimpy bikinis that reveal every nook and cranny, then yes the policy is discriminatory against men. There has to be a single policy that applies equally to both sexes.

[Phil_musc]

I noticed that discrepancy too. If he was wearing that swimsuit to work out in the gym proper, then that would seem inappropriate to me too. In the hot tub - well I think the guy has a good point if that's the case. I'm also wondering who tipped off the media to this story? Must have been a slow day for the news.

[Steven_Draker]

Was he at a swimming pool or inside of a gym? It says gym in the headline, but then says the lifeguard approached him. If he was at a pool wearing a swimsuit, then yes, I think it's both sexist and absurd.

 

It sounds like he was at the pool.

 

"I can say the same thing about all the women around this pool in their bikinis and their one-pieces, showing off every nook and cranny of their body leaving nothing to the imagination but their skin color. ... I'm not allowed to be myself and wear what I want to wear and it's ridiculous, and it's incredibly sexist," he believes.

[Guest Starbuck]

Let's see? How can I get on the local news? I know, I'll do something that makes people uncomfortable and then claim that I AM THE VICTIM. I'll act belligerent, model my little Speedo for the TV camera and--why not!?--I'll describe myself as a BODYBUILDER! Oh, sure, some will see it as a silly grab for attention, but others will recognize me as a man fighting for truth, justice and the American way.

[Phil_musc]

Starbuck, were we separated at birth? You sound like my long-lost twin. I think you may have hit the nail on the head perfectly.

[rickp]

I think the story would be far more interesting if he files a sex discrimination complaint with the city. My barber just told me that a woman complained that he had two different prices, one for men and another for women; the city fined him and made him change it.

[Steven_Draker]

It probably would have been ok in France.

 

It would have been okay in France and most places in Europe and nobody would have complained.

 

Many swimming pools encourage swimmers to wear speedos, and not these baggy shorts, mainly for hygiene purposes.

 

http://www.foundshit.com/pictures/bizarre/mandatory-speedos-sign.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/00baec620c468e2e283dc9b3c9981bc3/tumblr_mziititVdu1qk80xqo1_500.jpg

 

In the dry sauna and the steam room speedos needs to be removed. Don't look for anything sexual there, it's just hygiene purposes.

[MiamiLooker]

I'd bet his white swimsuit is not so opaque when it gets wet.

[+ Chris Eisenhower]

He's... too sexy for their pool... too sexy for their pool... so sexy, it's cruel.

[+ Gar1eth]

It would have been okay in France and most places in Europe and nobody would have complained.

 

Many swimming pools encourage swimmers to wear speedos, and not these baggy shorts, mainly for hygiene purposes.

 

http://www.foundshit.com/pictures/bizarre/mandatory-speedos-sign.jpg

 

I think I mentioned in my original post that it probably would have been ok in France. If I didn't, I meant to. :o

 

But why are speedos more hygienic than the others? Or if you like- why are the others less hygienic than speedos?

 

And believe me- no one wants to see me in a speedo- not even me.

 

Gman

[Daverwr]

Many swimming pools encourage swimmers to wear speedos, and not these baggy shorts, mainly for hygiene purposes.

 

http://www.foundshit.com/pictures/bizarre/mandatory-speedos-sign.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/00baec620c468e2e283dc9b3c9981bc3/tumblr_mziititVdu1qk80xqo1_500.jpg

[/color]

 

Well, I guess I won't be swimming in France anytime soon!

[+ Italiano]

What's wrong in USA with this fear of speedos?..I hear that in the past not too past it was also prohibited to wear them at some public beaches...

 

Growing up in Italy I only wore and wear them, I cant's stand swimming or sunbathing in those shorts. I don't have lots of experience with US beaches, I live 10 minutes biking from Brighton beach in Brooklyn and in summertime I am there very often, and because of the large European (mostly Russian) population I feel totally at ease. In Florida (unless I am in South Beach..) I always feel part of a tiny tiny minority and it's impossible to avoid the stares of uneasiness from people looking at "the bulge". I only went to a public pool once, in upstate NY, I had packed my usual speedo, but a friend suggested that it would have been inappropriate and I had to wear my dress shorts, the only alternative I had...Bizarre!

[+ Gar1eth]

What's wrong in USA with this fear of speedos?..I hear that in the past not too past it was also prohibited to wear them at some public beaches...

 

Growing up in Italy I only wore and wear them, I cant's stand swimming or sunbathing in those shorts. I don't have lots of experience with US beaches, I live 10 minutes biking from Brighton beach in Brooklyn and in summertime I am there very often, and because of the large European (mostly Russian) population I feel totally at ease. In Florida (unless I am in South Beach..) I always feel part of a tiny tiny minority and it's impossible to avoid the stares of uneasiness from people looking at "the bulge". I only went to a public pool once, in upstate NY, I had packed my usual speedo, but a friend suggested that it would have been inappropriate and I had to wear my dress shorts, the only alternative I had...Bizarre!

 

#1. From an overweight standpoint- Ok I'm overweight. And an overweight guy in a speedo is not really an appetizing sight. Aside from that. They are tight. Why would I want to wear something that form fitting when swimming? My normal underwear aren't that right. And then with water- they could shrink a bit- and start rubbing in places you'd rather they didn't.

 

#2. From the standpoint of good-looking guys in a Speedo- sure they look nice. But we don't go naked in normal society. There is a reason we cover up aside from protection from the weather. If we don't expose ourselves on a daily basis, and speedos or clouts can be the next thing to exposing ourselves- why would we want to do it just because we are at the beach or a swimming pool. There are societal standards involved. Different societies allow different things. Europeans stereotypically have larger personal space limits for strangers than Americans. Why do stereotypically Austrians who work together closely for twenty years still call each other Herr/Herr or Herr/Frau and still use the 'Sie'- form. It's all in what you are used to.

 

Gman

[BaronArtz]

Thank you, everybody, for sharing your thoughts.

 

I do not know whether the gym this guy works out in has a specific dress code or not. My point of view is: if women can wear 'sports' bras and 'biker' shorts that leave very little to the imagination regarding their breast size or the anatomy of their camel toe, at the gym, then men should be able to wear speedos or other clothing items that show off their package. Whether that is stylish, in good taste or cool is important - I would say that running on a treadmill in speedos, a t-shirt and sneakers is not a good look for 99% of men - but it is almost not relevant when women can flaunt their anatomy without criticism or fear of being ejected out of their gym. And let's not even talk about women wearing these atrocious Lululemon pants - even at the mall! The subject of women behaving badly at gyms is possibly the subject of another thread ... coming back to this guy though, I am of the opinion that he was treated unprofessionally. Why let him work out at the gym, like he did apparently, in his speedos, then berate him when he's in the Jacuzzi? Makes no sense to me.

[adriano46]

I used to belong to a huge gym that had very rigorous dress code for men -- no matter what you wore in terms of shorts you were REQUIRED to have lycra bicycle shorts UNDERNEATH to make sure no one could peek at the family jewels while you did a bench press or some such thing. Similarly - men had to wear t-shirts with short sleeves - no "wife-beater" shirts allowed or anything that shoed the slightest bit of abs.

 

Women on the other hand had to wear these long leotards which left - as already mentioned - NOTHING to the imagination, except enormous camel toe prints on everything.

 

On comments of the speedo --

 

http://homehow.net/fat/fat-man-in-speedo.html

[Steven_Draker]

But why are speedos more hygienic than the others? Or if you like- why are the others less hygienic than speedos?

 

Here's what I found

 

1. The rules that forbid loose clothing is because they usually fall off and can jam the filters.

 

2. Shorts can leave fibers and also contain more contaminants than speedos (made out of nylon and spandex composite). It doesn't matter if your shorts are polyester or cotton - they still contain more biological material than your swim briefs.

 

3. If there are "loose threads" they can become a problem for the pool filters. If it's hemmed, it's usually ok.

 

4. Shorts are declared "unhygienic" because people don't only use them for swimming, but also in the street and at home.

[Steven_Draker]

So Alton Towers has banned embarrassingly titchy swimming trunks at its water park. But spare a thought for France, where the opposite is true: local authorities regularly force men to ditch their Bermudas and parade in skin-tight budgie-smugglers for the greater public good.

 

In French public pools, from the racing lanes of Paris to the open-air lidos and water parks of the south, anything bigger than Speedos is banned and you must hoist yourself into a posing pouch as a civic requirement. French changing rooms are littered with the broken dreams of prudish males abroad who thought they could sneak in a few lengths without showing their contours.

 

One Paris-based Irish journalist recalls how he attempted some early-morning back-stroke in a pair of standard Marks & Spencer navy swim shorts that came "about halfway down my thighs". As he lowered himself into the shallow end, the pool attendant screamed that his oversized attire was outlawed. "I said they were being ridiculous and glided into the middle of the pool. A lifeguard jumped into the water after me, three other attendants fetched a big hook for fishing out drowning people and hauled me in. I had to come back in an unbelievably skimpy pair that were somehow acceptable, but bloody uncomfortable for me and anyone who had to look at them."

 

Why the enforced parading of Frenchmen's bulges? "Hygiene," says Emmanuel Dormois, a head pool attendant in Paris's 11th arrondissement. "Small, tight trunks can only be used for swimming. Bermudas or bigger swimming shorts can be worn elsewhere all day, so could bring in sand, dust or other matter, disturbing the water quality. By banning them outright, we're not forced to stand there measuring what can be defined as swimming shorts. I accept that some men feel very ill at ease wearing small trunks, but others don't mind."

 

Similar reports of enforced Speedos come from traumatised English visitors to a Belgian water park where bigger swimming shorts were also banned.

 

Yet on the comparative freedom of French beaches men's crack-splitting tangas and tight nylon slips have gone out of fashion. The smallest tasteful covering is what French stylists call the "boxer" trunk, tight, Daniel Craig-style mini-shorts that look less like ladies' knickers. Not that public pool rules are never challenged. A feminist group has staged topless protests for the right of women to wear only bikini bottoms in line with men. Others argue that if bald men have to wear swimming hats how come others don't have to shave off their beards? And so the debate continues.

[+ Gar1eth]

I've never really noted an American public swimming pool befouled by longer swim pants. Maybe our filters work better. Oh well to each their own. If I ever get back to France and I am still with my current physique, I will just have to plan on not going swimming. International Relations will only benefit.

 

Gman

[BaronArtz]

 

Others argue that if bald men have to wear swimming hats how come others don't have to shave off their beards? And so the debate continues.

 

I think this may be pushing the obsession with too many fibers in filters too far, no? What about hairy guys? Are they expected to shave? Last time I was in France, I saw several women at the pool, with their bush clearly showing beyond the contours of the bikini brief ... will they be asked to trim/wax their pussy? Quelle horreur.

 

It makes the controversy of our poor guy wearing speedos at his gym so trivial, so hypocritical, really. I mean, if women at his gym can wear these ridiculous Lulelemon pants, showing off their anatomy front and back, he should be allowed to wear a speedo!