"Objectification": Science, or Junk Science?

[Warren DeMontague]

170. Also, it's totally legitimate to say "people getting turned on by bikini pictures MAKES ME MAD!"

That is an expression of subjective opinion. Being profoundly bothered, say, by strangers finding other strangers physically attractive based upon criteria one has arbitrarily decided they should not be allowed to experience attraction based upon, hell... Well, as they say at the RenFaire, whatever floates yon boate.

However, it takes a great and rather presumptive leap to put oneself inside other peoples' heads to make all sorts of authoritative-sounding noises as to what precise "well-understood cognitive processes" are taking place inside those heads, to wit that when those nasty people see the bad bodies their awful brains do such and such and yes yes we KNOW that anyone looking at Nina Agdal in a bathing suit sees her as a dustbuster or a toaster and not, of course, a human being yes yes harumph indeed harumph.

It takes an even further presumptive leap to pass that sort of stuff off as "science", as is well documented in this thread. It is worth reiterating that the flaunted study deconstructed herein is a prime example of what passes for "science" in this field.

Again, there's nothing that says people can't be profoundly bothered by folks finding other people physically attractive, or whatever else bothers them personally.

But saying "we have to put a stop to all the unauthorized arousal that the SI cover causes because just look what science tells us about the karmic disruptions in the flow of chi caused by bikini viewing".. Again, it's not science. And cultural commentary, criticism, or complaints are not science, either.

As for subjective speculation as to what was in the heads of people who made erotic art 2000 years ago, as to whether or not THEY were experiencing in their ancient heads, similar unauthorized, "unnnatural" feelings of physical attraction like what supposedly goes on in the heads of modern viewers of bikini pictures...

Ah, That aint science either.