So much has been written—mostly by women—about the inequality that women still face in this society and in countries around the world. I write this today to be the great equalizer, to help women everywhere feel better about their status, or lack thereof.
This picture below is too daring for children to stumble on, so if you have children present (or a boss who is just an absolute craphead…(doesn’t that word look like craph-e’-ad?)), exit out immediately and erase the history on this computer. Just don’t forget to come back later on your own time.

Exhibit A: The sexy woman.

I’m just about as un-lesbian as you can get. I’m not bicurious, I never “experimented” with a sorority sister in college after one really alcohol-infused frat party, and I wouldn’t even be gay for Angelina Jolie like all those closeted soccer moms claim to be. There, I said it. I’m a heterosexual.

However, I am fully capable of saying (out loud) that the woman in this picture is sexy in a really, “Oh my gosh, she’s going to beat me with that whip,” kind of way. She has a beautiful face, gorgeous hair, and a lovely figure that almost makes me wish I had the willpower to cut out carbs. The crazy outfit? Okay, I guess, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Now, Exhibit B. The pathetic sex god gone wrong.

Not a chance. I was laughing before the picture finished loading on my screen. He looks like he’s ready to be hanged from the ceiling to do some electrical work, if only he had pants on. I feel bad for him, alternating saying, “Oh that poor man,” with gales of side-clenching laughter. I tried imagining what I would do if my wonderful husband appeared in the bedroom wearing that outfit. I think I would literally wet myself from laughter, and when I finally caught my breath, he and the strappy outfit would have fled.

And that’s where there is still a measure of equality. A woman can douse herself in any number of beauty enhancing products, and she’s gorgeous. A man so much as changes brands of shaving cream to an imported product, and he’s too fruity to mess with. Women can wear crazy costumes with funky stilt-like high heels and they’re considered fashion forward. A man tries it, and they make movies about him with titles like The Hangover.The sweet young lady in the photo above looks hot and men worship at her feet, the freak-show guy in the picture needs to be run out of town, the lousy pervert. She’s sexy, he’s a comedic whipping boy.

It’s not exactly equal-pay-for-equal-work, but it’s step in the evening-out direction.