Still in Charge in Their Undies

Go figure. When male celebrities and models strip down to their skivvies to show off the beefcake, they still exert power over their oglers—unlike women in the same situation, argues Washington Post columnist Robin Givhan.  "Women don't want to be objectified; that diminishes their power and takes away their individuality," she writes. So, does turning the tables settle the score? Nope.

Fashion advertising is enamored as never before with "underwear boys" in designer briefs. But turning male models—and celebs like David Beckham—into sex objects doesn't dent their power. Whereas female models often appear as inanimate "props in an elaborate tableau," the male models still "look strong and in control," she concludes. "They're preening. And they have stopped you." (More model stories.)