Oh BBC home page picture editor could you be more annoying?

I personally think there are far more women in the world who range from pretty to beautiful to stunning than there are men.

And I disagree. Taste, in people, food and similar, is entirely subjective. Unless it's socialised, which I would argue this is!

I've had men at work, and bizarrely het women on here, argue that the female body is objectively nicest to look at

I don't know what you find so bizarre about that. I suppose you (general you) can argue till the cows come home that everything we find "objectively" beautiful is just a social construct and there is no valid reason why we find kittens prettier than the naked mole rat (cat haters and those who are only interested in "inner beauty aside)

I personally think there are far more women in the world who range from pretty to beautiful to stunning than there are men.

I'm heterosexual and objectively I find most men physically unattractive apart from the very few I'm attracted to. On the other hand, every workplace, social gathering etc. will have women (whom I'm not in the least bit interested in sexually) I think are good looking.

Do you not see that the point is that there isn't a picture of Hugh F-W, but a model in a swimsuit? I doubt that if it was an article about a young, slim woman swimming they would have a picture of a middle aged man instead

Not sure who the "you" is who doesn't get that point. I get that point. The other point is, whether you like it or not, the click through rate from a picture of an average middle aged man will be lower.

I'd rather look at Hugh in pants and woman with carrot any day of the week.

I'm sure there's many pictures of attractive men in shorts they could have used. Don't though, do they?

Isn't it amazing how the human interest at looking at attractive people so often = young woman.

Male het gaze is so ubiquitous as to be not even noticed.

I've had men at work, and bizarrely het women on here, argue that the female body is objectively nicest to look at.

My usual answer is, what even for gay men?

Yeah it's bollocks.

If this woman is one in the article, named and with story. That's awesome.

Is she? Already covered.. no.

I'd rather look at Hugh in pants and woman with carrot any day of the week.

Personally, I get rather bored with looking at pictures of pretty young women in swimsuits and prefer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in his trunks.

There is a nice one in the article, and he looks nice and cold.

Chess with pigeons again.

Do you not see that the point is that there isn't a picture of Hugh F-W, but a model in a swimsuit? I doubt that if it was an article about a young, slim woman swimming they would have a picture of a middle aged man instead?

This sums it up.

She’s a normal, healthy weight and the costume is standard issue too. I love the fact that they chose a red-haired model too. Are good looking, slim swimmers not allowed?

Her physique might look like a swimmer but I swim a lot and can't recall seeing a "serious" swimmer in a costume or with a hairstyle likes that. IME it's practically impossible to find a fashion costume that doesn't malfunction in some way when you push off or dive in, and it's very difficult to breathe doing front crawl with a face full of hair.

@MrsTerryPratchett I don’t think it’s objectification.

@AbsintheFriends no I genuinely don’t see how it’s inappropriate on a news site 🤣🤣. Are attractive people not serious enough to be used to advertise an article? Your example is ridiculous

@StrangeLookingParasite as has been clarified by another poster , I was making the point that you can look like the woman in the pic AND be a swimmer. I was just using myself as an example of someone who is a serious swimmer and looks like that. I know many other serious swimmers who look like that. It was too emphasise my point that the pic fitted the brief as (to me) she looks like a swimmer.

Oops sorry. I didn't think my point was so good it deserved to be said twice. Phone playing up.

StrangeLookingParasite

I’m not. I’m amazed how you can tell me that I’m doing things I don’t even know I’m doing

Many people have no insight into what they're doing
By claiming this was about finding your specific physique unacceptable (Apologies if my physique offends), you made it appear as though someone was making a personal criticism of you which, while I suppose is not an actual flat-out lie, is certainly a major twisting of what had been said

I think your interpretation of what strongmummy posted is a major twisting of what she intended. I didn't read it at all in the way you are saying. I took it to mean simply that it is possible to look like the woman in the picture and be a serious swimmer.

StrangeLookingParasite

I’m not. I’m amazed how you can tell me that I’m doing things I don’t even know I’m doing

Many people have no insight into what they're doing
By claiming this was about finding your specific physique unacceptable (Apologies if my physique offends), you made it appear as though someone was making a personal criticism of you which, while I suppose is not an actual flat-out lie, is certainly a major twisting of what had been said

I think your interpretation of what strongmummy posted is a major twisting of what she said. I didn't read it at all that way. It was just pointing out it is possible to look the way the person in the stock photo looks and be a swimmer.

I’m not. I’m amazed how you can tell me that I’m doing things I don’t even know I’m doing

Many people have no insight into what they're doing.
By claiming this was about finding your specific physique unacceptable ( Apologies if my physique offends ), you made it appear as though someone was making a personal criticism of you which, while I suppose is not an actual flat-out lie, is certainly a major twisting of what had been said.

Whether you like it or not humans like looking at beauty

Aside from anything else, can you not see how inappropriate this is on what is supposed to be news website?

It's like putting Priti Patel's image up for a story about Boris Johnson. She's a politician, but more attractive and hey - humans like looking at beauty...

So you basically don't think objectification is a feminist issue? Mmmmkay.

@EverardDigby I’d wager it’s all humans. I certainly do. However, I do take your point

I know three women who are keen on open water swimming. One is about 40, one around 60 and one early 60s. I also know some women who train for triathlons, so I assume they also do some open water swimming at times. Not one of them is under 30 and although they're all very fit none of them has model-standard looks. Wet suit and cap would be far more realistic.

Whether you like it or not humans like looking at beauty

That's not the BBC's role is it though?

I'd rather look at images which show the broad spectrum of humanity when I am reading a news website.

Whether you like it or not humans like looking at beauty.

Mostly male humans I suspect. I'd rather see a middle aged, ordinary woman in a proper swimsuit, cap and goggles who looked like she was actually there to swim. You're not doing front crawl with that hair.

@BetterWithCheddar if they’d have used an image of one of the swimmers they would have used the good looking one in the bikini. Fact.
Whether you like it or not humans like looking at beauty. That’s why I can’t get behind this as a feminist issue; it’s about aesthetics

I love the "just happens to be attractive". Yep this stuff all just happens by chance. Again and again and again. No reason for it whatsoever. So disingenuous.

Good basic rule for BBC news stories would be: no stock pictures; if you don't know the subject's name or it isn't relevant to the story, use a different, relevant picture.

I guarantee nobody with hair that long is going in to do any serious swimming* without at least tying it up - she'd strangle in it.

*face in the water and a recognisable named stroke