Man Says Gym Outfits Are 'Out Of Control' & Girls Wearing Tight Clothing Should Have More 'Dignity'
Women shouldn't be punished because men can't control their thoughts.
Prapon Srinakara / Shutterstock A man on TikTok has garnered a lot of attention after sharing his unsolicited thoughts on what women today wear to workout.
In his video, which has received over 9 million views, the man named Benny argued that women's gym outfits are "getting out of control."
Benny said women should have more ‘dignity’ for themselves when picking out an outfit to wear at the gym.
Although it's 2024, and one would think we're well past the era of judging women based on how much skin they show, Benny complained that women need to rethink their "revealing" athletic wear.
“What these girls are wearing is so revealing that there is nothing left to the imagination,” he lamented.
Benny quickly clarified that he did not mean this in a "good way." Rather, he claimed that women who dress in tight leggings and a sports bra have no "dignity" for themselves. "Please have some more dignity for yourself and what you're sharing and how you present yourself because that's not for everybody and it's not the environment to share that," he demanded.
But don't worry, "I'm not being totally unreasonable," he assured viewers before adding that he just doesn't find it attractive when women wear skin-tight clothes in public.
Many online responded to Benny explaining that women are not to blame for men's thoughts and he should focus on himself.
Content creator and online fitness coach Nicole Ferrier stitched Benny's video, educating him and viewers on the clothes women have worn to work out well before 2024. Specifically, she showed an image of women at an exercise class in the 80s, clad in spandex and very short shorts — not by choice, but because "It's been something that has been conditioned."
“We have the eighties, which I don't know about you, but these outfits look a lot more tight and revealing from a lot of what I see," she said.
However, it is not about what society is forcing them to wear in this situation; it is about women having the freedom to choose how they want to present themselves. "I'm not here to talk about if women should cover up or if not," Ferrier said. "I think women should just go into the gym and wear what they feel comfortable in."
“I mind my own business because what they’re doing is not wrong,” she continued. “But looking at someone, objectifying them, and not being able to control your thoughts, that is wrong.”
Ferrier added that, historically, it doesn't matter what women wear, men will always find a way to objectify them. "I feel like women could wear sweatpants and a hoodie, and some other guy would have an issue with it, or they still wouldn't be able to control their thoughts."
“It really doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, but at the end of the day, if your thoughts are that strong, maybe you should work out at home," she advised, "and you should also really think about how you look at women."
Chiropractor and content creator Becky O'Neill also shared her opinion on what Benny had to say about women’s gym clothing, and she was shocked by what she heard. "Sorry, I lost a few brain cells listening to that," she started her video, referring to Benny's original TikTok.
O’Neill shared that she is a productive person who works out six days a week and has a trainer at the gym. During this time, she is only wearing a sports bra and leggings. Not once during the hours she spent at the gym did she focus on, judge, or even notice the clothing of the people around her.
To Benny, she gave one piece of advice that he desperately needed to hear: "Mind your business and focus on yourself."
Lauren Reams is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news.