The World Cup is a time to put aside our differences and watch the world's biggest sporting event together. It brings together not only the 32 nations who participate, but also the billions of people who watch the games in person or on TV. It's meant to celebrate the world, not divide it.

Recently, I read an article that Getty Images deleted a photo gallery they posted of female fans at the World Cup games in Russia. While the title they gave the gallery could have been worded better ("World Cup 2018: The Sexiest Fans"), I don't think there's anything wrong with showcasing female fans. Some people believed that this photo set was objectifying women. While I somewhat agree with that (the title was iffy), I raise a counterpoint.

How come women can objectify men all they want, and nobody blinks an eye. BuzzFeed has a "Thirsty Thursday" newsletter that sends you a new hot guy every week (INCLUDING soccer players). I've seen countless articles talking about the hottest players at the World Cup/in the Premier League/on a certain team. See below:

World Cup 2018 Hottest Players
Hottest World Cup Players: People.com
26 Sexy World Cup Players Who'll Make You Want to Pause and Zoom Into That Game

upload.wikimedia.org

I've even read one focused solely on France's Olivier Giroud (see above)

So how come we can obsess over these guys' abs/legs/beards/eyes/hair to our hearts' desire, but when men want to look at pictures of attractive women, they're shut down and called sexist/misogynist? Talk about double standards. Either nobody is objectified or everyone is objectified.

I have a suggestion to propose. How about we give these men and women names and stories rather than just focus on their faces? I feel like these articles need to not talk so heavily about these female fans/male players' aesthetics, and more on their stories and their talents. Why don't we focus on these women's love for their club/country, why they love the game, their friendships and families, and their passions?

At the same time, let's acknowledge male players' strength, talent, endurance, and hard work they put into their game. The problem isn't saying that someone's attractive or sexy. The problem is saying that without showing the other side.

I read a BBC article that talked about female fans and also mentioned the #WeAreFemaleFans hashtag. It helps remind us that soccer/football is not just a men's sport. As a female fan myself, I have been asked why I love the game so much.

It's not just for men. I think sometimes that people forget that women are out there supporting men's teams, and we're allowed to do that. There's no unspoken rule that women can only support female teams. They don't realize that we love Manchester United, Chelsea, or Real Madrid as much as they do, and only focus on our looks.

Also, there are much bigger issues that women face than having their picture taken and being called sexy. Women across the world face human rights violations every day. From honor killings, child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) to not being able to vote, widespread rape, and no freedom to wear what they choose, there are so many serious problems faced by women. A tall, blonde Swedish girl with a low-cut top and a flag painted on her face isn't going to kill anyone.

In the end, it's not sexist or objectifying to show a photo gallery of female soccer fans. It's interesting to see how their looks vary across cultures and nations, as well as how they choose to show support for their country/team. It's only sexist when you judge them only by how attractive they are. Title it: "Female Football Fans from Around the World" instead of "World Cup: The Sexiest Fans."

While I feel like we should be allowed to comment on someone's attractiveness without double standards or crying misogyny, it shouldn't be the main focus of everything to do with men or women in society today. And if some women want to be sexualized, that's their choice! It doesn't hurt you.