---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the 21st century men’s tits have not…"
description: "\"“In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but replaced women’s as the touchstone of ‘sexy’ in mainstream pop culture, even when the audien..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/mark-simpson-31293_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not_414998.jpg"
---

#  In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but…

![“In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but replaced women’s as the touchstone of ‘sexy’ in mainstream pop culture, even when the audience for them is other men.” quote by Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/mark-simpson-31293_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not_414998.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/mark-simpson-31293_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not_414998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/mark-simpson-31293_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not_414998.jpg)

> ““In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but replaced women’s as the touchstone of ‘sexy’ in mainstream pop culture, even when the audience for them is other men.””

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

In modern pop culture, men’s chests have become a dominant symbol of sexual appeal, even when the primary audience is other men, reflecting shifting gender and aesthetic norms.

**In simple terms:** Men’s chests are now a key sexy symbol, often targeting male viewers.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how visual standards evolve and affect gender perception.

Themes

gender media sexuality culture

Mood

analytical critical

Type

cultural sociological

When to use this quote

- advertising
- music videos
- fashion shows
- online platforms

Key Concepts

visual symbolism masculinity pop culture audience targeting

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do visual symbols shift gendered meanings?
- What impact does this have on body image across genders?

A Different Perspective

This focus can reinforce narrow body ideals and exclude diverse representations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pop culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-culture/)

## Related quotes

> [“Of course, fashions come and go but metrosexuality isn’t a fashion – it’s an epoch. It represents a fundamental shift in what men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/of-course-fashions-come-and-go-but-metrosexuality-isn-t-a-fashion-it/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Contrary to what you have been told, metrosexuality is not about flip-flops and facials, ‘man-bags’ or ‘manscara’. Or about men becoming ‘girlie’ or ‘gay’.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/contrary-to-what-you-have-been-told-metrosexuality-is-not-about-flip/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Sex is the theory; porn is the practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/sex-is-the-theory-porn-is-the-practice/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original, with his black leather suit, pomaded pompadour, come-fuck-me eyes and radiant narcissism, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for-the-original-with-his-black/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“At the dawn of the second decade of the Twenty First Century, masculinity has been rendered so self-conscious in our mediated, mirrored world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/at-the-dawn-of-the-second-decade-of-the-twenty-first-century/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Okay.” The boy placed his hands on the table. “The thing is … I died before I got to see real live tits. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeri-smith-ready/okay-the-boy-placed-his-hands-on-the-table-the-thing-is-i-died-before/)

[Jeri Smith-Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeri-smith-ready/)

> [You can never be too sexy for mainstream television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-jayne/you-can-never-be-too-sexy-for-mainstream-television/)

[Erika Jayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-jayne/)

> [Girls with big tits get loads of attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-verma/girls-with-big-tits-get-loads-of-attention/)

[Amit Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-verma/)

> [They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I find it's often in huge tits, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-wilkerson/they-say-beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-but-i-find-it-s-often/)

[Brad Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-wilkerson/)

> [“She's got legs like a stork, no arse worth speaking of, and great cow-like eyes. call that a woman?' 'You just like big tits',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/she-s-got-legs-like-a-stork-no-arse-worth-speaking-of-and-great-cow/)

[Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/)

> [“She was as useless as tits on a nun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-w-booth/she-was-as-useless-as-tits-on-a-nun/)

Steven W. Booth

> [“Oh sweet kraken tits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/oh-sweet-kraken-tits/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [I wouldn't mind being in an abusive relationship with you babes only if you would punch me with her tits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-wouldn-t-mind-being-in-an-abusive-relationship-with-you-babes-only/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [Sarcasm will make your tits fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/sarcasm-will-make-your-tits-fall-off/)

[Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/)

> [“I’d be more than happy to let you survey my physical perfection in its entirety. But only if I get to see you, too.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/i-d-be-more-than-happy-to-let-you-survey-my-physical-perfection-in/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

## More by Mark Simpson

> [“In a spornographic age it’s no longer enough for the male body to be presented to us by consumerism as merely attractive, or desiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-a-spornographic-age-it-s-no-longer-enough-for-the-male-body-to-be/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Nearly thirty years on, despite Pejic’s unpopularity with some feminists and the closet-cases who write for US FHM, 1980s Marilyn and his shameless, shining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/nearly-thirty-years-on-despite-pejic-s-unpopularity-with-some/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Contrary to what you have been told, metrosexuality is not about flip-flops and facials, ‘man-bags’ or ‘manscara’. Or about men becoming ‘girlie’ or ‘gay’.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/contrary-to-what-you-have-been-told-metrosexuality-is-not-about-flip/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Of course, fashions come and go but metrosexuality isn’t a fashion – it’s an epoch. It represents a fundamental shift in what men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/of-course-fashions-come-and-go-but-metrosexuality-isn-t-a-fashion-it/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“There’s a famous quote which goes something like, ‘You are what you are, having secretly become what you wanted to be’. Maybe there’s some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/there-s-a-famous-quote-which-goes-something-like-you-are-what-you-are/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Tattoos, after all, are a passionate, usually doomed assertion of mastery of your own destiny, or at least a defiant embrace of one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/tattoos-after-all-are-a-passionate-usually-doomed-assertion-of/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis — because that’s where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-typical-metrosexual-is-a-young-man-with-money-to-spend-living-in/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“The artistic disposition is little more than an extreme form of sulking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-artistic-disposition-is-little-more-than-an-extreme-form-of/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Is there a support group for people who didn’t like ‘Brokeback Mountain’? We must, if the rave reviews and the newspaper reports are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/is-there-a-support-group-for-people-who-didn-t-like-brokeback/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“At the dawn of the second decade of the Twenty First Century, masculinity has been rendered so self-conscious in our mediated, mirrored world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/at-the-dawn-of-the-second-decade-of-the-twenty-first-century/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Arguably, poor Oscar was merely an early failed and somewhat overweight prototype for Morrissey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/arguably-poor-oscar-was-merely-an-early-failed-and-somewhat/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original, with his black leather suit, pomaded pompadour, come-fuck-me eyes and radiant narcissism, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for-the-original-with-his-black/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Sex is the theory; porn is the practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/sex-is-the-theory-porn-is-the-practice/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“Bond is now the Bond Girl of the opening credits. It’s his silhouette we see – and nary a dancing naked babe in sight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/bond-is-now-the-bond-girl-of-the-opening-credits-it-s-his-silhouette/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

> [“There’s a perverse and bitter joy in feeling unique, but you pay dearly. Morrissey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/there-s-a-perverse-and-bitter-joy-in-feeling-unique-but-you-pay/)

[Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

[Explore all 16 Mark Simpson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/)

## More 21st century quotes

> [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [“You know it’s the 21st Century when someone TEXTS you from the washroom to ask you to bring them a roll of toilet paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/you-know-it-s-the-21st-century-when-someone-texts-you-from-the/)

Comic Strip Mama

> [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/)

Bella James

> [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [Maybe we need a tax credit for the poorest Americans to buy a laptop. Now, maybe that's wrong, maybe that's expensive, maybe we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/maybe-we-need-a-tax-credit-for-the-poorest-americans-to-buy-a-laptop/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/)

[Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/)

> [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/)

[Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/)

> [Facebook, Twitter...Welcome to The 21st Century...Where Someone can stalk you without leaving the couch!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-twitter-welcome-to-the-21st-century-where-someone-can-stalk/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Human Race is all over universe! And I am the first person to inform you. I am the most influential person of this decade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwani-kumar-ojha/human-race-is-all-over-universe-and-i-am-the-first-person-to-inform/)

[Ashwani Kumar Ojha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwani-kumar-ojha/)

> [Like the railroads that brought us together in the 19th century, these trails will bring us together in the 20th and 21st centuries. (at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/like-the-railroads-that-brought-us-together-in-the-19th-century-these/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [What I love about making albums in the 21st century is that so few people buy albums! I can make an album without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/what-i-love-about-making-albums-in-the-21st-century-is-that-so-few/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-a-former-apollo-astronaut-i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-spacex-and/)

[Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/)

> [The computer provides the only way to give students a real foundation in 21st-century skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/the-computer-provides-the-only-way-to-give-students-a-real-foundation/)

[Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/)

Browse all 771 21st century quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but replaced women’s as the touchstone of ‘sexy’ in mainstream pop culture, even when the audience for them is other men.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Simpson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not-just-rivalled-but-replaced/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "21st century"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not-just-rivalled-but-replaced/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/mark-simpson-31293_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not_414998.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/mark-simpson-31293_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not_414998.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/mark-simpson-31293_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not_414998.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but replaced women’s as the touchstone of ‘sexy’ in…” — Mark Simpson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mark Simpson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“In the 21st century men’s tits...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not-just-rivalled-but-replaced/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not-just-rivalled-but-replaced/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
