Why are we so critical of men showing their bodies? When some Towie participants recently wore half-thong mankini hybrids on a beach, the media responded with outrage at the audacity of their outfits, vilifying them for daring to be exhibitionist.

"[T]he penchant for men revealing way more than they need to on the beach has now reached a whole new level," said The Telegraph. "If this is what some men think makes them look sexy, then we're all doomed."

Doomed? Hardly. Ironically, by openly condemning any expression of male sexiness, the end result would certainly end up being negative. What's more revealing, pun intended, is that the journalist's own prejudices are clear: they state they are "scarred for life" looking at the photos, as if images of semi-nude men could actually make their eyes bleed.

Similarly, the Metro apologised, almost with embarrassment, for publishing the images, saying they were "disturbing" and "could give you nightmares". Men's bodies: creepy enough to stop you sleeping. The Daily Mirror's ampp3d blog, which generally deals with correcting data errors in politics, helpfully offered an infographic on the half-thong, placing it on the lowest position on the "acceptability" axis and adding "Not this swimwear please for the love of god". Because wearing something so exposing is both unacceptable and abhorrent, right?

Sure, the swimwear style may not be to everyone's tastes and much of this coverage is done with tongue firmly in cheek, but that still presents a problem: men and male bodies are mocked and shamed as a matter of routine. It's interesting that particularly with regard to male nudity, these strong responses – which often reflect disgust – are so common and pervasive, especially in the mainstream media, but also in widespread society.

This is in stark contrast to how the majority of women's bodies are presented – as sexy and aspirational. Obviously, women are also criticised for how they look, but in comparison men, and the idea that they might be sexy, are almost always treated with scorn.

One might argue that this is due to a fear of male sexuality, which is often portrayed as sordid, shameful and something to be controlled or avoided. We're conditioned to not look at men in the same way we do women; when we're surrounded by media reinforcing the ridicule of men, it's hard to see them as sexual beings, as people who are equally alluring and desirable.

It's no surprise that with the sexual objectification of women being the dominant perspective in society, there exists a quiet vacuum in which conventional heterosexual sexual objectification of men is almost nonexistent. The denial and ignoring of the beauty of men and of male sexuality is harmful to both men and women and helps enable this sexist double standard to prevail. If women were not the default sexual objects, and if when we said "sexy" there wasn't an assumption that that means "female", we'd have more equality.

This isn't revolutionary: parity in sexual objectification will not instantly bring about an equal society. But it is a small step in balancing how we view sex and sexuality, and that can be a positive move. So please, can we applaud those who step outside the gender roles society restricts them to, not undermine them for doing so. The next time men in the public eye dare to wear something revealing, I'd like to read something in support of male beauty, not mocking it.

When men are brought up to feel their bodies are beautiful, that the expression of their sexuality is positive and that being seen as sexy is a good thing, not something to be mocked, that will be a good day. And when women feel they have as much entitlement to look at men, as men do with women, and that it's ok to desire them rather than try to be the object of desire themselves, then we'll have made some progress.