Fetishes as objectification?

Fetishizing bodies is objectification and it is okay as long as the person you are fetishizing is ok with it*

I think it's fine.

It's not about a feeling/desire being right or wrong, it's about expressing them in a healthy (consensual!!!!) way. The thing that's definitely wrong is involving people who don't want to be involved.

I do think it's cool & responsible to question how desires are shaped by the world around us. The world around us is full of some really bad stuff! I think being self-aware about this is a step toward good.

That said, nobody can tell you what or what not to jerk off to. (I sincerely hope others would say the same for me.)

I agree with Roz. Everyone has their type. And even if it is objectification of a certain body, type as long as they are ok with it, and as long as that's not the only thing you want from them (it's more of a pre-rec), it should be fine

I don't really see a problem with that. Everyone has preferences.

I think that, rather than making blanket and black-and-white statements about this (no disrespect for doing so--it's an easy way to negotiate with the world around us and I do it a lot too!) we need to maintain a constantly open and evolving dialogue with ourselves partners involved in these fetishes.

It's very easy to just say "everyone has their preferences," but none of us exist in a vacuum free of influence from the outside world! I think that remaining honest about that is key to these dialogues healthy relationships.

For example, for people who just "aren't into black people as a matter of personal preference." Well, personal preference/taste/fetis hism is shaped through many forces, ranging from the fairly benign to unpleasant things like negative stereotypes and social attitudes.

I think, rather than taking a stance that is "this is objectifying and wrong" or "this is objectifying and not wrong," we need to emphasize the importance of understanding the construction of these desires. Are they rooted in healthy perceptions of each other, and of ourselves? If not, can we negotiate them in a least-harm approach? How can we address the larger social issues that are at play here?

I think that as long as you keep these conversations active and in mind while participating in fetishes that are body-type-specific; you are behaving in an ethical manner. Again, there are definitely exceptions to this, and I definitely do not want to condone oppressive behaviors, but this issue is quite complex and requires a complex approach to address it.