My wife and I often talk and laugh about the many differences (and similarities) between men and women. One is the idea of being stimulated visually and the notion (stereotype?) that men are more visually excitable than women. Or is it a question of being DIFFERENTLY excitable?
For example, I have been a very visual person my whole life; when I found a stack of Playboy magazines high up on a shelf in my parents' closet when I was young, I was in heaven until the day I left for college, always having those pictures of naked women available to look at. And I still look at pictures of woman online (and very much enjoy searching the galleries here on zity). No matter where I am, I can look at a woman and undress her in my mind as I stare at her (and sometimes continue with it into detailed fantasy as well -- but only in my mind, as I've never cheated on anyone).
Another example: I told my wife that one day as a surprise, I would love for her to put on her favorite jewelry (but no clothes) and walk into the room, stunning, sparkling, and naked. The idea of seeing her naked but still elegant is such a turn-on. However my wife is visually stimulated in a different way: my birthday idea appeals to her, but not because she's naked but because she gets to wear her favorite jewelry and be admired in it (the naked aspect doesn't really matter; she'd be no more or less happy if she were clothed). Also, whereas I love her in a particular dress because it accentuates her body and curves, she loves that dress for the dress itself. Similarly, looking at photos of people naked does absolutely nothing for her, whereas I find it very stimulating.
Another comparison of our visual nature is regarding each others' bodies: she loves when I undress and bare my behind as she finds my bottom very very appealing, cute, round (she uses all sorts of adjectives); I love her behind for those reasons but also because I enjoy exploring it, caressing it, opening it up and seeing her private areas -- for whatever reason, and this is part of my particular make-up, I become (nearly painfully) erect in my excitement and almost short of breath as I explore her bottom: her skin and its textures, the unique geography of her vagina, labia, and anus, using my fingers (and eyes) to open her, touch her, penetrate her. On the other hand, she does not have the need or desire to do the same type of examination or exploration of me, but if I subtly suggest it, she is more than happy to do it -- but not because she's turned in visually by it, but because when she does open me up like that, I am so stimulated and excited that I cannot help but moan and twitch and writhe and THAT (my reaction) is what she finds so stimulating. And my exploration of her doesn't become sexual for her unless I pay a lot of attention (mostly oral) to her clitoris.
Another thought: I recall reading somewhere in the forum a post by a nurse who stated that there's a big difference between taking a man's temperature rectally and taking a woman's. She said that the men get very obviously agitated beforehand (scared? excited? anxious?) and then silent and submissive once the thermometer is in place, as if the whole experience is a very special/poignant/intense thing. But on the other hand, she relates that when she takes a women's temperature rectally, the women act almost like it's no different than if the nurse were serving her coffee: they just continue chatting and conversing as if nothing special were happening. My personal take is that the idea of men being visually stimulated is not just about SEEING someone or something else which is exciting/sexual/affecting but also about BEING SEEN in a compromising or embarrassing or sexual or intense situation (such as happens when having a rectal temperature taken).
And I think that it still applies whether the person (nurse, for example) is a woman or a man. My first memory of being examined intimately by a doctor was when my pediatrician (who was male) pulled my underwear down and looked closely at my penis and testicles, feeling them gently with his fingers, and then having me turn over and spreading my bottom and examining my anus (for what seemed like minutes although I'm sure it was merely seconds) -- and I found this to be a profoundly intense, sexual, never-to-be-forgotten experience despite that fact that he was a man and I am heterosexual. When I shared that experience with my wife, she was totally fascinated, but said that she has no memory of having that kind of exam but says she's sure it happened.
One last thought: a woman I dated years ago was extremely visual. Despite her other attributes (very polished socially, very conservative politically and economically, very proper and cautious around others), she had a particular sexual side of her that I did not expect when we first met. She told me flat out that she's "not like other women" because she's so turned on my seeing porn, by seeing me naked, by playing doctor and examining every inch of my body and having hers examined. She once said that she "must be part 'guy' " because she's so visually oriented (note that she also made the assumption that men are more visually oriented). She was so visually stimulated that the second time we "played doctor" (after happily realizing the first time that we shared the same desire) she showed me something she had once bought but never used: a scientific 40x magnifier with a light attached. I was blown away and asked her what exactly she intended to do with it. She said, "I want to look at your asshole and I want you to look at mine." Suffice to say, I've never met, before or after, a woman so visually oriented.
Anyway, I've rambled enough here.
Just curious what others' thoughts are about how the visual aspect of the human body, of nudity and examinations, stimulates men and women -- differently or similarly?