There are only two basic kinds, the male kind and the female kind. I’m the male kind, and I prefer the female kind, which makes me somewhat normal. If we apply the word “beautiful” to humankind in general, one would assume we were referring primarily to the female kind. Men are handsome, or rugged, or good looking. Women are beautiful, at least in the mind’s eye they are.

The dynamics of sexuality have been thrust into the media. The predatory nature of some males, and by some I mean a rather large portion of them, has haunted the news lately. But today it was announced that thousands of individuals signed an online petition — thousands — to have a painting by the French-Polish artist Balthus removed from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and perhaps replaced by a less offensive work by a contemporary female artist. It is offensive because it depicts a household scene of a pubescent girl leaning back dreamily in a chair, one foot on the floor, one foot on the edge of the chair, with her underwear visible beneath her skirt. This, it seems, constitutes voyeurism.

The petition reads in part, via The Guardian, that “Given the current climate around sexual assault and allegations that become more public each day, in showcasing this work for the masses, The Met is romanticizing voyeurism and the objectification of children.” Because we see her leg and some underwear. I’m also concerned about the word “masses”. It is apparently good for the few, among whom I count myself, but not for the great bulk of humanity.

Of course, this is nonsense, but dangerous nonsense. Should we allow her to be painted and displayed only when she has three children and is fully covered? We’d see more of her at the beach than we see here, but we would miss the dreaminess, the cat, the scraps of furniture. No one petitioned the museum not to show Ruckstull’s “Evening”, a beautiful statue of a drowsy woman who happens to be completely nude. Should her breasts and pubic area be taped over? Should we petition the museum against the display of art in general, because someone might be offended?

Fortunately, the museum responded, “visual art is one of the most significant means we have for reflecting on both the past and the present and encouraging the continuing evolution of existing culture through informed discussion and respect for creative expression.” Apparently they felt pubescent girls are beautiful was one step too far.