Since I have read your story, often coming by the gif where Derek is held hostage in Mexico with Peter and both are naked from the waist up and it's just... really weird. Why would they do that? It's horrible and nasty and sexist in a way that really illuminates the way attractive men are seen as meatmountains for everyone else to ogle. Your fic really made me aware of that and I hope that a lot more people will overthink their position on that topic, too.

I should be writing a paper right now, but I’ve decided that I need to address this because it is important. I wrote Rejected in an attempt to bring this issue to light, but I’m a nobody, so I doubt it will make a difference. I’m gonna try anyway.

The blatant sexualization of men is something I’m coming across more and more. Women bitterly complain about being objectified and sexualized, but at the same time, they turn around and do the exact same thing to men. That is not equality.

Tyler Hoechlin is a beautiful man, not just aesthetically speaking, but he has been treated deplorably. I don’t blame him in the least for leaving the show. The character of Derek Hale had so much more potential than was explored beyond being used as a sexual object to attract a female audience.

The male cast of the show was subject to a strict beauty and workout regime that included waxing body hair because chest hair was considered to be unattractive to the female audience. Talk about an unhealthy standard of beauty. At one point, Tyler was told to lose weight and muscle mass because he was getting too bulky and muscular, which was seen as unattractive.

In the original pilot, Derek was nineteen when he met Stiles and Scott. I’ve seen the script. His age may have changed later, but regardless, he would have been around sixteen when he was sexually abused and manipulated by Kate Argent. This is often addressed in the fandom along with the loss of autonomy as his body is used repeatedly without his consent throughout the show.

But let’s go back to the sexual abuse for a moment. The first time the relationship between Kate and Derek is brought to the attention of the audience, the situation is sexualized with Derek, who has barely reached adulthood, is stripped down and chained while tortured and emotional tormented. The fact that he would have been sixteen at the time of the original abuse wasn’t even addressed. Here, Derek, and subsequently Tyler, is reduced to an object.

When Derek became the Alpha, Tyler gained nearly 15 pounds of muscle mass. I applaud him. It was an impressive feat that showed dedication to his character and craft and was important to the progression of his character, but I have questions.

Why was it necessary for Tyler to be half naked in the opening credits?

Why did Derek have to battle and flee his house shirtless?

Why did Kate chain him up half naked? Or the Calaveras?

Why did the dream sequence after Peter’s resurrection require him to be naked and glistening?

Did he absolutely need to wander around half naked with a gun when he was human?

As amusing as it was to see Stiles parade Derek around in front of Danny, it was also heartbreaking. Both Tyler, as a person, and the character of Derek were treated like a piece of meat without a significant character arc or plot throughout the show. 

The fandom saw potential in Derek where Jeff Davis didn’t. We have thousands of fanfics, pieces of fan art, and headcanons that prove just that. 

Derek Hale deserved better. Tyler deserved better.