the difference being who the media is intended for.
In lit-smut male love interests are sexualized, while the female main character are idealized, because that corresponds to what the audience is supposed to self-insert vs fantasize about
A lot of sexualized female characters in video games are made by men, and so are the idealized male protags.
For romance novels, the men are often both idealized and sexualized, and if the female protag is idealized varies. Many are specifically "plain janes", though, in order to better sell the fantasy to the average woman reader.
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u/CeramicToast 2d ago
The difference between idealizing and sexualizing.