generalizations with gender

I feel like within the US the male body has been regarded as something that is utilitary and inherently not beautiful, while the female body is quite the opposite.

However, I think that this sex-stereotype is not necessarily the case. I mean, if one looks around from man to man and woman to woman, yes about 99% of males are not beautiful in their own rite where I'd say maybe 20 % of women are beautiful in some way.
This disparity in beauty could just be biological, however I'm starting to believe more and more that it's not. I think what distinguishes someone as being physically beautiful has a lot to do with how the person views themselves and consequently the lengths they go to play up their positive features. This self-view also trickles down to how they hold themselves, how they move, how they act, and all their mannerisms. I'm starting to believe that beauty is less about physicality and more about the sum of all the consequences of having self-esteem and knowing that you are a beautiful being.

When I started taking shots of myself earlier this year, it was difficult to come out with any pictures that actually looked good. This was especially so when I was x-dressing for the camera. I noticed in many of the pictures that I had difficulty not only looking feminine, but looking at all appealing in any sense.
Since this time I have taken measures towards realizing the nature of beauty. Then from these insights I've incidentally become more vane; from dieting, to the way I move, to personal hygiene. As of late I have been more pleased with the way I look as a male and as a female, but I believe that my body has not changed drastically. It's more that I feel like I have become more aware of myself and the beauty of which any of us can achieve, however in this country it seems that only females pursue it.

I think I really started noticing this when I was in Japan, because the majority of males there are Really good looking and they know it. Many of the guys have fancy hair-cuts, wear really tight clothes, and even wear make-up. I know that it's a social-norm that is the be-all and end-all of these kinds of phenomena, but I just thought it was interesting to see a country where males were also regarded as being beautiful, instead of macho or tough and rugged.
I also feel like the US is undergoing a similar shift, but it won't be a while until it's fully appreciated.