Big Deal: The Battle of the Bulge

A man in grey jogging pants and sweatshirt runs towards the viewer, the camera tracking him for a minute-long uninterrupted shot.

While shooting this scene for his HBO show, The Leftovers, the man then kneels down at a post box and takes out a box of cigarettes; breathing hard, he lights up and inhales.

The now infamous jogging scene has had viewers in a tizz since the pictures showing his attributes were released last year.

The package belonging to Justin Theroux, can be seen outlined in grey, swinging in time to the rhythm of Theroux's morning jog. It is now known as The Bulge, and even Liv Tyler, the executive producer of the show, has admitted it is "distracting". Tyler said, "I'm like, can't help but look there."

Theroux has finally been faced with his manhood in public. On Wednesday night Conan O'Brien, on his show, Conan asked him: "Was there enhancement going on there? Did you put a clock down there?"

Theroux, who apparently turned beet red, said there were two jogging scenes. For the second scene he was asked by the wardrobe department to wear two pairs of underpants.

US Magazine reports that when Theroux struggled to offer up further explanation, O'Brien responded: "There's really not a question there, I'm just congratulating you."

But what's the big - if you'll excuse the pun - deal? Why does a man's apparatus create such a furore when women's cleavages are considered daily fare.

Photographer Steve Marais who works mainly in fashion and advertising, has noticed a subtle shift in the way men's bodies are portrayed in media. "Visually, I think people have become more and more fascinated with the male anatomy - mostly because the female form has become overused."

Could it be that our visual library is finally being democratised, that men's packages are put on display - not as art or conceptually, but as eye candy for women's viewing pleasure?

When the bestseller book of the century is not Danielle Steele but the 50 Shades trilogy, it is safe to say women are feeling a lot more comfortable proclaiming their lust for the male form. With the understanding that the majority of a marketing budget is aimed at women, it makes sense that the female species is getting more vociferous about what they like to see.

"Women are allowed to be more open about liking a man's body nowadays. It used to only work the other way around, but now we see more and more of the objectifying of a man's body in mass culture and in mass media," says Marais.

Buzzfeed, the online barometer of all-things current, rates bulges on a scale of one to Jon Hamms. Hamms, Don Draper from Mad Men, is also known as the Hammaconda. It is easy to see why.

Disney princes even got a makeover recently in the online sensation Disney Prince Peen, an illustrated guide to who's packing what in the pants of Prince Charming et al.

With regard to Theroux, Marais sees a simple marketing strategy: "What they did with Theroux was for shock factor. It's to get attention. You can show boobs and bums and people don't bat an eyelid, so it won't make headlines. But put a man on the street jogging with a bulge hopping up and down and that's going to get you hits. That's going to get people to watch your show."

"Overall though, it boils down to people being bored with objectifying females. I think we can expect to see more of this."

"However," Marais warns, "it's important to portray bodies stylishly - to do it all in good taste. That's what makes the difference between tacky and hot."

All in all, it is time to admit that for all Jennifer Aniston's girl-next-door-ness, Theroux's girlfriend has remarkably good taste.