Appearances

Jul 4 05:58 UTC 1996

I was talking with a female friend the other day.  It was a conversation 
full of sweeping generalizations, and at one point she said that men were 
more concerned with appearances than women.  Her evidence for this was 
that she often sees good looking women together with unattractive men, 
but rarely the other way around.

My response was that this is probably because women, as a whole, spend a 
lot more time on thir appearance than men do, and there are simply a lot 
more women who look good than men who look good.  So I think just the 
opposite - that it is *women* who are more concerned with appearances 
than men.

Anyone want to add to this generalization-fest?  :)

response 2 of 128:

Jul 6 20:03 UTC 1996

From my experiences, if I had to generalize, I'd say it was the men
that are more focused on dating good looking women then more
average looking women, then the other way around [women dating
only "good" looking guys vs 'average' looking guys].  Though
I don['t like to generalize.  But look through the personals sometime--
In the men's ads, most of them feature physical attributes-of themselves
as well as physical attributes they are looking for, women do this
to some extent but not nearly as much as the men do...

response 4 of 128:

Jul 7 15:28 UTC 1996

 There are more un-attractive people around then there is beautiful. It is
my firm belief that face, hair, eyes, and all outward appearances are merely
eye-candy, or not. It is what is inside that counts. You can be a very ugly
person, and still have a heart of gold, or you can look like Vanna White and
have a heart like an icecube, small, cold and mean.
  I know this information first hand.

response 6 of 128:

Jul 7 18:47 UTC 1996

Yeah know, I must be really weird or something, but I think it would be
pure hell to live with someone who was mostly sweet, kind, nurturing, hugs
& kisses, and loving all the time.  I'd go into a hyperglycemic coma on
day two.  I enjoy being around real people, with real and variable
emotions, who speak their mind, and aren't afraid to engage their upper
brain and share honest words even when this means their comments won't
earn them popularity awards. 

And nice buns won't hurt the cause. ;-)

response 8 of 128:

Jul 8 23:07 UTC 1996

Why pay attention to media/  You know it is just hype...so you use your brain
and walk away...I agree with chelsea...give me real people, with all their
attributes and flaws, who speak their mind.  Besides, a good argument is quite
stimulating...whether among friends or lovers.

response 10 of 128:

Jul 10 07:35 UTC 1996

We call them "Sunday-children", and personally I think they're rather boring.
But, there are friends among mine that qualify.
Though, if I look through my friends, most of them are people as you
describe them, Iggy.
I agree, but I guess, it is a result of the known
"birds of a feather syndrome".

response 12 of 128:

Jul 24 10:59 UTC 1996

I think appearences mimic behavior, if there is some gorgeous guy or gal,
watch the behavior of their friends. If someone is spending alot of time
getting ready it means there trying to present an image. If you look at a
group of people yo get alot more than from one individual if a guy is hanging
out with atractive Women and looks like a slob it means he's comfortable with
his image, a good looking women with a group of sloby guys means uncofortable
image vice versa same thing. But generalization sucks untill you meet the
individual and talk to them for a couple hours alone it is hard to understand
them you good be dead wrong. I met a guy who was a complete neat freak,
obsesed with image, and he was rude. I met a slob with a great body who a
complete moron, and rude. I met a great guy who was a slob looked like he just
woke up looked grumpy, and really was a nice guy who was completely organized
all the time. It really depends on how much time you spend watching people
befor you get to talk to them.

response 14 of 128:

Aug 1 15:41 UTC 1996

It is the flaws in human appearance that defines real beauty dear
bees.
Leave your nose as it is, it becomes you (and that without seeing)

response 16 of 128:

Aug 3 15:32 UTC 1996

I don't know of any women (and few men) who aren't at least a little
annoyed with some aspect of their appearance.  That's sad -- because on
the whole, I think people are very beautiful.  

I think that point of view has been especially strengthened by my contacts
with the naturists/nudist commuity and my contacts with the body image
acceptance movement.  That and my Mum used to say "The most beautiful face
is the one you love."  As a kid I used to play a game using that adage.  I'd
site in a crowded place and pick a person at random and ask myself:
"If I loved you, what would you look like,..?"  Odd how many very plain
or even "ugly" people came to seem very pleasant to the eyes indeed -- and
how many"beautiful" people came to seem interchangable.

Knowing all this, of course, only helps a little on the days I feel like the
creature from the Black Lagoon.  <grin>

response 18 of 128:

Aug 4 21:24 UTC 1996

Say what???  Round dumpling thighs are extremely sexy!  (Ever seen a 
page out of Vogue or Elle on a garage mechanic's wall???)

response 20 of 128:

Aug 6 06:33 UTC 1996

Yeah, but they're cheating. Cilicone breasts.
Seen that boxer from Tonga at the olympics?
He said big men and women are considered examples of real beauty
overthere (he himself weighed about 140 kilograms).
Now, I won't say everybody should stop dieting and emigrate
to Tonga.
But I guess this image of slimness for women and muscle boundness for
men has been thrust upon us by the media.
Say for yourself, Marilyn Monroe wasn't really that slender.

response 22 of 128:

Aug 7 06:43 UTC 1996

Not only that, but media are forming the human picture into soemsort

of grotesque charicaturecaricature: 
the women lean and thin with very big breasts (back problems)
the men like chippendales (with the potency problems due to steroidfeeding)

Booooooring!

response 24 of 128:

Aug 8 14:16 UTC 1996

<giggle>  She's right...