Has the Media raised our Standards for Attractiveness?

[Love_Listener]

People sometimes date because their partner signifies high social status. When media says "this sort of woman is what is attractive", some guys will go after that type because it tends to show that since they can date socially favored women, it means that they are also in high social status.

 

The problem is that this mentality betrays any foundation of a relationship. Being attracted to a person because media says so would show that a guy didn't care about what he thought about his girlfriend, but rather he cares more about the fact that he looks like a bigshot when he has that type of girl. It comes off as disingenuous and insecure.

 

So if you want to be somebody's "prize", go ahead and follow the media's presentation of what is attractive. However, you'll be better served if you focus on your own self-improvement and self-actualization rather than just doing what TV tells you. You're better off asking yourself what is attractive, than looking to others.

 

After reading the comments, I honestly believe this is the one that probably applies to me. Perhaps its my own personal shallowness? Most definately I think, i'm a bit of a materialist - which is an awefull trait (or maybe i'm one of the few that is willing to admit it).

 

Whats really odd thing is that, before reading this I was at my local Starbucks. When who but Taylor Swift is driven up to the hotel across the street. I along with this gay guy next to me wave and she blows us a kiss! I'm in love with the women now. Apparently she has a friend who goes to the University of Kansas.

[serial muse]

I remember reading somewhere that back in the day, before media and all that, the "beautiful" look were overweight women with "translucent" skin from lack of sun. Probably because if you worked you'd be out in the sun. And only the wealthy and noble could afford to eat enough to get fat and stay indoors all the time.

 

Or if you watch National Geography shows, I remember this tribe that thinks women with long necks are beautiful, so they would all wear these stacks of heavy brass rings around their necks to "stretch it". It ended up pushing their shoulders down instead, and weakening their neck muscle and bones to the point that their neck would break should these rings be removed. But it did look like as if they have longer necks.

 

Or the Chinese "foot binding" where the feet were repeatedly broken and bound tightly so they never grow much larger than the ankle, but that was teh hawt back in the day, probably as recent as 100 years ago.

 

At least huge silicon knockers aren't nearly as debilitating.

 

Every culture has different ideas of what's beautiful. Even if the media weren't around something else would dictate what's considered beautiful.

 

Quite true; and in our age, I agree that there does seem to be an increasing kind of uniformity in our ideals of beauty, that likely has to do with the unprecedented reach and influence of a small subset of images and ideals of beauty into multiple homes across the country and even worldwide.

 

That said, here's an article I just read today that puts a new perspective on the topic: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/28/first.lady/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

 

In the article, women from India, who have grown up believing that having darker skin makes them ugly and of less value as a woman, discuss how they feel seeing Michelle Obama held up and revered as a style icon. It's astonishing and liberating in a way for many people. So the persistence of those media images, one could say, has a positive impact.

 

In other words, maybe media isn't all bad. As TBF said, it's a tool.

[You'reasian]

I'm 23 and have noticed a growing trend in my life - my standards keep going up.

 

When I was a kid, I found most actresses to be incredibly attractive but not so much anymore. Keep in mind I am by no means a 10, actually, I'm probably pretty average looking and have not had opportunities with gorgeous women. Of the women I've dated, I've often had to learn to love them - which has worked out fine, even though my friends think their hot. For some reason though I only feel real attraction for very beautiful women.

 

So my question, has anyone else experienced this? Has the media given us these unrealistic expectations?

 

For me, I just wish I still had that boyish ability to just love someone.

 

People in their late teens up to their mid 20's are strongly influenced by the media's fashion trends, especially females - I'd imagine most of the consumers of said fashion are also in that age category.

 

Adults in their late 20's and up (not all the time) are more concerned about the person per se - but keeping up with the Jones's keeps adults in the fashion conscious track too.