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Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 7, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Thanks! It's kind of interesting that men are more attractive while women are less attractive. I guess I would've guessed that both would go up or down together, but apparently I would have guessed wrong.

Thanks! It's kind of interesting that men are more attractive while women are less attractive.

Speaking as a straight guy, I don't agree that women in the US are more attractive than in the UK. I think straight people (which I assume 2rafa is) often have a slightly distorted view of what the opposite sex actually finds attractive, which is why e.g the female-dominated fashion industry keeps hiring super-thin models, and why so many men try and get as muscular as possible.

The fashion industry doesn’t actually care whether men find their models attractive. Men aren’t making the buying decision.

I think, knowing a few seamstresses, that the real reason for ultra-thin models is that they’re easy to tailor for.

That's fair, but I don't think it changes my argument that most women still probably over-estimate how thin the body types that men find most attractive are. What's probably more accurate to say when it comes to the appearance of fashion models is that they're one of the causes rather than an effect of these distorted perceptions.