Are the standards of attractiveness easier for men to emulate, or do we – men – care less and feel less pressure to look like Brad, Orlando, etc?
i think it’s a two-fold answer:
Men care less about appearance than women; and thus feel less societal pressure to look a Certain Way.
–and–
Women place less importance on how Their man looks, and more on Who he is as a person, husband, partner, father etc. They – women – are better at seperating fantasy (Brad as the beautiful Mr Right) from reality (the somewhat less than physically perfect specimen they Actually love).
I do wish I looked more like Brad Pitt. I don’t do anything about it though except sometimes go without shaving and think I look cool until someone says, “Are you tired… you look tired?”
Then I shave and I look like Tom Demerly. Not great, but good enough.
Marketing campaigns target women more as well. Women should have - in addition to the perfect physique - manicured finger- and toenails, a made up face, well-coiffed hair, plucked brows, shaved 'pits and legs and a brazilian wax, high heels, ample breasts (which often directly contradicts the desirable skinny or muscular body), etc. ad nauseum.
I think on a subconscious level, both men and women have higher expectations of how women should look.
Women are attracted to a man’s wallet and position of power, which have NOTHING to do with physique. So a man doesn’t HAVE to conform to a physical ideal to attract them.
men can get away with more. Women are attracted more to personality, status, future, job, stability, etc. Ugly men with good jobs driving nice cars in a nice neighborhood have disproportinately hot women.
Men are dumb creatures. What’s hawt adn looks great in bed.
I agree with this, and before I read your post, I didn’t consider it that way.
Marketers understand this, and they do play to our “weaknesses” or desires. Men’s Rolex ads feature adventurous types on silboats and scaling Mt. Everest. The Women’s Rolex ads feature “The Contessa De Marchi of Seville” or some such stately waif type women presumably between 20 and 50 but not apparently so and with a 15" waist, flaired ball gown and improbable decolletage. Tiara of course, since it’s a Rolex.
Omega uses James Bond to market to the men’s market, Anna Kournikova and Cindy Crawford for the women…
