TUBSWEETIE Posted:

i wonder what defines what a person thinks is physically attractive

how much of it is socially defined versus hard-coded in your own brain

You are my new favorite person.

That’s what you hear a lot as far as what makes someone’s face or body physically attractive, and I mean, it makes sense; humans like symmetry, in nature, architecture, body, etc.

I think the question more revolves around societal conventions of weight, height, intelligence, etc.

Bandaney Posted:

I was watching a program called The Science of Sex Appeal yesterday on Discovery Channel and it was very good. I don’t remember too much of what it said though because it was long and it was late ):

oh damnit, that sounds amazing

man-man Posted:

Physical attraction is largely Darwinian – whatever characteristics mark a person out as either good at surviving, good at producing/rearing offspring or generally successful will be attractive. Although that does change with social change.

Back before food was so easily available, “generously proportioned” women were the ideal, because it showed you had enough to eat for yourself and enough to support a baby. Now that food is plentiful but free time for exercise is scarce, the new ideal is to be slim/toned.

Elizabethans would use lead makeup to make their faces white, because pale skin was a sign of wealth – not having to labour in a field all day. Now that most jobs are inside a tan is a sign of enough wealth to go on holiday, sunbathe etc.

Then there’s the various fetishes people have, which is either inbuilt or comes from your formative years or something Freudian like that.

I’ve spent many hours trying to decipher the origin of all my personal sexual oddities. Formative stuff is crazy.

I agree with most everything you posted though. It’s largely unconscious yet societal constructs that determine beauty.

For instance, fat women are the ideal in Africa because it shows wealth and prosperity.

Fie Posted:

I think Shii finds this thread sexy. Log in to see images!

Send me your tubmails plz Log in to see images!

TUBSWEETIE Posted:

how much of it is socially defined versus hard-coded in your own brain

social-------------------------------------------------------own brain
                                                 ^^

more or less.

Women judge other women more harshly than men judge women, but most women don’t judge men too much by looks. For me, looks is like the 5th thing I care about (unless he’s fat then forget it).

Magazine beauty doesn’t translate well to real life, mostly because it’s not real in the first place.

My slim hairless body, full bum cheeks, and supple breasts make me very attractive.

Too bad I’m a male.