Edit: Lol. I totally didn't even read the article that this thread is about before I wrote this! It's pretty much a rant. I thought it was about feminism and jealousy.>>

I don't think a woman is absolutely un-feminist if she gets miffed at skinny people. I mean, the anger is misdirected but what she is really pissed about is that she feels social pressure to be that skinny woman.

And frankly, as much as I am grateful that women are allowed to show their ankles now, I would argue that the objectifying of women has taken another form. We see so many half-naked women who are airbrushed into perfection that we have unnatural standards for ourselves (depending on our individual levels of confidence, creativity, and desire for perfection, and a lot of other factors). Then, when we see real live women who have almost achieved that ideal, and our boyfriends drop their jaws and start drooling, well--it's only natural to feel a little resentment. Because society is putting us in a rat race together, and only a few of us will ever get the cheese, so to say.

Some of us might even choose to walk away from the rat race, and to say--no way! I won't participate, I am going to flaunt my wonderful personality, and my desire to change the world, and I am going to make myself who I want to be, not who the sexist media wants.--but even then, it is easy to look at the girl who suggests the archetype of the contemporary sex-pot ideal and to hate her more because she is fueling the system by participating. Meanwhile, the men just sit back and watch women cat fighting and moving mountains to become first in the rat race to beauty perfection. It's a very undignified scene.

Helen of Troy is the perfect example of this, as was described above, because she, like the skinny blonde with too much collagen in her lips, is the perfect scapegoat for womankind's resentment at being forced into the confining box of beauty expectations. "So you're a great artist? Well how big is your butt--pancake butt? Next. And you, you say your an excellent mother, well you sure haven't parented your hips very well--loser. And what about you little girl? You want to be an astronaut? I suggest you start wearing a training bra now, you're already gonna be manly enough as an astronaut, no need to sacrifice your figure." And none of us know where this voice is coming from, so we might have well blame Helen of Troy or the blonde who looks like her.

I think the anger really comes from the fact that we aren't Helen of Troy, and deep down inside we really want to be ourselves, yet we feel the strange pressure, internally and externally, to attempt to be her. And we hate her for that.

Of course, most of that is rant!

At my school, the feminist stuff is pretty good. All the teachers are required to teach about female contributors or to at least look at feminist perspectives in the context of the course--for all disciplines. It's a newish UC requirement.
I actually like reading the old misogyny because it reminds me how serious feminism really is. I mean, women now don't realize that feminism is more than complaining about leg hair. That just a short time ago women couldn't vote, but go back a few hundred years and women were considered property of men, had absolutely no rights, and could be burned at the stake because Eve supposedly indoctrinated womankind into the tendency towards sex with demons....yucky. So yeah, feminism is a good thing.

That's so ridiculous. I'm 5'5" 33-28-38 and I am far from the ideal that men want- I'm sure that they can be satisfied with me but I'm sure as **** not a catch. I concur with the notion that these studies are all crap- we frequently are told that men prefer a size 6 or 8 or 10 without them explaining the methodology behind their research. A drawing of a girl won't look like a real girl and then again, most of the studies conducted were probably done on male undergrads in the 18-22 demographic.

As for women-hatred and the feminism issue, I used to call myself an "equalist" when I was a freshman- I was convinced that men were also the victims of inequality... well, I know a lot better now thanks to liberal arts :) The ignorance is definitely still out there though. All my friends are shocked when they learn I'm a feminist.

Interesting...I'm 5'10", 135 pounds with measurements 36-28-38 but obviously I'm very thin. I get attention like CRAZY from men! Honked at on the street, yelled at out car windows, heads turning, whistling (the whole bit) yet I'm rarely approached and asked out on a date. That kind of leads me to believe that men for the most part are very insecure and find 'average' less intimidating and easier to ask out/date.

This is a very annoying subject to me. My dad is a sexist pig. Also are my two brothers. My brothefrs and dad all have weight issues 1 brother not so much because he is in the army but forced to meet standerds ir they make him work out to death. My dad left my mom because she gained weight when prego. My brothers both married phsyco biotches for one reason and one reason only. They were a size 1. Its rediculouse. My dad dates woman after woman and never settles down because the only skinny women who will tolerate his sexist fat *** are nutts themselves.
How am I not supposed to have issues. My brothers have tore apart my family because they refuse to have a "fat" wife. And they consider like a size 6 fat. And don't hesetate at calling me horrible stuff about my weight. Needless to say we don't have much of a relationship. And my dad for my whole life would bring different women to viset and talk nothing but how beutiful they were no matter what a horrible influince it was for me or my brothers. It has been very very hard to stop the **** but when I had a daughter that was it. I told him that unless he was in a comitted relationship for over qimonths I didn't even want to meet one of his whores. I bhave a daughter and I refuse to let her develop self esteem issues like I have.

My daughter (who is in her 30's and significantly overweight) said she first recalls being self-conscious about her size when she was 8 years old. She was in a swimsuit and her Daddy -- my husband -- said to her "Sissy, you're getting chubby". Thus began the decades of obsessing about her size -- and one diet after another -- and binging when she wasn't "dieting". And guess what? My husband still obsesses about her weight -- MY weight -- every woman's weight. He makes comments like "I saw so-and-so the other day and boy, has she gained weight." Does NOT say "they have a new grandbaby" or "she's been sick" or "they're going on a cruise" -- but discusses her WEIGHT!! GRRGHHH! Now he's semi-retired and bored and LOSING WEIGHT because he's off his regular work/meal schedule. Says he "doesn't think about eating" until I get home from work. He's actually looking quite thin. And naturally, while he's losing, I'm GAINING! I have gained pound for pound what he's lost this summer (I haven't had the courage to change my avitar info yet, but trust me, it SHOULD be changed!). Some men are simply jerks who think women's bodies should be topics of discussion. Unfortunately, I'm married to one of them. 'Nuf said.

I have to add to this post. At sixty three I am a widow of two years. I finally decided to meet someone and went on a Senior singles site. What a joke! Here are all these old guys, most of them looking like they were rode hard and put away wet. And guess what they are looking for? Slim athletic toned financially independent women about 10 to 20 years younger than they are. That will teach me to buy a pig in a poke lol.

Oh, you forgot to add-- they also want someone who will pick up their clothes and wash them, clean their house, and cook their food. Maid with benefits.

Jay

I would say that both sexes can't be pinned down with "ideal" numbers, in terms of measurements. Like multiple folks in this thread have already mentioned, it really all comes down to the individual.

That being said, the study itself is flawed. You can't assume that a penny ante sample size of 100 males is indicative of how the larger population sees things. If the region or even country was changed I think the measurements would change too.

Lastly, and most importantly, the study was again restricted in that it only sampled one sub group, Male students. My guess is that most of those involved were between the ages of 18-24. It was interesting to read, but I would take the information with an asteroid-sized grain of salt.

- L89

I think it is definitely cultural. Around me, I definitely think men like smaller than a size 10--I would say probably a 4/6 would be ideal for most of them and possibly smaller.

I always thought most, but not all men, were looking for the almost mythical Barbie body type that few, if any, women could possibly achieve naturally. To hear that at least some group, even in another culture, prefer something slightly more realistic is somewhat heartening.

Who cares what men think...you're the one that has to live in your body so get healthy and be happy for yourself and no one else...oh and stay single. Life is better without the headache and pressure of a relationship with superficial men.

SO TRUE!!! Men want you to take care of them.....sorry I'm already a mother to 2 kids......

That's nice to know some males like bigger females. It's a misconception that all men like skinny women.

Just don't overshadow that by blowing off your own health. It's fine to be bigger, but health is always number one and should come first.

well im 5'8 so i guess im too manly lol ive hardly ever been single in my life, but i did have one guy tell me i shouldwear flats (im 5'10-6ft in most of my footwear) and wear clothes that makes me look shorter or only go for really tall guys cause most guys will find 5'8 too tall and mannish lol and i was like dude i dont need your advice i always have a man. i also had an ex point out that his new gf was short and had smaller hips and bust and was thus more feminine because she was weaker and more fragile and not 'an amazon' but then her parents found out he was going out with her (she was 16 LOL) so i guess me being a full grown woman was amazonian. he was just mad that id dumped him tho. other then those 2, men seem to love my height and curvier figure, especially short guys. the shorter they are the more they seem to like me. my bf right now is 5'6. so i dont really believe in the ideal, everyone has personal preferences. i am hoping to get to a 26-28 waist but thats my own personal ideal, my bf just doesnt want me to be 125lbs at my height he says he doesnt like twigs. personality, confidence, and compatibility is whats most attractive anyways. girls have preferences too, height doesnt bother me, but i loveee guys with mohawks or long hair and gothy or metally guys. guys have prefs just like us.