Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jinju]

Not that Im complaining, but ...

why do women spend such a ridiculous amout of energy and go to so much trouble wanting to be physically attractive. Yes, men do too to a degree but realistcally speaking, women are consumed by the desire to be PHYSICALLY attractive.

The most popular, by a huge margin too, women's magazines are fashion magazines
The ratio of stores selling women's fashion vs men's fashion is around 8:2 (an estimate based on what I see)
Women are obsessed by brands
It seems like women put tenfold the amount of effort into improving their outsides as opposed to improving their insides (i.e. brains)

This thought sort of coalesced in my mind yesterday watching TV. Channel after channel had some kind of show where women were basically doing soft core stripping on TV: be that singers, in videos, on entertainment shows, TV Ngels, etc. Women whose only interest is "Am I sexy and hot?". The worst was on MTV where some bimbo 18 year old American had only one thought in her mind: I want to look like Pamela Anderson so I can get naked for Playboy.

I know, sex sells...why are women so eager to sell themselves?

[Big_Bird]

haha...and usually it is male expats in Korea complaining about how white women don't bother to make themselves sexy...and that's why these poor guys are forced to fly half way across the world to Korea, where ladies still wear short skirts and stiletto heels. Nice one jinju.

[jinju]

Im not complaining. Im a man so its not that Im complaining.

I wouldnt want to be a woman though.

[kermo]

Sadly, it comes down to more than vanity and insecurity. It's about economic power, social standing, and plain ol' human worth in the eyes of others.

If a woman isn't hot, some guys act as if it's an offense, as if it's her responsibility to be good-looking. I wish I could remember the exact words of a Dave's poster who expressed that sentiment a while ago, in a sort of outrage about the homeliness of the woman he was describing.

I'd argue that in some cases, it's pressure put upon women to conform to a certain notion of beauty, but there are also women who aren't sure how to assert themselves as capable, intelligent human beings so they resort to getting noticed by simply highlighting their sexuality. Lame, but it works.

[RACETRAITOR]

What I find interesting is how a lot of women have taken it further. They compete to be the thinnest and the prettiest, but men just don't care up to a point. Men have lower standards when it comes to that sort of thing, but women keep going on criticising their looks.

If they really cared what men thought, they'd ask one of us, and we could tell them "Eat a sandwich or two" or "Don't wear so much makeup." I don't think it's entirely about attracting men though.

[kermo]

[gsxr750r]

Two of my K-students are studying in the USA for a year. Before they left, I gave them my MSN chat address and e-mail if they happened to have questions. I saw one online once, and asked how it was going. The 3rd student joined in the conversation.

One of them told me, "The American girls dress so plain, but when they go out on Friday night, they dress in very sexy clothes they are fat for, and shouldn't be wearing."

I kid you not -- that's exactly how she worded it. The other student agreed.

[chriswylson]

jinju, let us guess: your wife is not sexy at all, which bothers you, and you're trying to feel better by dissing those girls who are (and who rejected you).

[Big_Bird]

[Carmy]

Why do we put so much effort into looking attractive?
IMHO, I can say with utmost certainty that when I am in my sweats, hair looking all crappy, face none the better, I most certainly do not feel at my best. Never mind the looks part of it.
When I am dressed sexily/smartly, my locks shiny, my face made up a bit (not cake troweled but glowing with some blush, mascara and lippy) I defo feel a lot more powerful/confident/able to take on the world.

I suppose it's sad that we can't just go out into the world wearing a sack cloth, hair unmade, face undone and still get the job, man, friends etc we want.

We live in a superficial world and all we are doing is trying to 'fit' in the best way we know how. Maslow's Heirarchy of needs...the Esteem need, a need to be accepted by others.

Of course I am in no way saying that we should look like Playboy bunnies to get ahead in life, but unfortunately there are certain things we need to do to be able to make a gateway. Looking presentable (for a job), attractive (for a man) is one of them.

And please if you disagree with me, don't bite my head off ok, just tell me why you disagree

[princess]

[Big_Bird]

It's interesting to think back on how I've been dressed when I've met particular men. I actually think (anecdotally) that I've hooked up with a better quality of man when I've been dressed casually, no make up and what have you. That's possibly because it's largely been my personality that's attracted them in those instances. Whenever I was dressed up really sexily - short skirt, much cleavage, sexy hair and make up - I attracted more men, but that included plenty of bozos to boot.

[jinju]

[Carmy]

[RACETRAITOR]