Big Butts (by women's magazines standards) are an issue only because the media continues to be shocked by the fact that heterosexual men prefer women who have the build of a healthy adult female (a waist 7/10ths the size of her hips, at least average weight) to the ones who look like tall, skinny 12-year-old girls.

By the way, according to the Drudge Report there's a scandal in Australia because the winner of a modeling contest really IS a tall (5' 7") skinny 12-year-old.

I hate big asses. Why? Because its a sign that the person sits on their ass all day stuffing their fat face.

People only traditionally liked fatter individuals when there was mass social starving, because it represented wealth. However, there is plenty of food, so there is no excuse left.

Fit is the way its at. I'd rather take a girl who is a stick than one who is plump any day. At least I wouldn't have to be grossed out at the constant gorging.

you prefer the physique of the 12-year-old model who won the modeling contest in Australia (mentioned in the top post) than the curves of a post-pubescent woman?

I guess you must have really liked that Saletan article then, because the way things stand now, tastes like that are likely to get you hooked up with an anorexic, or get you arrested.

San:

I hate big asses. Why? Because its a sign that the person sits on their ass all day stuffing their fat face.

People only traditionally liked fatter individuals when there was mass social starving, because it represented wealth. However, there is plenty of food, so there is no excuse left.

Fit is the way its at. I'd rather take a girl who is a stick than one who is plump any day. At least I wouldn't have to be grossed out at the constant gorging.

If you looked at the slide show the butts of the modern women weren't really that big, just big compared to a pre-pubescent female butt.

What are you saying? That the only skinny girls are those that are under 18? That there are only fat chicks after that age?

If that is so, I'd rather die then have to get with any of them.

But we both know that there are models over 18 who are skinny.

A fat ass is a fat ass. It doens't matter what its compared to.

If a woman works out and doesn't eat much, she wont have a fat ass. Its that simple.

A tragedy, that we've adopted such an unrealistic cultural ideal that the girls of today feel like they need to adopt an anorexic lifestyle in order to conform to a standard that is only possible to achieve with the assistance of photo manipulation, and can only be approximated with plastic surgery and starvation.

The girls most concerned with their appearance are responding out of fear of your disgust, San. I'd rather we teach our daughters to love and respect themselves (including respecting their physical health), and to insist on being with people who will hold them in the same esteem.

Not someone who will shame them for their inability or unwillingness to conform to an unnatural ideal that defies the dictates of biology. Frankly, I'd rather they be overweight. At least that would screen out the misogynist bigots who deign to be with them only because of the way they look.

Nobody can stay twelve forever, you know. Though they might approximate it for awhile, biology and age catch up despite one's best efforts.

And where would a partner like you be then? The teen modeling shows?

San:

A fat ass is a fat ass. It doens't matter what its compared to.

If a woman works out and doesn't eat much, she wont have a fat ass. Its that simple.

Again, the girls in the slide show don't have obese asses, just large ones; they do work out and are physically fit.

The average model is something like 5'10" and 115 lbs., while the average American woman is 5'4" and 140 lbs; that's why the average model (who does work out) has no curves. Britney Spears at her peak was 5'4" and 130 lbs., and worked out every day--while her face at 18 was still that of a teenage girl, her body was that of a (young) adult woman. That's why she had curves.

Saying that teenage girls shouldn't care about their looks is true only in the sense that teeange boys also shouldn't care about what the opposite sex thinks about them. What girls might want to know is that guys go for women with a healthy body (as I noted, a waist 7/10ths the size of her hips) and at least average weight (as opposed to being as skinny as a model). And makeup clogs your pores while sweating clears them. So the secret to looking good is to avoid makeup, eat healthy, drink water, and work up a good sweat with some form of regular exercise (which will also leave you with a shapely body). That simple advice may not sell too many teen magazines, but it's the truth.

"A tragedy, that we've adopted such an unrealistic cultural ideal that the girls of today feel like they need to adopt an anorexic lifestyle in order to conform to a standard that is only possible to achieve with the assistance of photo manipulation, and can only be approximated with plastic surgery and starvation."

And by that, you mean that the majority of women are getting to the level of being fat, right?

I would rather there be an anorexia epidemic than an obesity epicdemic. At least the people would be pretty to look at.

"Again, the girls in the slide show don't have obese asses, just large ones;"

It doesn't have to be obese to be fat.

How many soccer players do you know with fat asses? Girl's lacross? Field hockey? Cross country?

Because they actually use their bodies instead of gorging.

Your insistence on judging people on the basis of their appearance is the fundamental basis of misogyny - that women are of value only to the extent they are esthetically pleasing to you.

But I don't really expect you to understand that: how offensive it is, or the impact such values exert on both men and women in this culture. You are the center of your universe, San.

Thank God I don't have to live in it.

"Your insistence on judging people on the basis of their appearance is the fundamental basis of misogyny - that women are of value only to the extent they are esthetically pleasing to you."

Oh wait, all pretty women aren't smart or charming, right?

Are you stupid?

I prefer to find someone who takes care of themselves. If you are fat, obviously you don't respect your self, and I am not going to respect you. Its that simple.

If a woman cares about herself, she will work hard, work out, and study a lot. She will have looks and personality. Anyone without it deserve only my utter contempt.

San,

You're tiresome.

Nobody on this thread is advocating having sex with 12 year old girls. Nobody is applauding obesity; they are only applauding curvaceous, healthy female bodies.

You know all this, but apparently you're just bored and want to fight.

Again, I'm raising my daughter to be alarmed by the attitudes your spouting here. Frankly, in light of this conversation, I'm beginning to suspect she'd be better off overweight, and sure that the person who is pursuing her is in pursuit of more than a comely ass.

So what's your take on women who are, by nature of their biology, unattractive? Unfuckable?

Men like you make life for attractive women hell.

Unattractive women too.

On the plus side, you make guys like me look a lot more appealing. Thanks for the [unintentional] leg-up.

"Nobody is applauding obesity; they are only applauding curvaceous, healthy female bodies."

I have a 32 inch waist. If a girl has anything near my waste, that isn't curvaceous or healthy. Its called eating too much fried chicken.