what attracts you first?

[Emil Miller]

What OrphanPip said is true. That's why it bothers you, and you know it. You can say that his opinion is purely subjective, but what about you and Alexander III? Are we to believe your views are based on objective data and not your own snobbish attitudes toward the poor? You act as though you have conducted sociological research when all you ever mention in the thread was being upset because people don't dress "appropriately" on the London Underground. And as far as its value in relation to the original post, the entire thread has already been completed derailed and no longer has anything to do with the original topic.

What anyone says on the forum doesn't bother me unless it's unwarranted personalisation of a thread. As I have said, I don't believe his point of view to be correct because it's based on a questionable sample. Living in one of the most densely populated cities on earth my contact with people on a daily basis allows for a wider observation of people's appearance and it's one that has been carried out over a long period of time. On this basis it is not difficult to see that people's attitude to their personal appearance has been stood on its head. The conformism of a time when people took pride in their appearance actually upheld a standard that was a necessary part of social cohesion, and the result of its abandonment can be seen by anyone who is old enough to make the comparison.

[Alexander III]

Being a man of the 21st century, I am fond of expressing myself trough pictures just as much as with words.










also read this article, all of you, I think it is excellently written and demonstrates the true value of appearance.

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/11/12...-marine-corps/

[PoeticPassions]

You know what I find attractive?




or



or



or





There are so many... But I also really like butts. A nice butt can go a long way. Or abs. nice abs are always good. But generally I think curvier women are more attractive, and darker men... though I like the blonde and blue eyed types too. I don't discriminate.

Intelligence, wit, confidence and humor can make someone much more attractive... but let's face it, if Monica Bellucci walked into a bar, I'm sure your first thought wouldn't be, 'Gosh, I wonder what her favorite book is...'

Anyway, just puttin this thread back on track...

[MystyrMystyry]

I have a nice suit - in mothballs. Give me bluejeans, hiking boots, and a tee for my rough and tumble lifestyle any day. The rare occasions that I dress formal never sit well with me and I avoid them as much as possible, even if it's my own exhibition opening, though I might wear the jacket if it's cold.

[Scheherazade]

R e m i n d e r

Please note that as of today, only images post as thumbnails will be allowed in the discussion threads.

The pictures posted in the Photo Album or Pictures Taken By You threads can be posted in their original sizes as usual.

Posts containing such images will be removed without further notice.
http://www.online-literature.com/for...6&postcount=58

[JuniperWoolf]

Please note that as of today, only images post as thumbnails will be allowed in the discussion threads.

Well that sucks, especially for those who like reading stlukes artsy posts. Also, this thread suddenly contains nipples.

[PoeticPassions]

R e m i n d e r

Please note that as of today, only images post as thumbnails will be allowed in the discussion threads.

The pictures posted in the Photo Album or Pictures Taken By You threads can be posted in their original sizes as usual.

Posts containing such images will be removed without further notice.

http://www.online-literature.com/for...6&postcount=58

Oh sorry, I didn't know of this change... duly noted.

[JuniperWoolf]

But generally I think curvier women are more attractive, and darker men... though I like the blonde and blue eyed types too. I don't discriminate.

A friend of mine once asked me "why is it that every girl you've ever liked has looked like the product of a six-generation eugenics experiment?" *shrug* That's just how it is. You shouldn't feel bad if you're particularly fond of dark guys, physical attraction can't be overridden by notions of political correctness.

[paradoxical]

Not really. It's more like a pendulum of reacting against one's parents. You can trace it through history, the 20th being a good example because it was most recent. Wild flappers, then prissy pinched-weist housewives, then dirty hippies, then upscale yuppies, then grunge, and now we're getting back to dressing fancy (polo shirts as far as the eye can see). Back and forth, from well-groomed and conservatively dressed to sloppy and scandalous. It doesn't have anything to do with "conformity," and it's all pretty predictable.

Sorry, but you're wrong. America has always been a conservative nation and you are expected to dress appropriately. This is determined by the business world and it's supposed to mean that you are an upstanding citizen. Someone a company can hire. An obedient person who will not question authority. All conservatives celebrate this sentiment to this day. Fashion comes and goes, of course, but it was never OK to be a "dirty hippy," even during the '60's. People had to fight to express themselves the way they wanted, and many paid a heavy price. Beatings, losing your job, being kicked out of your parent's house, etc, were all common. Eventually, the Establishment gave up to some degree but most people are conservative and there is still a deep seated hatred among the population against those who dress and believe differently. The '80's saw a great resurgence in conservatism, but along came punk rockers and then goths, then grunge, etc. It is still a bitter pill for many to swallow, and I'm not just talking about our leaders. I'm talking about ordinary citizens. In places like Mexico--which is a very conservative country--and throughout the Middle-East, many young people are being killed and in some cases tortured for dressing emo or goth. There is a counter culture in every country and a respected way of dress in every country. It has nothing to do with fashion but is instead a struggle of those who upheld the system and those who want change. Like I said, most are conservative and want everything to stay the same. Just look at some of the comments in this thread.

Alex has a brusque and honest way about him, not everyone can have the same personality (thankfully). If he gets under your skin that's your problem, you're going to get our thread closed if you start getting personal.

I'm going to get the thread closed? Alexander III was the one who derailed things with his insensitive, hate-filled comments. And what do you mean "our" thread. It's my thread just as much as yours. I'm still a member in good standing and I contributed to the thread long before these recent comments. Why is it that he is allowed to say things like "all poor people are ugly?" You don't think that's going to offend someone? Others get away with saying that all poor people have a "mark on their face" and use their government benefits to buy themselves fancy cars and manicures, etc instead of using it for their children. Or StLukesGuild saying that I must be 19 years old and under the influence of Marxist professors. Now that's getting personal. But I didn't respond. I wasn't even going to return to this thread but others continue to make inflammatory statements and, after awhile, you feel like you have to stand up and say something.

I come from a "working class" town, and I think there are some people in this thread operating under strong misconceptions who have very limited exposure to actual "working class" life. "Working class" doesn't mean "struggling." My town has 3200 people, all of whom are dependant on the oil patch, the coal mine, or the lumber mill - and we have four spas, two gyms and three high-end clothing stores where you can't buy a wristband for under $100. Having a job pulling minerals out of the ground or operating a machine doesn't exclude you from having manicured nails and a $400 trip to the hair salon every two weeks, or having a $200,000 home (the average in GC), or having two or more vehicles and going on out-of-country vacations. This is a description of what I've come to see as normal life in my location, so could we please stop talking about the "working class" like they're a bunch of underpriveledged, simpleton ditch diggers with good ol' down home country values? This isn't the ****ing Grapes of Wrath. They have the wiggle-room and resources available to afford and persue their own interests and develop individual personalities, like human beings and not like stock characters in a Dickens novel. *mom-ish fingerwag* You're stereotyping.

I think you're stereotyping. I come from a working class area myself and I would bet that it's far more working class then where you come from in Canada. I also know that most of the working class people here do whatever they can to not appear working class. Tucked in polo shirts and pressed pants, etc. They are deathly afraid of being seen as poor, and many of them are very well-paid. I know all about the $200,000 homes of well-paid oil workers and their $40,000 bass boats. This area also depends on oil and gas as its main source of income and I've seen the terrible impact that has had on the environment. It's destroying our coast and poisoning our lakes and rivers. I know you said you were studying ecology in the the thread on environmentalism--the thread where you ridiculed me for saying that the Earth is in serious trouble due to human activity. I thought that was strange for an ecology major. Now I think I understand.

[PoeticPassions]

A friend of mine once asked me "why is it that every girl you've ever liked has looked like the product of a six-generation eugenics experiment?" *shrug* That's just how it is. You shouldn't feel bad if you're particularly fond of dark guys, physical attraction can't be overridden by notions of political correctness.

Yeah, of course, you can't really control who you are attracted to. Though I would say that one of the most attractive people to me is Brad Pitt, and he doesn't fit my general mold. That's why I say I don't discriminate in the sense that I don't really have a type, and find men and women of all races, ethnicities and such attractive... but preferences exist, of course. I've never found Chinese of Japanese people as attractive as, say, Europeans or mixed-race individuals...

[Calidore]

R e m i n d e r

Please note that as of today, only images post as thumbnails will be allowed in the discussion threads.

Well that sucks, especially for those who like reading stlukes artsy posts. Also, this thread suddenly contains nipples.

I would like to ask that an exception be made for nipples.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I too hope exceptions can be made with the thumbnail rule for the art threads/posts.

Anyways, I was watching the news and saw a story involving a really nice, upper-class neighborhood. Everyone they talked to we're fat slobs, albeit wealthy fat slobs.

So, I've changed my mind: ugly people are everywhere, in every class, just as jerks are. I'm so glad I'm enlightened.

[Scheherazade]

I would like to ask that an exception be made for nipples.

Male or female?

[KCurtis]

So, horribly far gone drug addicts are ugly. It has nothing to do with being poor. In California, a poor person can live relatively similarly to a wealthy person. I grew up below the poverty line. I worked and studied my way out of it. I have always been clean, well mannered, sophisticated and healthy with a carefully cultivated physical appearance. Let's not rush to judge people who are born into a battle with class systems.

Yep-being poor doesn't mean one has bad teeth, is fat and unkempt, etc. Poor people have dignity-most of them.

[/QUOTE]
In contrast, there are so many ugly wealthy people. All of the money in the world can't make them pretty. Donald Trump. Rush Limbaugh. Penny Marshall. Rosie O'Donnell.

This is obvious, right?[/QUOTE]

You are so right. It is very annoying when people judge others on how much wealth they have, like it matters at all. It doesn't- It also doesn't make people any more attractive either. Snobbishness and conceit about one's own wealth makes one look rather ugly, I think.

[Calidore]

Male or female?

Gotta be fair to everyone.