Why is it we women feel the ideal woman's shape should be rail thin and men want us curvy?

Question

Why do you feel there is such a discrepancy? Look at the pictures in Penthouse and then look at our the stick thin women on TV. Can you see the differences between the two ideals?

Answer 1

Then call me a man even though I'm all woman.  I have never liked the stick figure image that you generalize and assume ALL women want.  I personally prefer how women's bodies naturally are, not how we force them to be.  If that means thick or thin, if that means straight or curvy, that's how the body naturally is.  I happen to be a very curvy woman.  While I may be larger than I'd like to be, I don't want to lose my curves.  They help to define my physical presence as a woman and I like it.  Your rail thin shape that you claim to want, I perceive as a walking skeleton, or plastic and artificial.

I'm afraid I can't answer as a man would because I'm not a man and I don't think like them.  I can only give my perceptions and opinions.  But please don't lump me in with your "we women" because that's not a place where I fit and I don't want to belong there.

Answer 2

It's a source of some indignation to me that so many of my female friends (I'm male) think they are "fat" or "unattractive" when they are very beautiful and smart women who should have far more self-esteem than that.

I agree with the answer above. It's the doing of the media. Most men prefer curvy women (though some don't admit it, because it's not often presented as the ideal) because that shape signals health and fertility. Women are told otherwise by media oriented to women, and unfortunately, because the message is so ever-present and powerful, believe it. As a result, what women and men think make an attractive woman tend to be quite different things, which I think emphasises how little the two sexes sometimes understand one another.  What women are in fact doing by trying to attain the kind of skinny shape promoted by the fashion industry is trying to become more attractive as women judge attractiveness, not more attractive to men! It's quite silly, really.

Answer 3

I don't know, men's magazines have more natural pictures and women's will slim, touch up and air brush more.

Answer 4

I agree with most answers posted. The reason for the differences is simple. People are different and have different "ideals."

Answer 5

Personally, my ideal of a woman's body shape is curvy.  While I wouldn't mind losing a few kilo's, I wouldn't want to lose my curves.  You couldn't get me to look like a supermodel if you paid me.  I much prefer the way I am now.

Although I dislike the fake look of many of the women in Penthouse, etc.

Answer 6

Because some women don't care what men want.

Answer 7

Because females perceive that overweight women are considered unattractive by men, and take this to the extreme.  Males, however, are genetically/instinctively designed to become most aroused by women who have physical attributes that signal fertility and potentially successful motherhood - large b*****s and a certain amount of "padding" in particular areas.

Answer 8

A lot of these ideas come about because we are subconsciously programmed.  You watch TV and see all these gals 5'8" and 115 lbs.  So after awhile you start thinking that thats the way it's supposed to be.

Even though guy after guy (for the most part) says he loves a curvy woman, for some reason girls think they have to be skinny.  

The same holds true for men though too.  Men constantly strive for that foot long p***s, even though 98% of the women out there say it's not how much you have, but how you use what you have.

All in all though it really does boil down to preferrence.  Some guys want skinny, some want curvy, some want plump, and some want downright fat.  Whatever works for you.

Answer 9

Why should there be an ideal shape for anyone? Why can’t we appreciate all natural shapes that people have been born with? Some women are naturally curvy some are naturally thin. Some men are naturally bulky some are naturally thin.

What appeals to someone may not appeal to another; does it really matter what a person looks like on the outside? As long as they are comfortable in themselves and their significant other loves them why is there so much emphasis on preconceived beauty?

Your ideal is just one of the many out there, people differ as do perceptions. Ideological thinking is not progressive thinking; don’t indoctrinate yourself into predetermined assertions.

Edit: Good point Sam many people will change their looks to uphold their status in "fashion." People just have to look past the inculcated ideals in the media and just be happy in themselves.

Answer 10

It really depends on the person.

A lot of woman want curvy figures and a lot of men love the petite, thin look as well.

And curvy is not synomous to fat. It doesn't even have to mean big b***s or big butt: curvy means hourglass shape.

Answer 11

I agree with Eleanor.

Men aren't all the same. Many men happen to appreciate slim / wiry / non-curvy :-)

And some women feel the ideal shape for a woman is curvy. We don't all follow fashion blindly, you know.

Answer 12

I have no idea, I am curvy and like it, I would not want to be rail thin, the only thing i would like is an iron board stomach! but hey I like a bottle of wine or 2 at the weekend :-) Most men I know prefer curves and the healthy look over rail thin, its a shame most women cant work with what they got.

Answer 13

Because women decide it's more important to try to impress their friends and compete with eachother than please their own husband at home who loves them the way they're meant to be.  Disclaimer:  Speaking in generalities.