Sunday, February 25, 2007

Slim Irony

In Cairo, the night clubs are very different from those in America, and the women who are performers in each night club are also quite different from each other. In Cairo, the people cheered for the belly dancers even though they were not particularly skinny, the way most American men like women to be. When Horwitz asked the manager of the club what he thought of the dance the dancer was performing, the manager said that “My customers drink, they joke, they say bad words. They do not know good dance or bad dance.” (95)
This passage of the novel proves that America is filled with people that believe that being skinny is the right way. In other countries, including many countries in the Middle East, it certainly shows that the men there don’t particularly care for skinny women. Belly dancers are actually known for having curves, but I know that I once believed that belly dancers had “perfect” figures. I was wrong. It is very interesting how men of different countries see and treat women. In America, men treat women better, I believe, but they also demand beauty (as in skinniness). In the Middle East, the majority of men treat women like dirt, but they are more open to not so beautiful appearances. Why is that? -a.v.
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3 comments:

Baghdad Blog said...

A.V.

I think this post is very critical to men in America and I find it to be untrue. Men, yes do have there ideal women, and unfortunately in America, this is the view of a women with a nice face, good body, and all that goes with those two characteristics. These views have caused many women to become bulimic or anorexic, which is not something any men thinks is attractive when he sees a women who is unhealthily skinny. Women have now forced themselves to look better than every other women. It is a competition to be the best looking with the best body. Not only are they competing for men but also for girls, trying to look and be the best looking girl out of a group. These views are all true to the American eye and have been made because of our very royal, Hollywood, style society. For this reason I find it very interesting how you can say that just because men in Cairo do not care for that perfect body, that men in America are totally at fault. Men do not hate women who are larger, and do not exclude them it is different views of societies that have caused these trends to occur. It is not because Men in Cairo are more caring for women, or men in America aren’t it is a complete result of the societies we all live in today.

TH

February 25, 2007 at 6:36 PM
Baghdad Blog said...

I don't think that the passage you choose demonstrated that men in America think that. Sure some men like skinny girls, but a majority of them don't. It is magazines and hollywood that makes American girls think they need to be skinny. 2% of women in the US weigh as much as the average super model. That means the 98% or 98 out of 100 people, weigh more than that. Many woman compete, as TH said, against each other for the perfect bodies, but it is not as if a guy won't date a woman who is cute and nice but who has a crooked nose. No. It is maybe the idea that some women have towards "beauty" and their bodies, but in reality it is just a false idea created by the women who grace our magazine covers and the men who drool over them. LB

February 26, 2007 at 10:31 AM
Baghdad Blog said...

AV, I agree with TH that you may be too critical of men, and are not looking at the whole picture. When you say "though they were not particularly skinny, the way most American men like women to be."
It is interesting because, I bet if you were to ask women what they prefer, a fat man or a regular/thin man, the majority would say the regular/thin. Therefore, you would be fitting into the american stereotype, not just a male one. Like I said, you should look at it both ways.


Another problem that I see, Maybe because I am a guy is what struck me in LB's response.
First of all, you say " 2% of women in the US weigh as much as the average super model." Your statistic is most likely a true statement and i'm not arguing it. But this is also probably a true statement. "2% of women are as pretty as supermodels" That statistic is just as important because supermodels are choosen solely based on looks. If you own an agency, you want the best looking supermodels for your company, therefore you would choose from the top 2%. Which leads me to my next point. You say, " It is magazines and hollywood that makes American girls think they need to be skinny." I believe that is false. Movies and magazines are bussinesses. They are driven by the consumer therfore they show us what we want to see. Why would a company make a movie no one wants to watch or a magazine no one wants to read? Just as important, why would they show us actors and models we don't want to look at?
It isn't just men who prefer a certain look and it isn't hollywood that is driving it. MW

February 28, 2007 at 5:35 PM

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