The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

[mjd]

That was exactly the criticism that Obama got.

Personally, I think everyone who wants to participate in the he/she/they're "hot" debate should participate. I have no problem if you were to say, "Isn't that Mitt Romney a dreamboat?!"

I don't really see much difference in saying Harris is good-looking and saying Dawn Wells was good-looking (and then some) in the Celebrity Crush topic. I guess one could say that performers trade on their looks more so than lawyers/politicians, but it amounts to the same thing, IMO.

There has been, now that I think of it, one or two remarks made about one (or both) of the Cuomo boys and their...I guess rugged good looks, and when Beto O'Rourke was running down in Texas, more than one woman commented on his physical features, so it does happen.

I understand. My question was borne from the fact that women are often judged on their looks FIRST (and, sometimes SOLELY) instead of their accomplishments. It was sickening to me to read the comments banded about when Sarah Palin was on the ticket.

I don't necessarily equate discussing a celebrity's attractiveness with a non-celebrity's attractiveness because actors/actresses are often hired for how they appeal to audiences aesthetically.

Again, I wasn't trying to start an argument but wanted to have a conversation as to why we (people, in general) sometimes overlook a woman's accomplishments and focus on her appearance more often than when discussing male public figures and their contributions to society.

 

[JAS_OH1]

I never stated that I speak for anyone else.

No, I was saying you should speak for yourself. I wasn't trying to be snarky, but comical. I judge public figures by the way they look fairly often, LOL. They are in a position to be judged, IMO.

 

[mjd]

No, I was saying you should speak for yourself. I wasn't trying to be snarky, but comical. I judge public figures by the way they look fairly often, LOL. They are in a position to be judged, IMO.

OK. I misunderstood your meaning. Sorry about that.

 

[JAS_OH1]

OK. I misunderstood your meaning. Sorry about that.

Internet forum threads, emails, and text messages are difficult to interpret sometimes. I suppose I should have inserted a smiley emoji so it would have been clearer.

 

[mjd]

Internet forum threads, emails, and text messages are difficult to interpret sometimes. I suppose I should have inserted a smiley emoji so it would have been clearer.

True. No worries. We both are reasonable people so it got sorted. ;-0

 

[mjd]

The division is where the sheet was folded on the clothesline. This is why only half of sheet is stained. She recently moved and is probably doing some deep cleaning on the house, hence why there is so much bleach.

I don't want to keep rehashing this for you, but I can't wrap my brain around how that much bleach ended up on your linens. Did she pour a bucket of bleach water out the window? How does that even happen?

 

[TastyReuben]

Again, I wasn't trying to start an argument but wanted to have a conversation as to why we (people, in general) sometimes overlook a woman's accomplishments and focus on her appearance more often than when discussing male public figures and their contributions to society.

That's probably a highly complex and maybe not even fully understood phenomenon.

Maybe it partly has to do with the way boys and girls are raised - girls were/are expected to be a little more...demur?...about expressing their feelings that way, and boys were/are encouraged to, so maybe it's been ingrained in some men that commenting that way is a-ok, and ingrained in some women that they should accept that as a compliment and move on.

Also, I hope I didn't sound like I was arguing with you - I'm not. I'm just saying it doesn't bug me if women (anyone, really) want to jump in there and say, "Yeah, he's an accountant, but...damn, he's fine!"

 

[The Velvet Curtain]

Aww, now why'dya have to go ruin it for me? I remember him like this:

View attachment 54619

Just kidding. I liked his video and thought he presented a thoughtful and dignified persona.

Exactly, a speech that was eloquent, personal, considered, had purpose and gave hope. That is what we need from our leaders and shows up in stark contrast to the bumbling stream of glibness from Donald and our own Boris.

 

[LissaC]

I don't want to keep rehashing this for you, but I can't wrap my brain around how that much bleach ended up on your linens. Did she pour a bucket of bleach water out the window? How does that even happen?

That's a really good question. On her clothesline there was a big cloth that smelled a lot like bleach and I saw her shaking it on her window as I was putting my clothes out to dry. I thought about talking with her, you're not supposed to let your laundry drip water on the neighbor's clothing but I assumed it was water and there's no need to worry too much about that. It turned out to be bleach.

 

[caseydog]

I understand. My question was borne from the fact that women are often judged on their looks FIRST (and, sometimes SOLELY) instead of their accomplishments. It was sickening to me to read the comments banded about when Sarah Palin was on the ticket.

I don't necessarily equate discussing a celebrity's attractiveness with a non-celebrity's attractiveness because actors/actresses are often hired for how they appeal to audiences aesthetically.

Again, I wasn't trying to start an argument but wanted to have a conversation as to why we (people, in general) sometimes overlook a woman's accomplishments and focus on her appearance more often than when discussing male public figures and their contributions to society.

I understand your point completely. For a long time, a woman's value was based on her looks, or "sex appeal."

Sarah Palin actually benefited from that, because she was clearly someone who never took things like education and knowledge seriously, but a lot of guys liked her because they saw her as "hot." I would regularly tell my fellow males that if McCain was elected, she would become President if he died. Being "hot" does not qualify a person to be President.

BTW, I think McCain may have won if not for his campaign strategist's choice of Sarah Palin as his VP running mate.

CD

 

[Morning Glory]

My question was borne from the fact that women are often judged on their looks FIRST (and, sometimes SOLELY) instead of their accomplishments.

Its a very good point and it still happens. Maybe it happens less than it did 30 years ago - but I'm not entirely sure about that.

 

[Duck59]

Its a very good point and it still happens. Maybe it happens less than it did 30 years ago - but I'm not entirely sure about that.

I think it still happens just as much. Take, for a small example, the British historians Mary Beard and Lucy Worsley. Both are regulars on television in the UK, are very good at what they do and are clearly highly intelligent and knowledgeable people. Yet it's still common to see and hear remarks about how they look. Mary Beard, who is in her mid-sixties, is derided for her long hair and slightly buck teeth, among other things. Lucy Worsley is mocked for her trademark hairclip and ever so slight speech impediment. These things should be utterly irrelevant.

 

[LissaC]

I think it happens just as much, if not even more. My generation is largely to blame for this. Opening Instagram you'll see a lot of 20's-30's wearing skimpy clothes, or taking pictures in sexually suggestive poses or in angles that call attention to certain body parts. There's a flood of women's magazines showing women with little to no clothing on the covers. Objectifying women has become the norm. Men do it and even women do it. I don't think we can detach women from how they look. Of course we have the freedom to look however we want but I think of it as choosing where we want to direct people's attention. I'm a woman, and whenever I see a woman with a cleavage I will be looking at the cleavage, regardless of what she's doing. It's just distracting. With this it's become the norm to evaluate women on how they look or they present themselves. With Kamala, there's also been some buzz around the fact that she married late and doesn't have biological children. Once again this is not the kind of concern you have about a male president. We should be changing our mindset, but I feel like that change is nowhere near. As long as there's heaps of young women willing to go bare naked on social media just for the attention, you'll have women being objectified.

By the way, women do comment on men's looks, and we can be just as inappropriate as some men, but I don't think we do it as often, but I may be wrong

 

[MypinchofItaly]

I think it still happens just as much. Take, for a small example, the British historians Mary Beard and Lucy Worsley. Both are regulars on television in the UK, are very good at what they do and are clearly highly intelligent and knowledgeable people. Yet it's still common to see and hear remarks about how they look. Mary Beard, who is in her mid-sixties, is derided for her long hair and slightly buck teeth, among other things. Lucy Worsley is mocked for her trademark hairclip and ever so slight speech impediment. These things should be utterly irrelevant.

Yes, they are irrelevant, but they are there and it can't be helped. I think it's not necessarily a matter of clichés or lack of respect for what they are or do, but rather something about the fact that being public figures/television personalities, regardless of whether they are women or men, they are also subject to criticism about their looks or physical defects. It doesn't take away or add anything, it's just something to do with the package. The comments and appreciations about the TV look will always be there, if someone while explaining something I'm very interested in has a crooked tooth or has a jacket with all the colours of the rainbow, yes, I will say that a part from being a remarkable intelligent woman/man, she/he has a crooked tooth and has a bad costume designer. That's all.

 

[medtran49]

I would regularly tell my fellow males that if McCain was elected, she would become President if he died.

BTW, I think McCain may have won if not for his campaign strategist's choice of Sarah Palin as his VP running mate.

CD

I actually didn't vote for him just because of the above, and I think you are right, because I know for a fact I'm not the only one.