Is Physical Appearance Completely Irrelavant?

setanta

You make an excellent observation regarding the difference between white north american culture and black north american culture in terms of how weight and body shape is regarded. Queen Latifah, singing "You Be Good To Mamma" in Chicago, for example, was outrageously and wonderfuly sexual.

Fat bottom girls
They make the rockin' world go 'round . . .

Blatham
Blatham, if you enter your name in Google, you will see why I asked. You have a name twin that is quite well known in the theater.

BumbleBeeBoogie

Truth
Speaking of roly poly women, there's a tribe in Africa (probably more than one) whose name skips me for now that sends young women about to be married to a fattening farm to make them beautiful for their wedding night. And, my brother, a very handsome man, has never looked twice at a woman who weighed less than 250 pounds. Thin beauty pagent women look, to him, he says, like graceful boys. It's all relative. I consider any woman who is a graceful, intelligent and kind something of a sex object in the best sense of the word. I remember courting my brilliant wife with the phrase--an attempt at humor that was somewhat true--"You make my mind hard".
No offense, please.

bumblebee

I am completely impressed with myself now! I also drive stock cars, have an impressive record in international mogul skiing, and dabble with motorcyles.

I suppose you might consider me 'well rounded'.

OK, I edited my posts on page twenty so they are more intelligible. I think.

I must respond to bumblebee on no one answering her post and that being typical of the dismissal of fat/obese people...that the last two times I have posted here I have read through something like seventy posts before I wrote what was on my mind that minute. Please don't jump to the conclusion that no responses mean a somewhat hostile vacuum. Yes, could be, but not for sure, and not in my own case.

Oh, on appearances. My niece is a very good looking girl in her teens. Her mother is from Liberia, from a tribal village, and her father is my ex's brother, an irishamerican peace corp person. She comes to visit me in my extremely northern california coastal town and wants things to do, in part to earn money (clean out our bookshelves) and not to earn money (walk Pacco the corgi, or Derby the Dobie). The sight of her walking the doberman caused more than one guy in a truck to ask her things an aunt doesn't want to hear her niece asked. That happened when she was thirteen, and fourteen, and fifteen. What will happen this next visit, I cringe. They hang out the truck windows, gross.

She is unusual looking here.

No, I am not anti-truckers. This stuff can go on and on.........

Eek, I missed the link for the Western gathering photos. Help! Thanks.

Read this today in The Times...

Nan Kempner is New York's best-known socialite. In the 1970s she was painted by Warhol, and in the 1980s and 1990s was touted as the woman who singlehandedly kept the couture industry afloat thanks to her extravagant purchases. She lives in a 16-room Park Avenue apartment with her financier husband, Tommy Kempner

Quote

Are looks genetic?

Fortunately, today there are such marvels that there really is no excuse for anyone to be ugly. I have friends who look younger than springtime.

Unquote


I am speechless.....

Yes, well . . .

To a certain category of the physically and intellectually and emotionally myopic, "ugliness" is something to be removed from the world. Were there true justice in life, she'd find herself scooped up in the first wave of enforcement.

Good grief. What's going to be left for those of us who prefer to look at people who look real, whose history/loves/life/pains are visible on their faces? Plastic faces? I sincerely hope not.

Lives interest me, not looks...

Maybe that's why I liked the movie Brazil so much....

Brazil was an absolute hoot, Boss, i loved it . . . it took me a while to recognize many of the players, especially de Niro -- 1984 meets The Electric Cool-Ade Acid Test . . .

I was reading it with my morning coffee and did a spittake when I read this interview !!

What a hoot - here is the complete article (since it is a subscriber only site....)


What's in your make-up bag?

Mascara. I have about 85 tubes of the stuff (most are Lancôme, in black). Also, YSL foundation. My day cream is one from my doctor, Joel Kassimir, in New York (001 212 876 3319). Another dermatologist, Dr Karen Burke (001 212 754 1100), has given me a sun-proof cream with a base in it, and I use a Sisley blush, in two shades.


Name your desert island essentials.


I couldn't go without the mascara, and I use lipstick ?- whatever comes in those green bags that you get at those balls.


Do you put your face on before you go out?

My mother said that after 40 no woman should be without make-up, so I put my face on as soon as I get up. I painted my bathroom pink because when it was white it was too brutal on the face.


Who cuts and colours your hair?

Frédéric Fekkai on East 57th Street (001 212 753 9500) cuts it, and Constance at Frédéric Fekkai does the colour.


What is your beauty secret?

Tons of sleep ?- I sleep until 10am every day. I'm not very big on water; I mean, why drink water when wine tastes so good?

You'd never leave home without . . ?

A dash of Joy by Jean Patou.


A fashionista's favourite in the Big Apple?

Bergdorf Goodman or Bloomingdale's.


Do you pop pills?

Tommy, my husband, and I are always popping vitamins.


Define your style.


A look of your own is the definition of style. And anything looks good with Levi's and old YSL.


Give us a fashion tip.


Jewellery ?- put it all on, then take half of it off.


Who are your favourite designers?

Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, MaxMara and Jean Paul Gaultier. For couture I like Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. And I sure do miss YSL.


Nan Kempner would go into the red for . . .


Fendi furs, which were actually a good investment. And Verdura jewellery. I'm mad about Philip Treacy's hats too.


You are the style police for the day. What do you ban?

Big bottoms in short shorts. Everyone should have a rear-view mirror at home.


And your biggest fashion blunder?

A dalmatian-print coat with matching leggings by Irene Galitzine. Boy, did I look like a dog.


How do you survive "the season" stylishly?

When I do London in the summer, I'm never without my orange YSL silk raincoat.


How old is too old for a micro-mini?

I love minis, but at my age I can only get away with them on the beach.


Thong or knickers?

I love La Perla anything.


Your most recent purchase?

A bikini with matching poncho from Etro.


What is the oldest thing in your wardrobe?

I still have stuff from my trousseau; I have a Dior brown tweed suit that I've worn endlessly.


What was your favourite decade?

The Seventies. I was a fashion features editor at Harper's Bazaar then and Tommy used to drop me off at work and say: "So who are we today?"

Top nosh in New York?

Swifty's (001 212 535 6000).


How long does it take you to get ready?

Ten minutes; I'm very quick. When I put too much make-up on I look like a drag queen.


Share your thoughts on plastic surgery . . .


If you do it too much you look erased, but a bit of cleaning up never hurts. I now rely on creams, a little prayer and coverage. I've worked hard to create an interesting face, but it helps that I had a major op about 15 years ago by Dr Dan Baker (001 212 734 9695).


Are looks genetic?

Fortunately, today there are such marvels that there really is no excuse for anyone to be ugly. I have friends who look younger than springtime.


What would you change about your body?

If I don't like the look of something, I exercise until it goes away.


What is your motto?

I died trying and I tried dying.

Frédéric Fekkai...hmm, this one caught my eye...let's break it down...Fekk ai...doesn't that just cut to the chase regarding this kind of vanity?

Come on guys....talk about easy targets.

This isn't black and white - vanity, falseness, shallow values, lack of self esteem versus 'take me as god made me' purity.

We all play this game to varying degrees and in our own unique ways. Why bother brushing our hair? avoiding polka dots and plaids together? (sentanta, you are excused on that one) cleaning our house before visitors come over? washing the car before a date? trying on various frames before we guy glasses?

Each of us has some comfort zone in all of this presentation of self stuff but I think it is very likely that many of us would have different parameters given increased resources or if dropped into a different social context.

There is a judgementalness present which I see in myself as well, but it is facile.

BLatham:

beats me. i only get the comb out when my scalp needs a good scratching.



um, i'm going to need a hall pass on this one, too. most of my fabrics are without pattern, so i can get around it.



got me. this is a major bone of contention with the gf.



wash the car? date? i'm afraid i don't follow you...



ask me when my eyes start to go. for sunnies, i go for lenses that make the clouds pop and frames that are comfortable -- but i order from a bargain catalog, so i don't try nothing on.

but then, I'm a pretty horrible slob, too...


(just playing around, of course, while the coffee takes effect.)