Varying standards of beauty by culture

[Jenn! 918]

Mmmm, break me off a piece of that!

hahaha

[morocco4ever 63]

The only thing I've noticed (and much of this is from watching Moroccan TV most days) is that slightly fuller waistlines do appear to be a bit more acceptable in Morocco, even though I think the rates of obesity are higher here (have to verify that).

I was surprised actually by the number of overweight women in Morocco. It reminds me a bit of Italy though...the young girls are super skinny...the old ladies are, well, not so super skinny!

I noticed that too, but my husband insists that there aren't that many. Truthfully I was amazed at the amount of food they eat. First they have this huge plate of meat. They eat it with bread. Then after eating all of that they bring out fruit to munch on. I eat very little meat, and stay away from most of the bread, prefering the salad. But even then, by the time they get to the fruit I am stuffed.

I keep thinking about this scene from Michael Palin's Sahara where he attends this celebration in Niger. The men wear make-up that to my eyes looked cartoonish and they danced and moved using their eyes and bodies to be more attractive, but again to my eyes-- not so much so. This is an example of one of the men who is by the standards of the Wodaabee very attractive. In fact the make-up is meant to enhance his beauty.

I must try that look tomorrow.

[mybackpages 0]

I may have seen a diet commercial or two on 2M, but I'm not sure about that.

You probably did. I remember seeing the commercial for "lite" laughing cow cheese. Even with the language barrier then it was clear the woman was watching her waistline.

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Mmmm, break me off a piece of that!

hahaha

Having spent alot of time around Algerians and Moroccans for the last 7 years I will tell you this. Many like a big butt and big boobs and big thighs, especially sexually. A girl that wouldnt get a second look because she is too "fat"in American culture ( I AM NOT TALKING OBESE JUST OVERWEIGHT) could be very sexually desirable to many North African men. It just depends on how they were raised and what was around them. Big boobs are a definite plus,, but a big butt ...oooh lalalalallala.

Some North Africans and Arabs dont like overweight women but frankly I have been watching Egyptian movies lately and I have seen some really heavy pretty women that are absolutely adored by Egyptian men. Laila Alwi is a fatty and many like her.

I think it really depends on the guy but I will say for sure that weight is alot more varied over there and a big girl more sexually desirable in many places in North Africa. I have a friend who is down right FAT and she cant keep Moroccan guys off her ( she has a very pretty face.. by the way) I also know Moroccan guys who cant stand fat girls.

The reality is that I personally think that culture is changing because of western ideals and tv and movies... But many men still like a butt and meat with their potatoes...

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Mmmm, break me off a piece of that!

hahaha

Having spent alot of time around Algerians and Moroccans for the last 7 years I will tell you this. Many like a big butt and big boobs and big thighs, especially sexually. A girl that wouldnt get a second look because she is too "fat"in American culture ( I AM NOT TALKING OBESE JUST OVERWEIGHT) could be very sexually desirable to many North African men. It just depends on how they were raised and what was around them. Big boobs are a definite plus,, but a big butt ...oooh lalalalallala.

Some North Africans and Arabs dont like overweight women but frankly I have been watching Egyptian movies lately and I have seen some really heavy pretty women that are absolutely adored by Egyptian men. Laila Alwi is a fatty and many like her.

I think it really depends on the guy but I will say for sure that weight is alot more varied over there and a big girl more sexually desirable in many places in North Africa. I have a friend who is down right FAT and she cant keep Moroccan guys off her ( she has a very pretty face.. by the way) I also know Moroccan guys who cant stand fat girls.

The reality is that I personally think that culture is changing because of western ideals and tv and movies... But many men still like a butt and meat with their potatoes...

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Mmmm, break me off a piece of that!

hahaha

Having spent alot of time around Algerians and Moroccans for the last 7 years I will tell you this. Many like a big butt and big boobs and big thighs, especially sexually. A girl that wouldnt get a second look because she is too "fat"in American culture ( I AM NOT TALKING OBESE JUST OVERWEIGHT) could be very sexually desirable to many North African men. It just depends on how they were raised and what was around them. Big boobs are a definite plus,, but a big butt ...oooh lalalalallala.

Some North Africans and Arabs dont like overweight women but frankly I have been watching Egyptian movies lately and I have seen some really heavy pretty women that are absolutely adored by Egyptian men. Laila Alwi is a fatty and many like her.

I think it really depends on the guy but I will say for sure that weight is alot more varied over there and a big girl more sexually desirable in many places in North Africa. I have a friend who is down right FAT and she cant keep Moroccan guys off her ( she has a very pretty face.. by the way) I also know Moroccan guys who cant stand fat girls.

The reality is that I personally think that culture is changing because of western ideals and tv and movies... But many men still like a butt and meat with their potatoes...

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

This is COMPLETELY not saying all arab men are accepting of bigger women. I just think some are more tolerant of a woman being big or overweight than maybe American white culture. I have met some arabs that are like "hey shes too fat " or this or that . But I have also seen several mena men very much in love with their "heavier than average" American wives or arab wives and extremely sexually attracted to them.

It also depends on the age of the man and the background of the guy. A very very young Moroccan man may have been so heavily influenced by American and European media that that has shaped his ideal.

I think other cultures are alot more tolerant in diversity of looks than the American one. Europe is even worse.

[chaishai 1]

This is COMPLETELY not saying all arab men are accepting of bigger women. I just think some are more tolerant of a woman being big or overweight than maybe American white culture. I have met some arabs that are like "hey shes too fat " or this or that . But I have also seen several mena men very much in love with their "heavier than average" American wives or arab wives and extremely sexually attracted to them.

It also depends on the age of the man and the background of the guy. A very very young Moroccan man may have been so heavily influenced by American and European media that that has shaped his ideal.

I think other cultures are alot more tolerant in diversity of looks than the American one. Europe is even worse.

I think that non religious israel is the absoute worst. I have never encountered so many people focused on thinness and beauty. SOOO much plastic surgery. ####### jobs are the norm. Everyone smokes and drinks coffee all day and doesnt eat. Its not even like the american gym culture to get fit, its just lets not eat and smoke and have coffee. I have one SIL who is probably about 160lb and about 5'6 or 5'7 and she is ridiculed by her sisters as fat. My 58 year old mother in law deprives herself of the good things in life like dessert etc which is so ridiculous at her age so she can conform to this norm.

[Nasturtium 500]

I know my husband prefers very thin women. In Jordan I saw a lot of thin girls as was mentioned, and older, heavier women-- like basically after you pop out some kids, you can more or less relax. I didn't notice much in the way of heavier young girls, although there were a few who were just what we would think of as "chunky." A difference I did note in their pop-culture beauty standards by looking at Sabah, Elissa, etc... the big ####### thing. For us, think about people like Kirsten Dunst, Gwyneth Paltrow, etc... there is this correlation between thin-thin and small boobs. The Arabian ones had much bigger boobs than we would normally associate with their body weight-- and I found that somewhat interesting. They also seemed to go for big, poofy lips (I know many of those girls have had plastic surgery... but that's a form of the ideal to the extreme). I know a lot of people commented on my haircolor as really nice (blonde) or my eyecolor (green) or the whiteness of my skin (glow-in-the-dark)... And thegirls were all trying to be as fair as possible and as hairless as possible-- they could not understand why I wasn't waxing my forearms (never thought about it-- I have really short, blonde hair that is really sparse and you can see it in the sun but not inside). Many girls were talking about straight hair as being really good and my Dh, I know, like straight hair.

One thing I also noticed-- men seem to be held to any standard far less-- our men have a greater standard, it seemed, to keep up with.

[SaadBell 0]

I think the idea of beauty is different for most of us, I for find handsome men in all type of men; I love the blond Brad Pitt, the dark handsome looks of Antonio Banderas, but most of all it has to do with a person’s personality. I like smart men, funny, and a man who can see the humor in bad times. Men I think are the same, all different, what one man finds beautiful another will find faults. The European standard of beauty, the straight blond hair to the blue eyes and of course now it is all about the body. One thing I always keep in my mind, if something happen to my husband, let’s say a horrible accident that distorted his looks, picking glass out of his face years later, would I still feel the same? If not than I better take a deep look at the reason I am with this person, because we all will age and beauty of the youth will fade, and if that is the only reason I am with someone than it won’t last.

European standard -

The older European standard when women were bigger -

Remember the women in Aisa binding their feet, it was consider beautiful -

Some parts of Africa this is considered beautiful -

Than there is the women who everyone tells me I look just like, and I have always hated it, cause I don't find her to be beautiful -

[pedroh 21]

in Mexico light skinned women or with more caucasian features are considered more attractive than browner women.. which is kinda effed up.. for example, Eva Mendez in Mexico is not considered hot, because she looks too 'native'.. which in other countries (and I do too think that) she's hawt..

but also depends on personal preference.. Me, I don't like skinny girls.. I like wide hips.. and noticeable rib cage or shoulder bones is a total turn off

[morocco4ever 63]

And you come here to everyone tanning. It is both F'ed up.

[nu7015 0]

My husband has told me that women actually eat some kind of herb or seed to make them GAIN weight in Morocco. I said WHAT??? You mean they want to be fat? He said that they just don't want to be too skinny. I weigh more than I should and I've always asked my husband if my weight bothers him. He said he has never seen me or thinks of me as overweight. I honestly think I am the only one concerned about it. He is always making sure I have eaten and always needs to know if I'm full.

I know when he first got here, one of the things that surprised him were all of the TV commercials about losing weight and just as many for restaurants. He didn't understand why America was so focused on losing weight. I've also mentioned to him here and there about wanting a ####### job (jokingly) and he doesn't know why America is so worried about boobs. He asked me, Did I marry you for your boobs?

He just called me from Morocco to ask if I have eaten.

I've talked about wanting to lose weight and he just says, Honey I love you just how you are. If it will make you happy to lose weight, then I want you to lose weight but you don't have to lose weight for me.

He has 6 sisters and they are all overweight to some degree. His mom and grandma are overweight as well. He adores all of them. They also vary dramatically in facial features, color of skin and hair color. The whole family is very attractive but none of them are skinny or have a set standard of facial features.

I think it all depends on the individual as to what they are attracted to.

[pedroh 21]

And you come here to everyone tanning. It is both F'ed up.

yea, and I don't see anything wrong with white skin.. I like pale white skin

[Amby 490]

I'm american and my husband is british. Our ideas of beauty are quite different actually. He likes women with a bit more weight on them (like size 8-12). I'm not that size, but he has learned to deal