Good News for the Slightly Unattractive

Ok, so that title might sound a little harsh. But you’ll understand in a minute…

So, it turns out that (drum roll please) men are more willing than women to have a one night stand with a total stranger.

Big surprise, right? As if we didn’t already know that. But, despite how common this knowledge is, a group of universities got together and did a study.

Yes, an actual study (Here’s the Time Wellness Blog if you feel like taking a look: The Science of One-Night Stands). CliffNotes version: The universities sent a bunch of “slightly unattractive” college students out into the bar scene to see how many men and women they could convince to sleep with them. Way more men said yes despite the fact that the women were “slightly unattractive.” So, that’s kind of good news, right? I mean, it takes a little pressure off of any woman who has ever had an “ugly day”. We can sleep well at night knowing that, despite how unattractive we may feel, we can still get laid if we so choose.

Unfortunately, it was bad news for the “slightly unattractive” men in the study. Women (surprise, surprise) tend to only consider going home with a guy if he’s really attractive. So, you poor joes with mismatched clothes and in desperate need of a haircut? As Pink says, “It’s just you and your hand tonight.”

So what does this say about men and women? We’ve complained for years that men are so superficial when it comes to looks and that they always opt for the blonde bombshells. But when it comes down to it, are we women really the ones with superficial tendencies?

P.S. If you’re really interested in this topic, try watching Dating in the Dark one night. The premise of this reality show seems ridiculous (six strangers have several dates in a pitch black room and can then choose only one person to see in the light), yet it’s actually pretty interesting. Both times I have watched the show, it’s the men that were more willing to continue to see the women even though they weren’t their physical “type.” But the women? They almost always said no way after seeing the men… and I personally didn’t consider any of the men to be unattractive.

The Mommy Haircut

So, I’m in the middle of reading Think Like a Guy by Giuliana DePandi. I have a lot to say about the book, but for now I’ll stick to just one of her many “tips” on how to get a guy by thinking like one: “Always look put together and well-groomed.”

Well, duh, you say. Yeah, it seems obvious. But then why is it that so many women tend to “let themselves go” after they’ve snagged a man? Particularly after they’ve had children?

For example: the “mommy haircut.”

You know what I’m talking about. That tendency for women to chop off all their hair the minute they get married and/or pop out a kid. I’ve seen countless women do it. One minute, they have long, beautiful hair and the next, it’s as short as it can be without them running the risk of being mistaken for a man.

I completely understand the reasoning behind it: having a marriage and/or a baby is hard work and you want to cut back on the time it takes you to get ready in the morning (aka, doing your hair). But is it really more time-consuming to take care of longer hair? My own hair has varied in length over the years and not once have I noticed a difference in the time it takes me to wash and dry it.

And it’s not just hair, actually. I’ve noticed that most young women completely change the way they dress once they have a ring on their finger or a baby in their carriage. Suddenly, their necklines start climbing back up and their hemlines starting climbing back down. There’s less makeup on their faces and smaller heels on their shoes.

What’s up with all that? I personally enjoy experimenting with my makeup and hair each morning. I love how high heels make me feel taller and sexier. I like looking put together. I can’t ever imagine myself cutting my hair or dressing any different. Maybe it’s just because I’m not coupled up with kids yet. But is that really a good enough excuse to stop trying when it comes to the looks department? After all, that’s what grabbed your guy’s attention in the first place, isn’t it?