(Note: This entry isn't really that serious, but it does address an issue in more/less analytical fashion and thereby constitutes an "essay" of sorts... and, as such, I've tagged it accordingly.)
The other day, The Anonymous Blogger asked, "Why do so many women prefer to date/mate with men that are of taller stature than themselves?" It's a valid question -- though it sounds odd coming from a guy who's 6'1" -- and apparently interests more than a few people, as a number of answers, concerns, and even solutions were voiced in the discussion that followed in TAB's comments section. For example, Caren suggested that shorter men wear platform shoes in order to close the height gap and make themselves more attractive to women. "I'm not saying you SHOULD change," she writes. "I'm just saying that if this is really a big complaint, get some shoes."
Granted, on the surface, this seems like a viable solution for short men. Okay, I'm lying. At a glance, this enterprise seems doomed to failure -- and, of course, it is. Instead of simply rejecting the man because he's too short -- which, despite their criticism and often hurtful comments, women understand isn't really the guy's fault -- they would turn him away with extreme prejudice for attempting to mask his height with ridiculous elevator shoes. But let's pretend for a moment that the idea isn't wholly devoid of merit. Caren's rationale admittedly makes a certain kind of sense: "If a man shows up for a first date in the shoes" -- with the caveat that the shoes don't look too silly -- "then there's a better chance that a height-obsessed woman will be attracted." However, that argument presupposes something about the reasons that women prefer taller guys to shorter guys -- which we'll see in the following pop culture example. (more...)