Hot or Not?

[Beth]

Everytime I loggin to AIM, I get a screen showing me the latest chick that puts herself up for a humiliating evaluation of her looks. I post my pics online in some of the forums I haunt, I do occassionally get flattered, but I don't do it expecting flattering comments. I did stop posting my pics in SpyMac because of cruel comments about my camera and the MILF comments.

Now, what I wonder is who exactly posts their pics in the Hot or Not? type sites? Why would someone want to set themselves up for that sort of degregation? I certainly wouldn't. I know that on my good days, I'm not exactly ugly, but I am also aware that on my bad days, I could wake the dead with my looks. I know that I am not the most gorgeous babe around and that likely my score would be low, that said, if I saw that I was given a low rating, I think I would feel very insecure and feel downright ugly. Why would I want to put myself out there to be graded on how many flaws I either have or don't have? Why would other people want to?

[Ensign Steve]

Kiddies much younger than us, that's who. I work with a few 18-21 year olds who put their pictures up there, mostly just for a laugh. They have their heads squarely on their shoulders, and don't break down in tears every time someone picks "not."

Anyway, Beth, don't be surprised if you do see your pic up there one day. Sometimes people grab a pic off the web (boards, blogs, photo galleries) and shove it up on Hot or Not just for fun.

[viscousmemories]

I can think of a few reasons. Curiosity, affirmation, etc. I decided at some point that I'd probably get about 7.5. I've considered testing that theory, but I'm too self-conscious about my looks to find out and I really don't much care about how the Hot or Not viewing populace would rate me, since I'm not looking to get any fame or fortune for my appearance.

[Ensign Steve]

Besides, you know you can always ask me. :blush:

[Beth]

I think I would get about a two-point-five or a three based on the score of other women who look like me, that's okay. I probably could handle that better than mean little personal comment from people I don't even know. But I guess that I don't like the idea of being rated most of all. It just seems so shallow.

I certainly hope that no one ever does do that just for fun, it could cause problems for me in my personal life.

[viscousmemories]

Besides, you know you can always ask me.
That's another good point. :D The whole people who like you won't want to say anything hurtful and people who don't won't want to compliment you thing makes random strangers the perfect group to ask for an objective opinion of your appearance.

[LadyShea]

I don't understand Hot or Not at all. To score well on there you need to appeal to the 12-16 year old nose pickin', dateless, dork set. What could that possibly tell anyone about their appeal to the people they want to appeal to...hopefully people that don't hang around voting on Hot or Not?

[viscousmemories]

Not to mention the times I've gone there just to look through the pictures, and used the number '7' (or some other random number) as a "show the next pic" button. :D

[Ensign Steve]

I don't understand Hot or Not at all. To score well on there you need to appeal to the 12-16 year old nose pickin', dateless, dork set. What could that possibly tell anyone about their appeal to the people they want to appeal to...hopefully people that don't hang around voting on Hot or Not?

Not to mention the times I've gone there just to look through the pictures, and used the number '7' (or some other random number) as a "show the next pic" button. :D

:doh:

[viscousmemories]

Well okay, so I'm not 12-16 anymore...

[LadyShea]

vm, do you seriously vote on Hot or Not?

[lisarea]

vm, do you seriously vote on Hot or Not?

I think you have to to look at the pictures. I was just looking at it to test a theory, and voted everyone 9, unless they were doing something goofy, in which case they got to be 10s.

So I guess I vote on there, too.

But anyways, on to said theory, which seems to be pretty accurate: Moreso than physical features, the scores seem to be more reflective of sexual markers. That is, the same woman will score WAY higher in tight clothing, low cut shirt, and bedhair than she will in a sweatshirt and glasses. The same man will score much higher in formal wear or that weird kind of slickster clothes than he will in a dorky t-shirt and baseball cap. On average. I mean, there are some obviously physically beautiful people and some obviously homely ones, probably, but it seems like the vast majority are judged more on their clothing and the pose than they are their actual looks.

And the primary audience, which I assume is adolescents, are even more swayed by the mere appearance of sexual availability. (Who are the most popular girls with the boys in junior highs? Not the smartest ones, the nicest ones, or even the prettiest ones: It's the ones with the most makeup, the biggest hair, and the tightest clothes, for the most part.)

[viscousmemories]

Yeah I've only been there two or three times over the years, but as lisa said you have to vote to flip through the pictures. So yeah I've done it a few times. Face the Jury has hotter people overall, though, as evidenced by their utterly vacuous commentary.