From: kovarik@utkux1.utk.edu (SaintMeechTheChaste)
Newsgroups: alt.angst
Subject: Re: fat smelly boyfriend
Keywords: fat fat fat smelly smelly (perhaps grotesquely rotund, spheroid)
Date: 14 Aug 92 18:52:47 GMT
Organization: University of Tennessee Oil and Lube Center

In article <1992Aug13.161152.17612@bnlux1.bnl.gov> schroede@bnlux1.bnl.gov (gary l. schroeder) writes:
>In article <1992Aug12.173356.24284@utkux1.utk.edu> kovarik@utkux1.utk.edu (SaintMeechTheChaste) writes:
>
>>This is something I don't understand.  It happens, and it's totally weird.
>>I have this female friend who is very intelligent, who just got a Master's
>>degree in an engineering field.  She's physically attractive, and not just
>>bright, but when she tries to meet men, they seem to go out of their way 
>>to ignore her.  
>
>
>Gee, how can I meet this friend of yours?
>

Come to Oak Ridge, TN.

>>If she goes to a "meat market" no one will hit on her, even
>>though that is sort of what she wants (maybe to build her self-confidence--
>>I dunno). 
>
>Oh, so she's actually interested in flirting with guys who have the
>genes of Denny Tario, then.  No wonder that experience has been
>unfulfilling.  Has she thought about raising her sights a little higher
>than the "meat market"?  What kind of social barometer is that?  The
>"market" has very little to do with reality, and a whole hell of a lot
>to do with alcohol.

It is impossible to raise one's sights very high in Oak Ridge, TN, or
the surrounding environs.  Life here is just one giant compromise.  Give
up everything to do physics, or get out.

>> How do guys spot her as a non-bimbo without even speaking to
>>her, I dunno.  But it happens, and it makes her mad.  
>
>Then I must be equally skewed for being interested in the "non-bimbo"
>type.  I have to admit I'm having a hard time experiencing a lot of
>sympathy here.  It almost sounds as though this person would like to
>have the opportunity to be mis-identified as Ms. Bimbette.  That would
>certainly get her foot in the door, but then what?  Talk about the
>latest performance statistics of the Philadelphia Eagles?  

Sure.  Why not?  If your only opportunities for dates are Barbies and Kens,
you have to adapt.  Possibly, if you spend your whole life living in place
where that is the norm, you may not believe that there may be alternatives.

I think the most shocking thing I have noticed in TN is how out of touch
with reality people here are. They actually believe it's the Garden of 
Eden.  But to everyone I know from out of state, it is a Hellhole.  Some
are more discreet about complaining that I am, so that the locals don't
suspect.  But almost everyone I know from out of state has as his or
her primary goal, getting out.  And also, not so surprizingly, people from
out of state have only minimal interactions with the natives, and those
out of staters who remain, wind up wind with all the best jobs. Natives
have the lowest, most menial jobs usually, and the lowest incomes.
Of course, they are happy in their sheep-like complacency.  A theory
floating around the physics department is that the state was settled by people
whose wagon wheels broke one the way west, and they were not smart enough
to fix them.  

So if you want to go out on a date, what do you do?

>This reminds me of a time that I was in said meat market with an
>extremely attractive friend.  I didn't get to talk to her much that
>evening because she was too busy fending off potential mating partners.
>At one point in the evening, Moose from the Archie series actually came
>out and asked "so, will you sleep with me tonight?".  It didn't work,
>but it made me wonder what planet I was on.  I must be really out of
>touch with reality to think that there's something wrong with this
>approach.  Guess I'm just not up to '90's social standards yet.

Well, sometimes the idea is to have people try to pick you up, even if
you may not be interested.  Although, I would suspect that in general 
people trying to pick you up all the time could be considered to be 
irritating.

>>Rachel, the intelligence thing can work both ways....  Here in TN, I 
>>get the feeling that if you aren't a "jock"-type guy, women will not be
>>interested in you.   Brains is out.
>
>
>I can understand this if you're very intelligent, but physically
>repulsive.  However, in most cases it seems to be true.  I think I've
>been unsuccessful recently due to my lack of a Gold's Gym membership
>card and obligatory ear ring.
>

Or if you have the wrong accent. I have had people speak to me in bars,
only to move away as soon as they hear my accent which is not from TN.
 
>Hey, that's not just TN you're describing there.  You might as well be
>talking about this area.  Cool truck?  Great.  No job?  Even better.  No
>prospects?  Let's get married.  Oh, wait.  I almost forgot the most
>important criteria:  how many watts can your truck's subwoofer handle?
>
>Typical personal in this area:  "must have 90210-style sideburns and a
>nice truck".  I swear I'm not making this one up.
>

I believe you.  It's tragic.

Allow me to say this:

Bah.
					Meech
Newsgroups: alt.angst