Matt Yglesias figures it out for us:
Eugene Volokh wonders why men are so ugly. Andrew Sullivan responds:
Much of this is true — but only for straight men. And that reveals the real source of male slovenliness: women. If women weren’t so damn forgiving of slobbiness, if they weren’t prepared to look for the diamond buried in the rough of a man’s beer-belly, men might have to shape up a little. The only reason gay men are – on the whole – better turned out than straight men is because they have to appeal to other shallow, beauty-obsessed males to get laid, find a mate, etc. The corollary, of course, are lesbians. Now there are many glamorous lesbiterians, but even the most enthusiastic Sapphic-lover will have to concede that many are not exactly, shall we say, stylish. The reason? They don’t have to be to attract other women; and since women find monogamy easier, they also slide into the I’m-married-so-what-the-hell-have-another-pretzel syndrome. When straight women really do insist on only dating hot guys, men will shape up. Until then, it’s hopeless.
Awesome. Now personally, I’m very much against women raising their standards.
Nevertheless, since it’s being discussed by A-list bloggers it’s important that we understand this situation correctly. We have a serious collective action problem here. Free marketers like Sullivan and Volokh are too blinded by ideology to see the compelling need for government intervention. A temporary regulatory solution could help us resolve this mess. For the next five years, say, straight women must “insist on only dating hot guys” (we’ll have to empanel a “Federal Hot Guy Commission” consisting of “shallow, beauty-obsessed [gay] males” to rank everyone) and see if the hot guy supply increases in response. After five years you can drop the rule and things should have reached a new, better, equilibrium.
The logic is impeccable.
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