# Are black women generally less attractive then white women? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163 "2009-01-27T01:16:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/21 "2009-01-27T03:29:07Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > I put several famous black women, generally considered beautiful, to him, such as Beyonce, and the girl from Battlestar Galactica (Dee), and he rejected them, saying that both were at best pretty. And, when I thought about it, I agreed with him. > In the end we ended up with a challenge - I have to find a black woman who he finds attractive - so far I have nothing. I thought of Leona Lewis, but again she’s not that great. > I can name numerous black women with great t and a, and many who are just damn sexy, but none that are beautiful. Really? Did you and your friend consider [Thandie Newton](http://filmgordon.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/0307_art_thandie_2.jpg)? [Veronica Webb](http://www.thefashioninsider.com/dat/supermodels/Photo_23_9e688d00545b0feebe30b58dd932a15e.PNG)? [Halle Berry](http://blogs.bet.com/entertainment/whattheflick/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/halle_berry_1.jpg)? The pre-meltdown [Lauryn Hill](http://www.musicgirl.net/pics/lauryn_hill_picture.jpg)? How about old school beauties like [Dorothy Dandridge](http://upload.moldova.org/movie/actors/d/dorothy_dandridge/thumbnails/tn2_dorothy_dandridge_1.jpg) or [Lena Horne](http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/jazztour/lena-horne-620)? Has your friend had his eyesight checked recently? ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/22 "2009-01-27T03:29:31Z")
The best way that I can explain it is this: in your brain there is a picture of “the ideal woman”. This picture is based on the average features of all the women you have seen in your life. The closer a woman’s features are to this ideal, the more attractive she is to you. For those of us who live where there are large populations of black women, our brain has realized that black women are “a different kind of woman” and has created a separate picture called “ideal black woman”. The attractiveness of the black women that we see are compared to our “ideal black woman” picture, while the white women that we see are compared to our “ideal white woman” picture. If you live where there are not a lot of black women around, your brain has not realised that it needs to create a separate category for them. It keeps trying to compare them to the “ideal white woman” picture, and finds them too far away from that ideal to be attractive. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/23 "2009-01-27T03:32:25Z")
Like I said, Jim Crow horndogginess. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/24 "2009-01-27T03:35:12Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > And it appears my friend is not the only one who thinks so with half of black men in Britain dating a white woman. I have no cite for the number of black women dating white men, but I’ve seen figures suggesting the number is far, far lower. > [@brazil84's link](#): > > The heart of the problem for Asian men and black women is that intermarriage does not treat every sex/race combination equally: on average, it has offered black men and Asian women new opportunities for finding mates among whites, while exposing Asian men and black women to new competition from whites. 😕 If black men are more likely to date white women than white men are to date black women, why should we assume that it’s because black women are less attractive than white women? Maybe it’s because white men are less attractive than black men. Or maybe the whole issue is too complicated to explain with simplistic inferences about some kind of objective cross-racial measure of “attractiveness”. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/25 "2009-01-27T03:36:11Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Really? Did you and your friend consider [Thandie Newton](http://filmgordon.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/0307_art_thandie_2.jpg)? [Veronica Webb](http://www.thefashioninsider.com/dat/supermodels/Photo_23_9e688d00545b0feebe30b58dd932a15e.PNG)? [Halle Berry](http://blogs.bet.com/entertainment/whattheflick/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/halle_berry_1.jpg)? The pre-meltdown [Lauryn Hill](http://www.musicgirl.net/pics/lauryn_hill_picture.jpg)? How about old school beauties like [Dorothy Dandridge](http://upload.moldova.org/movie/actors/d/dorothy_dandridge/thumbnails/tn2_dorothy_dandridge_1.jpg) or [Lena Horne](http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/jazztour/lena-horne-620)? > > Has your friend had his eyesight checked recently? What’s interesting is that most of the women you cite seem to be rather caucasian-looking compared to many other black women. i.e. they seem to have straighter hair, lighter complexions, and finer features. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/26 "2009-01-27T03:40:21Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Really? Did you and your friend consider [Thandie Newton](http://filmgordon.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/0307_art_thandie_2.jpg)? [Veronica Webb](http://www.thefashioninsider.com/dat/supermodels/Photo_23_9e688d00545b0feebe30b58dd932a15e.PNG)? [Halle Berry](http://blogs.bet.com/entertainment/whattheflick/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/halle_berry_1.jpg)? The pre-meltdown [Lauryn Hill](http://www.musicgirl.net/pics/lauryn_hill_picture.jpg)? How about old school beauties like [Dorothy Dandridge](http://upload.moldova.org/movie/actors/d/dorothy_dandridge/thumbnails/tn2_dorothy_dandridge_1.jpg) or [Lena Horne](http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/jazztour/lena-horne-620)? Respectively: White, white, white, actually hot, mixed & meh, and bleh & mostly white. You have one actual fine lookin’ black lady there. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/27 "2009-01-27T03:40:59Z")
No offense, but considering that Irishmen tend to be drunks with small peni, I’ll take your friend’s opinion with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/28 "2009-01-27T03:51:52Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > What’s interesting is that most of the women you cite seem to be rather caucasian-looking compared to many other black women. i.e. they seem to have straighter hair, lighter complexions, and finer features. I didn’t necessarily mean for my list to come out that way. I also could’ve named [Tyra Banks](http://z.about.com/d/sbinformation/1/0/L/1/TyraBanks.jpg) or [Naomi Campbell](http://daily.chictoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/naomi_campbell_1881709.jpg) but I didnt want my post to be too long. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/29 "2009-01-27T03:53:11Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Gotta say your experience and mine don’t match, brother. Sure ‘n’ begorrah, though I learned to be afraid of Irish women at me pater’s knee, I can (possibly) summon enough courage to say that, while the lion’s share of our Irish sisters are as fair as a summer morn, there are some like a woman in my database class whose Donegal accent was like the very angels in full song, but whose face could stop a clock. I have certainly learned to be afraid of them, I will give you that. And I love the accent. I will also concede that I have not been to Ireland, so I am sure that if I went to a college town I would find some, but my experience with the ones I have met, tops at “cute” in a very exceptional case. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/30 "2009-01-27T03:55:05Z")
ETA: > [@DanBlather](#): > > No offense, but considering that Irishmen tend to be drunks with small peni, I’ll take your friend’s opinion with a grain of salt. [junior mod? shit, I’m a SENIOR condemner] Dan, you are another poster going STRAIGHT to Hell. Thought you’d want to know now so you can plan for it. [/junior mod, etc] ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/31 "2009-01-27T03:59:30Z")
And if it isn’t obvious to our Gentle Readers, this is a pointless waste of computer resources, because one person’s Hottie is the next person’s Nottie. It’s how we perpetuate the species, though not everybody matches an artificial ideal. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/32 "2009-01-27T03:59:45Z")
As a gay guy, black women are total hot. You better stay away from us gay guys and black women, because we just may take over your world. You straight people and black guys, well… you’re fucked. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/33 "2009-01-27T04:01:32Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > And, yes, by definition, the proposition that “black women are generally less attractive than white women” is racist. That’s not a moral judgement, just a matter of fact. Eh, not really. Besides the fact that the OP might not yet realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I kind of have a thing for black girls, and I don’t consider myself racist, so why is he racist for kind of not having a thing for them? I’m attracted to all types _somewhat_ equally, but if I’m being completely honest, I’ve realized over the last few years that blondes are right down at the bottom of that list. I can’t help it, I’m just not as attracted to them. Am I a bigot? Anyone who has a “type” has to admit that women who don’t fit that type aren’t as attractive to them, so we’re basically all in the same boat as the OP. He probably just hasn’t given it much thought yet. As far as pictures of hot black girls . . . well, there aren’t a lot of dark-skinded black female celebrities that I can think of, so _someone_ is going to try to invalidate just about every picture in this thread. For my money, though, one of the hottest women I’ve ever seen in my life was [Aaliyah](http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj281/aaliyah_liyah/aaliyah2.gif). ---
**Author:** ![spike404](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@spike404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spike404)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/34 "2009-01-27T04:22:31Z")
Enough, already! Loaded racial threads are getting really, really old. Made only to fan the flames. As in the classic question: " Do you still beat your wife? Answer yes, or no." ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/35 "2009-01-27T04:23:13Z")
How bout a little [Pam Grier](http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/tilt1/PamGrier5.jpg) action There are beautiful women of every race. The ratio of beautiful women to beautiful guys has to be something like 1000:1. The real challenge, IMO, is determining which women rate a 5, 6, or 7 out of 10 if you don’t see a lot of women of that race. For example, I’m of the opinion that every Indian woman is either really hot or really ugly, but that’s only because I haven’t seen enough of them to develop a more nuanced opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/36 "2009-01-27T04:32:07Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I kind of have a thing for black girls, and I don’t consider myself racist, so why is he racist for kind of not having a thing for them? I don’t think anyone’s suggesting that it’s automatically racist for an individual to have **personal preferences** about what sort of looks s/he finds sexually attractive. “I personally am not as attracted to black women as to white women” is not necessarily an expression of racist feelings. What might be racist (or perhaps just naive or clueless) would be a **generalization** along the lines of “Black women as a group are just not as attractive as white women, because otherwise I would be more attracted to them than I am.” ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/37 "2009-01-27T04:55:21Z")
Comon…so a guy isn’t fond of black women. That has little to do with their beauty and more with personal preference. Try [here](http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l121/cakeandice-cream/Pictures4/ESSENCE1-1.jpg) or[here](http://evasitoe.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/kerry-washington-picture-1.jpg) [here](http://blackwomensforum.com/a/files/images/favactress2.jpg) [here](http://urie.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/13078_angela_basset_2006_black_movi.jpg) [here](http://thisrecording.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/gabrielle-union-picture-1.jpg) [here](http://www.beautyriot.com/stuff/images/articles/approve/2568_2874_BEAUVAIS_GARCELLE_400.jpg) if these women aren’t beautiful then someone please let me have these rejects. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/38 "2009-01-27T05:07:42Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > peni Penes. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/39 "2009-01-27T05:40:23Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (Bolding mine) > There was a time when I was not attracted to black women, except when they were light with white features. I find that this is true for me right now. I can acknowledge that certain black women are beautiful, but I don’t find myself attracted to them for the most part. It’s a weird phenomenon to me; [Paula Patton: attractive to me.](http://x3c.xanga.com/f23c82fa56d32206458088/z160587400.jpg) [This woman](http://fashionfascista.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/jourdan_dunn1.jpg), I acknowledge as beautiful, but… not so attractive to me. I suppose it’s not much different than my attraction or nonattraction to white or Asian or Latina women, though; but I do tend to find myself disagreeing more with friends about which black women are hot, as opposed to Asian, white, or Latina women who they say are hot. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163/40 "2009-01-27T05:51:35Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > I find that this is true for me right now. I can acknowledge that certain black women are beautiful, but I don’t find myself attracted to them for the most part. > > It’s a weird phenomenon to me; > [Paula Patton: attractive to me.](http://x3c.xanga.com/f23c82fa56d32206458088/z160587400.jpg) > > [This woman](http://fashionfascista.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/jourdan_dunn1.jpg), I acknowledge as beautiful, but… not so attractive to me. Well, I’m female, so take this with a grain of salt as I’m mostly attracted to things with penises, but I think with the black girl, I feel like she’s also beautiful. But if I were a guy, I don’t know that I’d be attracted to her. She’s kind of beautiful in a statue type way. Like on a higher plain, almost. The same way I’m not exactly attracted to Michelangelo’s David, but I do acknowledge it as beautiful. Though I don’t know, maybe I’m overlooking the racial aspect? Also wanted to add that maybe a lot of it is the fact that people in general tend to be more attracted to what we grow up around. I’m Asian by ethnicity but I’ve grown up around mostly white people, so I’ve pretty much dated and slept with primarily white guys, and that’s who I tend to find attractive. I don’t really find guys of my own race that attractive…or of other races, in general. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-black-women-generally-less-attractive-then-white-women/483163.md?page=3)