# Ug. Maybe Media DOES want women to be too skinny.

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [May 2, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492 "2007-05-02T17:19:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 7

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/121 "2007-05-03T23:27:30Z")

</div>

Okay, I’ve got a question that’ll probably make me have to turn in my Girl’s Club Card or something. What are y’all talking about when you’re discussing “thighs touching”? Seriously, I don’t understand what you mean. Because, what with legs being mobile, I’m unclear on what position they should be in when one is looking for thigh touching. Together? An inch apart? Shoulder-width apart? This has never made sense to me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/122 "2007-05-03T23:35:21Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=CaerieD]  
Okay, I’ve got a question that’ll probably make me have to turn in my Girl’s Club Card or something. What are y’all talking about when you’re discussing “thighs touching”? Seriously, I don’t understand what you mean. Because, what with legs being mobile, I’m unclear on what position they should be in when one is looking for thigh touching. Together? An inch apart? Shoulder-width apart? This has never made sense to me.  
[/QUOTE]

For me, it’s multi-layered. First, they cannot block out light. **FOR ME** , when standing straight with my feet touching together, there has to be a space between my thighs. I think I have about an inch of space (with jeans on).

Secondly, I don’t want my pants 'rif, rif, rif"ing when I walk.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/123 "2007-05-03T23:54:31Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Ogre]  
It’s obvious to me that it’s just the way she’s standing. Look at her feet. One is directly behind the other, and her body is twisted. That’s how her thighs are touching. Look at her waist. Not fat.  
[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Otto. AND she’s wearing heels, which tends to push her forward too.

Her thighs may still touch when she’s standing flat-footed, but it won’t be anything like they’re touching in that picture.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/124 "2007-05-04T00:08:46Z")

</div>

Did I miss the memo where a woman’s thighs touch = fat? That’s a body shape issue, not a fat v. not-fat issue.

When I was a teenager, girls whose thighs didn’t touch were mocked. It was called “having a gap” or being gap-legged; it meant that she was a slut who got fucked until she couldn’t keep her legs closed, and was considered unattractive. [Cite](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gap&page=2) from urbandictionary, definitions #11, 12, & 18, so you know I’m not making this up. Obviously there’s controversy over this because defintion #1 says the gap is very sexy because it means you’re thin. Personally, I think it’s of little relevance per se if a person’s thighs touch WRT whether or not that person is fat OR if that person is promiscuous; both are equally fucking absurd assertions based on just that information IMO.

However, considering how vilified the gap was from my recollections, I was surprised reading this thread that it was touted by some as being the standard of beauty. Huh. I certainly don’t think it’s as universal as you do, Kalhoun. Some people actually prefer that thighs touch, aesthetically. Your standards are relatively unreasonable and your critique of Marilyn Monroe is too laughable to be offensive.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/125 "2007-05-04T00:11:49Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Archergal]  
Thank you, Otto. AND she’s wearing heels, which tends to push her forward too.

Her thighs may still touch when she’s standing flat-footed, but it won’t be anything like they’re touching in that picture.  
[/QUOTE]

Yer welcome. But **Otto**?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/126 "2007-05-04T00:38:55Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Kalhoun]  
For me, it’s multi-layered. First, they cannot block out light. **FOR ME** , when standing straight with my feet touching together, there has to be a space between my thighs. I think I have about an inch of space (with jeans on).

Secondly, I don’t want my pants 'rif, rif, rif"ing when I walk.  
[/QUOTE]

Making sure I’ve got this right: A space between your thighs all the way up, with your feet together? If that’s the case, this must be why I cannot grasp this concept. At my thinnest, with a BMI of 18.5, my thighs still touched when I put my feet together. Not from knee to crotch, but there’s a curve to the muscle there. At the outermost curve, they’re guaranteed to touch on me if my feet are together. Not having an eating disorder or horrible body issues, I was able to see that 125lbs on a 5’9" frame was really thin, and so clearly I had to be misunderstanding this wisdom about thighs touching.

If I have understood right, then I have to agree with **Rubystreak**. It’s more of a body shape than body size thing. There are some women whose pelvises and legs are designed in such a way that their thighs won’t touch under those circumstances when they’re at a reasonable weight, but there are other women who can be teetering on the edge of starvation and still have touching thighs. Definitely not something that can be a single, deciding factor on weight.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/127 "2007-05-04T00:56:13Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=tremorviolet]  
Yeah, that reply was probably a little bit too testy. The comments about MM being “fat” because her thighs touched just hit a nerve. \<snip\>  
[/QUOTE]

I don’t think your reply was too testy. I think your reply was in response to an unconsciously arrogant vibe in this thread.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/128 "2007-05-04T01:09:08Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=tremorviolet]

So you don’t want your legs to ever touch. That’s great, your body’s not built that way. But there are plenty of women, MM included, who are not overweight and just have heavier legs. So please drop the “OMG, if my thighs ever touch I’ll just shoot myself, I think i’ll start purging right now I’m so grossed out by the idea” schtick. Thank god we’re not all identical Barbie clones.  
[/QUOTE]

Exactly. That was the one thing that bugged the shit out of me. Yes, you two obviously have lovely and petite frames. But Christ almighty, you make it sound like thighs that touch (when a lot of it is due to how your body is built, fat or not, as other posters have shown) is the most fucking disgusting thing in the world.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/129 "2007-05-04T01:21:32Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Rubystreak]  
Did I miss the memo where a woman’s thighs touch = fat? That’s a body shape issue, not a fat v. not-fat issue.

When I was a teenager, girls whose thighs didn’t touch were mocked. It was called “having a gap” or being gap-legged; it meant that she was a slut who got fucked until she couldn’t keep her legs closed, and was considered unattractive. [Cite](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gap&page=2) from urbandictionary, definitions #11, 12, & 18, so you know I’m not making this up. Obviously there’s controversy over this because defintion #1 says the gap is very sexy because it means you’re thin. Personally, I think it’s of little relevance per se if a person’s thighs touch WRT whether or not that person is fat OR if that person is promiscuous; both are equally fucking absurd assertions based on just that information IMO.

However, considering how vilified the gap was from my recollections, I was surprised reading this thread that it was touted by some as being the standard of beauty. Huh. I certainly don’t think it’s as universal as you do, Kalhoun. Some people actually prefer that thighs touch, aesthetically. Your standards are relatively unreasonable and your critique of Marilyn Monroe is too laughable to be offensive.  
[/QUOTE]  
Like you said, personal preference. It’s absolutely reasonable for my body type. Girls were always the ones to start the rumors about the shapely girls being sluts. I certainly never would have said anything that cruel about someone’s natural appearance, but as we know, there’s one in every crowd.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/130 "2007-05-04T01:27:49Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Kalhoun]  
Like you said, personal preference. It’s absolutely reasonable for my body type. Girls were always the ones to start the rumors about the shapely girls being sluts. I certainly never would have said anything that cruel about someone’s natural appearance, but as we know, there’s one in every crowd.  
[/QUOTE]

The shapely girls? They don’t have gaps, remember? It’s only the thin ones. So maybe where I came from, it was the skinny girls who were considered more likely to be promiscuous. And this was as likely to be said by guys as girls, so your insinuation that disliking the gap was girl on girl hate… I’d say you could sure call yourself an expert on that based on your posts in this thread. IIRC, it was you who started the ridiculing of another woman’s body. Does that mean you’re the one that’s in every crowd?

Buuut, you managed to miss the entire point of what I’m saying. You cited Marilyn’s thighs touching as evidence that she was overweight. It ain’t. You and others indicated thighs touching is unattractive, when in fact, some people find the gap unatttractive. Just think of all those lunches you missed to mind the gap, all for nought!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/131 "2007-05-04T01:54:56Z")

</div>

I did an informal poll of ladies on another forum I post to and the consensus is that several petite women have thighs that touch. Now I know that I was wrong and that thin women often do have thighs that touch. My ignorance has been fought on this issue.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/132 "2007-05-04T02:13:45Z")

</div>

Agreed that it’s a body type/shape thing. At my thinnest weight, borderline anorexic at age 16, I was 5’4 and about 105 pounds. I was visibly bony to the point of grossness. And my thighs touched.

However, I can see that for some people, touching thighs would indicate too much body fat. Currently, I’m about 140 (now I’m 5’6) and my body fat is approximately 19-20% (I had it tested last fall). I eat about 1600-1800 calories a day, work out for at least an hour five to six days a week. And my thighs touch. I’ve known people in much worse shape than I whose thighs didn’t touch. But then, most people at my level of fitness, body fat, and height can wear zip-up boots, but I can’t because my calves are too large for all of them - all muscle.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Cattitude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Cattitude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cattitude)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/133 "2007-05-04T03:10:53Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Rubystreak]  
Did I miss the memo where a woman’s thighs touch = fat? That’s a body shape issue, not a fat v. not-fat issue.

When I was a teenager, girls whose thighs didn’t touch were mocked. It was called “having a gap” or being gap-legged; it meant that she was a slut who got fucked until she couldn’t keep her legs closed, and was considered unattractive. [Cite](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gap&page=2) from urbandictionary, definitions #11, 12, & 18, so you know I’m not making this up. Obviously there’s controversy over this because defintion #1 says the gap is very sexy because it means you’re thin. Personally, I think it’s of little relevance per se if a person’s thighs touch WRT whether or not that person is fat OR if that person is promiscuous; both are equally fucking absurd assertions based on just that information IMO.

However, considering how vilified the gap was from my recollections, I was surprised reading this thread that it was touted by some as being the standard of beauty. Huh. I certainly don’t think it’s as universal as you do, Kalhoun. Some people actually prefer that thighs touch, aesthetically. Your standards are relatively unreasonable and your critique of Marilyn Monroe is too laughable to be offensive.  
[/QUOTE]

Agree to everything. I too grew up with the word “gap” meaning the above definition. It was stupid then as it is stupid now. My thighs touch now, will always touch no matter what weight I am. My SO would not be too happy if my legs got too thin. He likes them “fleshy”. He likes hips, thighs, booty, breasts, etc, He does NOT like bones.  
Women come in all sizes for a reason. Respect and love your body and stop fucking turning your noses up at other women for crissake! We can be our own best friend AND our own worst enemy. Accept compliments freely and give them as well.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/134 "2007-05-04T03:27:02Z")

</div>

My thighs touch. I’m 5’4", weigh 115 lbs, and am in decent shape (not the best shape of my life, but okay). I’m not at all “fat.” Some of my friends who are heavier than I couldn’t get their thighs to touch unless they forced them together.

A lot of it has to be caused by the way your pelvic girdle and leg bones are shaped. I know my pelvic girdle turns my legs inwards and I also tend toward having knock knees. I’m painfully aware of this because I ride horses competively and having a slight bow legged shape is more ideal for riding. My friends who are heavier than me whose thighs don’t touch are definitely more straight or even bow legged.

Other than the thigh touching issue, I can’t see how Marilyn is “fat” or even “chubby.” She does look a bit “soft” by today’s standards. I’m used to seeing women with more muscle tone. I recall watching her in \*Some Like It Hot \* and being surprised how her jiggle was considered so attractive. These days, we tend to prefer firmer bodies.

BTW, I loved those candid photos of her. I’d forgotten how drop dead gorgeous her face was! Soft or fat or whatever, she still seems really hot to me!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/135 "2007-05-04T05:56:41Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=tremorviolet]  
I think the whole debate over legs touching is bizarre. It depends so much more on your body type than anything else (although I’m not debating that enough weight will make any thighs touch).

I hang out with slender atheletic girls and probably most of them have thighs that touch. Only the one with naturally thin legs don’t. Here’s a [photo](http://www.bermanism.com/images/mastersnationals/IMG_0074.jpg) of me and some of my friends. (I’m on the right in the goofy hat) My thing always touch even though I’m [not overwieght](http://www.bermanism.com/images/mastersnationals/IMG_0077.jpg) and actually [lighter](http://www.bermanism.com/images/mastersnationals/IMG_0078.jpg) than the other girls.

So you don’t want your legs to ever touch. That’s great, your body’s not built that way. But there are plenty of women, MM included, who are not overweight and just have heavier legs. So please drop the “OMG, if my thighs ever touch I’ll just shoot myself, I think i’ll start purging right now I’m so grossed out by the idea” schtick. Thank god we’re not all identical Barbie clones.  
[/QUOTE]

AMEN!!!

And it would be nice if the media in their dubious wisdom, would stop trying to shove that cookie cutter image of female beauty down our collective throats!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/136 "2007-05-04T09:14:40Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Kalhoun]  
My ideal body (my body) was thin and fairly curvy (no butt, though ☹ ) and I am short. I was very comfortable with a size 1 or 2. I noticed in one of those Marilyn pics (I think it was the one I screwed up the link for) her thighs were touching. That is too much weight on me. I have very fine bones and I was 95 lbs, give or take, with no dieting or starvation.  
[/QUOTE]

My thighs have touched all my life, and I used to be the 2nd-skinniest girl in my class. 1st-skinniest didn’t get her periods until age 17 because she wasn’t eating right (apparently a single-slice-of-bologna sandwich for breakfast, two leaves of lettuce for lunch and one apple for dinner is not enough).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/137 "2007-05-04T11:22:06Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Rubystreak]  
The shapely girls? They don’t have gaps, remember? It’s only the thin ones. So maybe where I came from, it was the skinny girls who were considered more likely to be promiscuous. And this was as likely to be said by guys as girls, so your insinuation that disliking the gap was girl on girl hate… I’d say you could sure call yourself an expert on that based on your posts in this thread. IIRC, it was you who started the ridiculing of another woman’s body. Does that mean you’re the one that’s in every crowd?  
[/quote]

Well, I’m a shapely girl and mine don’t touch. Shapely does not mean “not thin.”

I expressed an opinion based on my preference, about someone else’s body. I don’t think my opinion is going to send anyone into a self-hating spiral of binging and purging.

I didn’t start the thread. The OP expressed an opinion and I expressed mine. I _also_ said this was _my_ preference for _my_ body. I don’t care if your thighs chafe or not. I only care if my thighs do (and they don’t).

The skinny girls may have been assumed to be sluts, but the fat chicks in my neighborhood were the ones who were the most promiscuous.

> [@](#):
>
> Buuut, you managed to miss the entire point of what I’m saying. You cited Marilyn’s thighs touching as evidence that she was overweight. It ain’t. You and others indicated thighs touching is unattractive, when in fact, some people find the gap unatttractive. Just think of all those lunches you missed to mind the gap, all for nought!

I do not find MM’s “chubby” photos to be attractive. That’s all. You don’t need to get all defensive about it if you are a thigh-toucher. I wasn’t talking about your thighs. I was talking about mine and MM’s.

And I’ve never missed a lunch in my life due to dieting. I could stand to lose 10 lbs, but I’d have to gain at least that much before my thighs would become an issue for me.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/138 "2007-05-04T15:33:09Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Kalhoun]  
Well, I’m a shapely girl and mine don’t touch. Shapely does not mean “not thin.”

I expressed an opinion based on my preference, about someone else’s body. I don’t think my opinion is going to send anyone into a self-hating spiral of binging and purging.  
[/quote]

Like I said, it was too laughable to be offensive, but you do realize it’s laughable, I hope. Your attitude could be hurtful if promulgated, which was the OP’s point-- it IS. People are actually saying Marilyn Monroe is fat, which is unbelievable. You were saying, before you were soundly corrected, that thighs touching = fat. You are wrong, it’s not that cut and dried. If that’s your basis for saying Marilyn is fat, then you’re just looking for a way to dis a woman who is likely far more beautiful than you are. It seems smug, and ridiculous.

> [@](#):
>
> I didn’t start the thread. The OP expressed an opinion and I expressed mine. I _also_ said this was _my_ preference for _my_ body. I don’t care if your thighs chafe or not. I only care if my thighs do (and they don’t).

Fuck you. “If my thighs chafe”? As if THAT would be my reason for objecting to your bashing of Marilyn Monroe as fat. Notice I have said nothing about my thighs or my weight, because unlike you, I am not making this about who’s thinner, me v. Marilyn, or me v. you. This is about standards of beauty; you (along with the producer mentioned in the OP) are imposing your body type and personal standards and trying to make them universal, denigrating other, perfectly attractive and healthy body types.

> [@](#):
>
> The skinny girls may have been assumed to be sluts, but the fat chicks in my neighborhood were the ones who were the most promiscuous.

Yeah, not promulgating fat-hating stereotypes, no, not you. In my experience, being a slut was not correlated to body type. What is your problem anyway?

> [@](#):
>
> I do not find MM’s “chubby” photos to be attractive. That’s all. You don’t need to get all defensive about it if you are a thigh-toucher. I wasn’t talking about your thighs. I was talking about mine and MM’s.

I haven’t said jack about my thighs touching either way. It’s not about me. I’m defending Marilyn because I think she looks beautiful and that no one with a sense of perspective or proportion could claim she was fat, not because of the shape of my legs. Your thinly veiled accusation that I’m chubby and that’s why I’m disagreeing with your criticims of Marilyn Monroe is pretty fucked up, and incorrect. I’m not being defensive, I’m attacking the questionable position you’ve taken in this debate. Plenty of other thin women have also disagreed with you, so this debate is not necessarily breaking down on the fat = pro-Marilyn/thin = anti-Marilyn lines, no matter how you try to imply it’s so.

> [@](#):
>
> And I’ve never missed a lunch in my life due to dieting. I could stand to lose 10 lbs, but I’d have to gain at least that much before my thighs would become an issue for me.

Wow, still on this. It’s just your body type that causes your thighs not to touch, not the fact that you’re thinner than every other woman whose thighs touch. Absorb this as reality and maybe you’d stop hating on other women’s body types so much.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/139 "2007-05-04T16:12:58Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Rubystreak]  
Like I said, it was too laughable to be offensive, but you do realize it’s laughable, I hope. Your attitude could be hurtful if promulgated, which was the OP’s point-- it IS. People are actually saying Marilyn Monroe is fat, which is unbelievable. You were saying, before you were soundly corrected, that thighs touching = fat. You are wrong, it’s not that cut and dried. If that’s your basis for saying Marilyn is fat, then you’re just looking for a way to dis a woman who is likely far more beautiful than you are. It seems smug, and ridiculous.  
[/quote]  
No more smug or ridiculous than your ranting on about my opinion of someone’s thighs. I never said everyone needs to have thinner thighs. I said I prefer my thighs thin and I don’t think MM’s thighs are attractive in that photo. Get a grip.

> [@](#):
>
> Fuck you. “If my thighs chafe”? As if THAT would be my reason for objecting to your bashing of Marilyn Monroe as fat. Notice I have said nothing about my thighs or my weight, because unlike you, I am not making this about who’s thinner, me v. Marilyn, or me v. you. This is about standards of beauty; you (along with the producer mentioned in the OP) are imposing your body type and personal standards and trying to make them universal, denigrating other, perfectly attractive and healthy body types.

No I’m not. I said I don’t find her thighs attractive. That is neither trying to make my opinion universal nor is it denigrating body types in general.

> [@](#):
>
> Yeah, not promulgating fat-hating stereotypes, no, not you. In my experience, being a slut was not correlated to body type. What is your problem anyway?

In your experience, thin women with non-touching thighs were considered sluts. You just said so, remember?

> [@](#):
>
> So maybe where I came from, it was the skinny girls who were considered more likely to be promiscuous. And this was as likely to be said by guys as girls

You’re the one who began equating body type with sexual activity in this thread; not me.

> [@](#):
>
> I haven’t said jack about my thighs touching either way. It’s not about me. I’m defending Marilyn because I think she looks beautiful and that no one with a sense of perspective or proportion could claim she was fat, not because of the shape of my legs. Your thinly veiled accusation that I’m chubby and that’s why I’m disagreeing with your criticims of Marilyn Monroe is pretty fucked up, and incorrect. I’m not being defensive, I’m attacking the questionable position you’ve taken in this debate. Plenty of other thin women have also disagreed with you, so this debate is not necessarily breaking down on the fat = pro-Marilyn/thin = anti-Marilyn lines, no matter how you try to imply it’s so.

Your thinly veiled accusation that thin women are sluts might have brought some of that shit to you, don’t you think? I never said anything about your thighs. I said \*I don’t care \* if they’re fat or thin. Take a reading comprehension class.

Oh…and you don’t have to like my position on MM’s beauty or lack thereof. I really don’t give a shit.

> [@](#):
>
> Wow, still on this. It’s just your body type that causes your thighs not to touch, not the fact that you’re thinner than every other woman whose thighs touch. Absorb this as reality and maybe you’d stop hating on other women’s body types so much.

Jesus. Settle down. I don’t give a flying fuck about your thighs or any other woman’s. I for the umpteenth time, I think MM has chubby thighs. Not fat; CHUBBY. It doesn’t mean she has to turn in her Beauty Queen card. My opinion is neither incorrect, nor is it your business. I was responding to the OP. Just because you think MM isn’t chubby really doesn’t mean anything to me. He threw out his opinoin and I threw out mine.

Now take your righteous indignation and accusations and get out of my face, you pathetic head case.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492/140 "2007-05-04T16:36:14Z")

</div>

I have to add a couple of things:

1. Non thigh touching girls always tended to look a bit bow-legged to me - not unattractive, just bow-legged. I always assumed they were good horse-women.

2. **Kalhoun** , you’re coming accross as surprisingly shirll and obnoxious in this thread. Not sure why, but if you look to **Indygrrl** she had the same opinion, did a cursory amount of research and concluded that small woman can still have thighs that touch. That you’re now coming in talking about the “fat” girls being hos, and thighs that touch “chaffing,” is surprisingly mean spirited.

FWIW, my thighs touch, and do not chaff.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492.md?page=6)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ug-maybe-media-does-want-women-to-be-too-skinny/402492.md?page=8)
