ADDED: Question from the journalist: "What does it symbolize if one has a thigh gap?"
[UPDATE: Pesky thigh video deleted. It was causing technical troubles. It's very good, so click over if you want to see it.]
AND: From the video:
Journalist: "Do you think boys look at a girl's thigh gap?"My home-based research gets different results. I asked my husband Meade if men knew or cared about the "thigh gap," and he said "hell, yeah!" He advised me to Google "Laura Petrie." Apparently, he's been thinking about the thigh gap for a long time. On further questioning, I was able to discern a difference between the thigh gap these teenage girls were waxing competitive about — a spacious dual arc at mid-thigh — and the thigh gap that Meade (purporting to represent the thinking of many men) was enthusing over — which is a hand-sized window of light at the top of the closed thighs.
Girls: "No! They don't even know what it is!"
Journalist: "So why do girls care?"
Girl: "It's a girl thing."
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Must NOT make Wonder Woman comment....
-XC
News flash: Teenage girls want to look attractive to teenage guys.
And yes, looking attractive by today's standards means having less body fat than what is most healthy, and much less body fat than what is common today.
The patriarchal oppression continues unabated!
I admit it! I'll keep my methods secret, but I am entirely responsible for this. My evil desire to starve teenage girls for my perverse sexual satisfaction knows no limits!
I will not be satisfied until every woman and girl in America is picking cotton by hand under a hot sun in Mississippi. With some cruel bastard snapping the whip!
Hmmmm...I clicked on the video, and had to suffer through a 30 second advertisement for Reynold's aluminum foil which could not be stopped.
The advertisement included little foil people that managed to get the tater tots into the oven, and cooked in time for dinner. Yeah....pretty compelling stuff.
I didn't hang around for the ABC news piece.
Ignorance:
(from the actual news story) "Surprisingly, some girls’ motivation to have a thigh gap isn’t to make themselves more desirable to boys. The New Jersey students told Chang that some boys don’t even notice it.
It’s strictly a girl thing, affecting popularity and status, they said."
Is it so shocking that the female of the species might decide to do something unrelated to the male? Especially if one girl or group of girls have this thigh gap thing and can then set themselves up as better than all the other ugglo girls that don't have it.
Girls are mean. Shouting Thomas will be along shortly to emphasize the point.
And I'd have thought the thigh gap had more to do with hip structure than anything else. Probably makes them better breeders than anything.
Someday when we have a Hispanic majority this will all be a bad but distant memory.
How long before there is a procedure to create a thigh gap??
Thigh-o-plasty??
I asked my husband Meade if men knew or cared about the "thigh gap," and he said "hell, yeah!" He advised me to Google "Laura Petrie."
Couple of things: First, all that tells you is that Meade has a thing for young MTM, not that "men" care about the thigh gap. There are many things to notice about women, from hair and eyes to butt and legs. Thigh crack ain't on the top of the list, I promise.
Secondly, MTM really did look marvelous in the old **** Van **** days, didn't she?
"Mind the gap" on thechive.com
Thigh gap is closely related to "camel toe."
A girl can't have a proper camel toe without a thigh gap.
When I was in high school I remember us putting our knees together to see if our thighs touched. That was 30 years ago.
I think guys notice it, but maybe more subconsciously than the usual list.
Post weight loss and gym work, a male friend actually said to me, "You've got a thigh gap!". I had never even heard the term.
On the one hand it is true that women in general and girls in particular judge their own and the appearances of other females more harshly than males do. On the other hand, never underestimate the ability of males to take pleasure - Meade represents admirably here - in the most subtle aspect of female appearance. I am not sure I would trust a man who didn't exhibit at least modest voyeuristic tendencies towards women.
Those pictures where the girl's thighs are smaller around than her knees look dreadful, though. Scary, creepy thin.
Never much cared for girls that skinny.
This only made me more self-conscious about my body, and I'm a grown women. I indeed have a thigh gap, but my thighs also have been blessed to look like cottage cheese. I would take bigger thighs, over cellulite.
Though I suppose they get more wear out of their jeans.
a hand-sized window of light at the top of the closed thighs
I don't get this. I also don't HAVE this but I can't picture what the heck that means. Hand-sized? Window of light? Top of thighs?
The "window of light" makes it sound mystical. Or it makes the woman sound deformed. MTM was not deformed.
"**** Van ****" made me laugh!
Amen, Renee. I've been doing everything I can to reduce it, and it's still there. I don't really believe you can get rid of it once you have it. Other than lipo, which is gross.
"It's a girl thing."
A couple of years out of college, a female friend told me that when girls tended to dress up when going out, a lot of that was more directed to competition between the girls rather than trying to attract men. "We don't need to dress up to do that" she said.
I'd lacked that insight prior to then.
"Hmmmm...I clicked on the video, and had to suffer through a 30 second advertisement for Reynold's aluminum foil which could not be stopped."
Just picture thighs wrapped in aluminum foil...
This is the first I've heard of this.
I've got the gap, but then, I'm a little bow-legged, so I can't even stand up straight and touch knees at the same time. Oh well.
"Gap" was enough of a concept in the 60s that when the store called The Gap opened, selling pants, it was risque.
Ring around the collar is more serious.
We called it factory air. Urban Dictionary: the gap between a woman's thighs just below her crotch. also known as the beaver breather.
"There are many things to notice about women, from hair and eyes to butt and legs. Thigh crack ain't on the top of the list, I promise."
Some men are more attuned to the details.
As men purport to represent all men, you're presenting the man as more crudely focused on fewer things and those few things do not include the vulva.
More research is needed!
... the thigh gap that Meade (purporting to represent the thinking of many men) was enthusing over ...
Look. Men don't care what women think. Meade is correct, presently and historically, about the gap that counts for men. I recall it as a male conversation topic as early as 1952...especially among us boys who were admiring girls in tight jeans who we rode horses with regularly.
Our juvenile logic about why this gap, even a slight one, was very important isn't fit for this venue. I confess, even as an old coot, that I'm still likely to notice it however.
A lovely, vain friend a while ago explained to a mystified me which brand of toilet paper she will/won't buy because of issue of 'butt lint' and how she doesn't want it to mar the beauty of her buttcrack. This goes with 'thigh gap,' and 'landing strip,' and many other terms on the list of things I never knew I was supposed to worry about until I read about it somewhere.
Caring a lot about your appearance seems like so much work. And I'm happy that most of my female friends are natural hippie mama types whose idea of beauty involves regular exercise, enough sleep, a healthy diet, the same Oil of Olay they've been using since they were teenagers and maybe 5 minutes of makeup in the morning. I'd be stressed out if I had friends who worried about stupid stuff like whether or not I have a thigh gap.
(although I suppose I might be more aware of this if my husband were a thigh man, which he is not.)
"Our juvenile logic about why this gap, even a slight one, was very important isn't fit for this venue."
It's got a more obvious evolutionary explanation that most preferences having to do with sex. It's evidence of childbearing capacity and survival, especially when it's not accompanied by overall thinness (which would correspond to infertility and death in times of shortages).
Thigh gap means that you're not as apt to break your glasses when she crosses her legs.
LOL, Allen
Althouse said ...
It's got a more obvious evolutionary explanation that most preferences having to do with sex. It's evidence of childbearing capacity and survival, ...
Perhaps, but I think you are violating the KISS principle with all that evolutionary stuff...
...when DADvocate had it exactly right just before I posted with the "beaver breather" citation, as well as AllenS implying the same thing subsequently.
Thigh gap is evidence of childbearing capacity? How?
...a hand-sized window of light at the top of the closed thighs.
Excuse me Miss, but I need to measure something... this will only take a moment...
this will only take a moment...
What will only take a moment? The slap?
Synovia says: "When I was in high school I remember us putting our knees together to see if our thighs touched. That was 30 years ago."
Now most girls put their thighs together to see if their knees touch.
Ann Althouse said...
As men purport to represent all men, you're presenting the man as more crudely focused on fewer things and those few things do not include the vulva.
More research is needed!
This calls for a pole!
I mean poll
Shouting Thomas,
I will not be satisfied until every woman and girl in America is picking cotton by hand under a hot sun in Mississippi.
So, you like your women hot and black.
NTTAWWT
CEO-MMP said...
I asked my husband Meade if men knew or cared about the "thigh gap," and he said "hell, yeah!" He advised me to Google "Laura Petrie."
Couple of things: First, all that tells you is that Meade has a thing for young MTM, not that "men" care about the thigh gap. There are many things to notice about women, from hair and eyes to butt and legs. Thigh crack ain't on the top of the list, I promise.
Secondly, MTM really did look marvelous in the old **** Van **** days, didn't she?
No. Hobbs is correct.
it may not be the first thing you look for , but since guys are mostly perverts anyway, while you're checking out the local talent from the safety of your Wayfarers you go down the list.
Nice tits? Check
Nice butt?check
panty line? Check
Nice legs? Check
Nice tum? Check
Thigh gap? Check
Camel toe? Yes/no. Check
Nice hair? Check
Pretty face? Check.
Guys love summer. Not just for baseball.
Face and hair are last? I thought these were the impetus to the checklist.
From Luis Bunuel's memoir, "My Last Breath" (p. 96): "We all had a drink together that evening, and the French party decided to walk us back to Dali's house. Gala [soon to be Dali's wife] was walking next to me, and on our way we talked of various trivial things. At one point, I found myself saying that what repelled me more than anything else in the female anatomy was when a woman had a large space between her thighs. The next day we all went swimming, and, to my embarrassment, I saw that Gala had just this unfortunate physical attribute."
Darcy said...
Face and hair are last? I thought these were the impetus to the checklist.
I didn't think they even made the checklist.
And both butt and thigh gap should be higher on the list.
One man's treasure is another man's trash.Some men only see face and boobs,other men really prefer short,thick,and big calves are their bottleneck.Acceptable is usually a very wide range.Although I want a Jaguar XKE I bought a Kia and a Jeep,ideal appearance isn't as important as hollywood tells women it is.Human variety is a wonderful thing.
Those who disrespect the "window of light" have clearly never experienced the transcendental moment when the prom queen is standing in a diaphanous dress with the afternoon sun at her back. As my old journalism teacher used to say, "you could see Christmas." I recently learned that the prom queen from my sophomore year of high school had passed. I mourned.
Thigh gaps are hot if a woman has wide hips.
If not ... she's just scrawny.
An easy way to achieve a wide thigh gap is if the girl's hips are too wide.
(Gawd, I'm evil. Giving teenage girls something else to worry about.)
Never cared for Laura, too skinny.
Also too whiny, too "emancipated".
And the thigh gap has been replaced by camel toe in what trips most guys' triggers (does nothing for me).
Leave it to humans to pervert standard markers of youth and fertility to the grotesque: anorexic thigh gaps, silicon DDs, shaved bodies, corseted 18 inch waists, bound feet. What's next?
I am glad that Meade brought it up, and I agree with him.
To each their own. I find that my tastes in female pulcritude are not those of many other males. And, maybe I am too much of a bottom line type of guy, because, in the end, that is where the important stuff is.
This reminds how apt the phrase "Youth is wasted on the young" is.
At the very time you look better than you ever will, you obsess about your looks. If any of us old farts got a chance to be teenagers again, I doubt we would spend any time feeling bad about our looks. But I guess we would be teenage dumb again too... and liberals.
This it seems to me is trivial--women are all beautiful (except for maybe Helen Thomas and Whoopie Goldberg)--if thigh gap is the sine qua non then we are depriving ourselves of many gorgeous ladies.
My suggestion for those worried about this is to just spread you legs. Believe me girls, it works on boys every time.
There must be some sort of a compromise between having a "thigh gap" that makes you look like a concentration camp escapee and having thunder thighs that rub and chafe worse than wearing corduroy pants. It is called looking normal.
Put this on the list of things I don't give a rip about. Not worth thinking about.
Rules of description become rules of prescription.
That's where the trouble begins.
Roger J. said...
This it seems to me is trivial--women are all beautiful (except for maybe Helen Thomas and Whoopie Goldberg)--if thigh gap is the sine qua non then we are depriving ourselves of many gorgeous ladies.
The problem is that, while not all women may be beautiful, different women may be beautiful in different ways.
Once the average American female realizes this, the Lefties' hold on them is doomed.
In the real world, most women have one or two erogenous zones you can work with, and a few other areas that would preclude a career in modeling. Absence of thigh gap is not a deal breaker. What I really find unattractive in a woman is a leaky colostomy bag. That really destroys the magic, but most other things you can work around.
DBQ--I have dated my lady for five years--and to this very day, I have no idea if she has a thigh gap at all. Who cares? we don't--we go fly fishing together, to the symphony, to the local art museum and it has never crossed my mind to see if she has a thigh gap--how fucking juvenile.
Just picture thighs wrapped in aluminum foil...
I tried, but it ain't workin' for me. It's much more pleasant to think about "factory air".
Changing the subject.....
My completely, unscientific observation is that we have more women commenting on this thread. Good to hear from you, girls!!!
It's the internal pelvic outlet that would be a factor in childbirth, not the external "gap". If guys think that they can get in closer because of a gap, remember ....healthy hip joints and staying flexible.
Or was the appeal of a thigh gap because the genital area could be outlined more clearly to a young hormy males eyes?
I loved this:
"That, combined with a tendency to overshare..."
Tendency? Tendency?
Inga--for the record, there is such a thing as old horny guys too
Hormey, horney,lol.
Click on this and be amazed.
http://thechive.com/2012/03/05/mind-the-gap-38-photos/
Yes, Ann, all men of all ages past puberty ARE interested.
This isn't about body fat but bone structure. And genitals. And perhaps even child bearing ability
A narrow thigh gap results in the outer labia being pushed down and thinned by the legs that give the vulva to little room to be. I am no ob/gyn, but I suspect that in some cases a too-narrow thigh gap complicates vaginal birth.
Look at some soft porn and you'll soon notice the vulva smashing aspect of narrow thigh gaps. And you'll note that wider thigh gaps go with wider hips.
And here's the thing: no amount of dieting can help "improve" a girl's thigh gap much. Body fat has little to do with it; bone structure has everything to do with this.
I don't believe for one minute that boys don't know about thigh gap. Or care. They notice EVERY thing about girls and all of it causes a reaction.
This reminds me of something:
I had girlfriend once - no, I really did, and I can prove it. Anyway she had a stalker with limited English skills who she saw next to her car one day. Later when she went to her car, she saw that he had left a sticky gift on the door handle - yea I know, gross huh. He also left a note that said: "I want to spread you leg."
When she told my mom this story, Mom replied: "Well, it's true - you only have to spread one leg."
I love that woman.
If I notice thigh gap, it's usually in a negative way, like those anorexic models, or concentration camp photos.
Once you've visited Auschwitz, thigh gap is not very appealing.
Mary Tyler Moore, whatta built. Snort snort
As a male, I am more concerned with the "Missile Gap" if you know what I mean.
"What I really find unattractive in a woman is a leaky colostomy bag."
I know what you mean, and in my cavorting from window to window in the dark here at Sunnyview Retirement Home, you never know who is taking care of themselves and who isn't until it's too late.
Inga said...
Or was the appeal of a thigh gap because the genital area could be outlined more clearly to a young horny males eyes?
DADvocate said...
We called it factory air. Urban Dictionary: the gap between a woman's thighs just below her crotch. also known as the beaver breather.
Answered earlier, but asked anyway...thus asked & answered anyway.
Do pay more attention there nurse :-))
"I don't get this. I also don't HAVE this but I can't picture what the heck that means. Hand-sized? Window of light? Top of thighs?"
I could draw a picture. The woman is standing with her thighs together and there is a triangle of space at the top of her thighs, that is below her crotch. The man who notices this empty spot imagines putting his hand there. It's alluring, a hole. You can see the light through that space.
Awww yissss - dat gap!
Guys definitely know about it - google "dat gap".
I first noticed the thigh gap when I was in the Philippines. Most young Filipinas have it. Most American women don't. I thought it was a very attractive feature. I always notice it now. I don't know how American women walk without rubbing themselves raw.
Actually, it was when I was in Thailand. I forgot about that trip. Same result.
Some (cough) years ago I noticed an unexpected benefit of my increasing age. There are more and more beautiful young women around every year! How come no-one ever told me this when I was 20?
My guess is that it's probably noticed, but doesn't register as a distinct feature as much as a nice rack does. I mean, I've never heard anyone say "Dayum, check out that thigh gap".
I think it's a hot feature, but it depends, as others have pointed out, on the rest of the package:
-- Gap running from crotch to knees = icky anorexia look
-- Hand-sized gap at the top = Hooooooo-boy.
Having trouble imagining the selective issues involved unless it suggests wider hips and therefore easier birthing, but much of that stuff is kind of speculative anyhow.
More research is needed!
Good point, Professor! I went over to SI.com and checked out the female athletes in their swimsuit issue. I looked very closely (tough work but someone has to do it!) but I saw no evidence of a thigh gap, probably since female athletes have strong and well-muscled legs.
Poor things probably have trouble getting boyfriends.
It's all about curves: the more, the better.
Fred: as you age, the beauty filter gap widens. No wonder so many old demented men are so grabby.
Nothing can compare to a thigh gap seen through a back-lit sundress.
Darcy said...
Face and hair are last? I thought these were the impetus to the checklist.
Darcy, my darling girl. Before they get to your pretty face, the guys have already checked out your perky boobs and ass.
That's ALL guys. Even the gay ones.
Dang it. I've gotta get me some perky boobs, then. It's always somethin.
Darcy, my darling girl. Before they get to your pretty face, the guys have already checked out your perky boobs and ass.
That's ALL guys. Even the gay ones.
I'll cop to starting with the face, then working my way down.
Dang it. I've gotta get me some perky boobs, then. It's always somethin.
Bra technology has come a long way.
Mind the gap!!
Bra technology has come a long way.
It has. But perky is perky. Anyway, I'm 50 now. And really mostly joking. :)
Thigh gap might be nice to look at but I prefer the window of light Meade does.
Ultimately I'm a sucker for a nice smile and some enthusiasm in bed. The rest is just icing.
For women, and men, like this, it's easy to find pants!
And they'll never even come close to winning a quad-off.
Big Mike said...
Reference: "More research is needed!"
Good point, Professor! I went over to SI.com and checked out the female athletes in their swimsuit issue. I looked very closely (tough work but someone has to do it!) but I saw no evidence of a thigh gap, probably since female athletes have strong and well-muscled legs.
I, too sacrificed my time to research SI dot com, in the interest of supporting Althouse yada yada...
Uhm, Mike ole boy...check your glasses' prescription. The SI photogs did their best to hide it, but even the most muscular of the 4 SI female athletes, Michelle Jenneke, an Australian 100 meter hurdles runner, has dat gap. Even her Wiki photo shows it clearly
All this in the interest of further research, ya' know. ;-)
For Meade: Laura Petrie’s dance is the Pat Boone version. Here’s the real deal, from of all places the first Pink Panther movie. 2:18: Hell, yeah!
Just google "dat gap," Althousians. You have much to learn.
I'm a 70 year old male has been and still check out most younger women that I pass during my daily strolls. And yes, I likely will not miss a thigh gap if it is properly exposed to my view.
YES, many men notice it, others who purport not to know what it is just don't know the name for it. The truth of the matter is some guys find it attractive and others don't - there are also various degrees of thigh gaps (some are much wider than others)
I have a book called "The Thigh Gap Hack" see http://www.thighgaphack.com and it helps women learn how to get rid of the stubborn lower body fat in a healthy manner (without chronic exercising or extreme dieting).
Those videos are really annoying and silly to me. Noone is critiquing the men/body builders who are obsessively working out to get bigger muscles or six pack abs, but god forbid a woman wants to slim down her thighs and get rid of saddlebags, cellulite, stretch marks, dimples, chub rub, etc.
There's nothing wrong with different women preferring different aesthetics (thin thighs) and to make it out like the only way to achieve a "thigh gap" is to starve oneself is disingenuous
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