Don't judge a book by it's cover

In a world where you can exert total control over your appearance, how you choose to look says volumes about you. Indeed, most people consciously shape their avatar to make some kind of statement.

If nothing else, it tells us someone's priorities.

Not saying this is bad, but unless one is practicing some sort of Dada art, when you slide the selectors to max, you are saying something.

Since it was my comment about a Barbie doll shape in the no-mod flexi-prims thread that prompted this, I will clarify what I meant (I did address it there as well). In the case of refering to a shape as a Barbie doll, I was literally referring to the Barbie doll shape, which is an exagerrated form of the female shape that could never actually exist in nature. The same is true of many of the female avatars that model their avs after this ideal, and fashion designers seem to cater to it. I was simply noting that not all avatars are one size fits all, yet you couldn't tell that by some of the no-mod prim stuff that is put out by certain designers.

Disliking the Barbie-doll avatar look is not a judgement of the person behind the avatar, it is having a preference on what one finds attractive, something everyone has. I tend to be into dark haired exotic voluptuous women - to each their own.

The whole Barbie doll thing definitely goes beyond that. It is definitely a negative image in a lot of ways. I refer you to this article:

http://www.ecclectica.ca/issues/2006/1/index.asp?Article=25

Here is a highlight:



Here is some more about good old Barbie:

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1:118852634/Early+adolescents+experiences+with,+and+views+of,+Barbie.html?refid=SEO

http://www.faqs.org/health/Healthy-Living-V3/Eating-Disorders.html

high-five!

This is a complicated question I think about occasionally. To what extent should people expect to be judged by their appearance when they adopt an image which is a widely recognized artifice defined by others? It just seems to me there's a distinction between dressing, etc. according to your idiosyncratic tastes and deliberately copying an image associated with a persona. On the one hand, it would indeed be foolish to judge a book by its cover, or to take someone's image at face value. On the other hand, are people actually trying to project a certain identity by adopting a certain look?

While you may not be able to judge the contents of a book by its cover, you most definitely can judge the quality of the cover art by the cover. If it's cheap and generic, then it isn't insulting to the contents to call the cover cheap and generic.

And if the book contains a DIY guide to quantum engineering, then I would really have to question how smart it was to put a pair of ridiculously huge tits on the cover, because anyone with an ounce of sense is going to realize how that comes across.

Yes, sexy people can be smart, and caring, and creative and interesting and I'm sure there are a thousand strippers with hearts of gold in SL... but you and only you are hand-crafting your first impression in SL, and if the most noticable thing about your av are huge lumpy breasts and hooker heels, then I find it a bit naive to complain that people comment on the tits and heels.

Because so very, very often, first impressions prove accurate, once you get to recognize the clues.

Funny.


If your avatar is skinny, tallish, has very large breasts, no hips to speak off and long, blond hair then chances are, your avatar looks like a Barbie doll. This is the shape of a Barbie doll. That's not necessarily a disparaging remark, just an observation based on appearances and shape.

No sense spending time designing an avatar if people aren't going to judge you by it.

If you don't want people to judge you by your cover, choose a book that nobody has read...

Mine is Santoka Taneda. Go ahead! I dare ya to read about him.

We all wear a mask. In rl we cannot choose those masks, but in SL we can. Be careful of the illussions you weave around yourself, for you are the illussions you weae around yourself.

Great thread but I totally disagree with the OP.

A big difference here is that unlike RL people have so much control over what their Av looks like that an Av's appearance does say a lot about how people want to be perceived in game.

Choosing a barbie shape (or a male equivalent) combined with skimpy clothes and so much bling you look like a Christmas Tree says a lot about how the person behind the Av has decided they would like to be judged. I am happy to oblige them.

That said, some of the coolest people I have met in game are Christmas Trees since its just an exaggeration of the glamor they feel they can't achieve in RL and it makes them happy.

I think there is also a bit of a Barbie+Bling arms race here since so many women have these amazing shapes, skins, outfits and jewelry that plain avs like mine feel well, plain in comparison, especially out in dance clubs. So the natural urge is to go shopping to upgrade your appearance to "stay competitive".

None of that appeals to me since I want my Av to look like me and match my RL style, which works well since I am perpetually broke in game.

Hmmm, I'm no Barbie...I'm more like Barbie's friend, Christy.

Glasses are the answer. They make everyone look intelligent. Wear them for instant respect.

Good lord you just put those images of hourglass male shapes in my head. You know the ones with proportions (shoulders vs waist) that go beyond what the pro BBs achieve.


<-- body shape is like ken ... though a bit wider and with a tiny bit of added muscle and some believable body fat

Well, my av was made by someone else. Not my preferences at all, but now I am quite happy in it.

Yes, your tits are fantastic.

Whether you like something, or do not like something, you have still passed judgement. An expression of distaste is no more a judgement than an expression of approval.

It's how it's delivered that determines how insulting it is.

Personally, I prefer a woman that doesn't worry about looking hot. A woman who focuses too much on her appearance has self esteem issues, and the lack of self worth is a major turn-off. A woman who takes care of herself, but doesn't feel the need for excessive primping, now that's hot.

But that's my taste. To each their own.

I am glad you added the male equivalent comment because it's not just women in SL who seek some ideal hourglass media invented shape. Most of the male avies in SL are so damn buff they look like they are ready for the Mr Universe contest, although for some reason all these guys make their avie heads too small. Wait, does that mean they are all brawn and no brains?......hmm......

I thought Sens post about her family's preferences was really interesting and funny, and it does remind us all that beauty is in the eye etcetera.

When I see real life pics of members I find it interesting to see how their real life appearance differs or is similar to the avie they create. Some try to recreate how they look in real life, others become fantasy avies. I know I added to physical features to my avie that I would like to adjust on my real life body, height and eye color. In real life I am petite with dark eyes but my Katy avie is a tall blue/green eyed lady.

The guy I am drawn to like a magnet is tall, dark and handsome.

VOTED THE FUNNY LINE OF THE WEEK!!!

Given what you said here, consider this:

If your daughter has a life-threatening illness do you choose the physician who looks like Paris Hilton or Marie Curie? What would your answer be if you scanned their credentials and they appear to be the same?

(Insert your own famous people as needed to make the point, you know what I mean.)

No contest. Marie Curie was TEH HAWT.

The correct choice is obviously the one wearing glasses <g>

First of all, I will do everything in my power to prevent my daughter from being influenced by paris hilton. Bah! What a frightening thought.

It's all about credentials. If both doctors have identical credentials, then it's about cost & payment. If both doctors have identical cost & payment options, then it's about commute and closeness to home. If they are both equal in distance from my home, then it really doesn't matter which one. It will come down to personality. I don't give a pig's fart what someone looks like when it comes to my kid's health.

No way. That Ingrid is a quack.

My av is definitly not barbie, but she is sexy. She's modeled on how I would look if I was in better shape, she has giant boobs and a big booty, so do I. I get hit on a lot randomly when I go out in SL, because guys seem to assume if you have a sexy av you automatically want to cyber with them, and 90% of them look like an accident in the steriods factory, so it can go both ways. My favorite guy in SL has a unique shape and I think more guys should try to diversify, I think the sexiest man on earth is Kevin Smith of Jay and Silent Bob fame, not some generic body builder dork who's head is too small. So it's not just girls who seem to gravitate towards a generic "sexy" shape. and BTW I wear glasses SL and RL