They almost always say it after a sideways glance: “She’s cute, for a black girl.” Or an Asian girl, or a Latina.

Or it comes out this way: “Sure she’s nice. I’d guess I’d date her but you know me, I like white girls.

SCOTT HURN

I’ve heard such comments many times from both friends and strangers, and for a white guy who grew up in predominately white suburbs, I’m surprised that men construct so many qualifiers based on race.

These comments are obstacles that reinforce a peculiar and dangerous mindset that focuses on qualifiers not only on a woman’s appearance but their value. These judgments can have far reaching effects, and the perpetrators are not only men.

That’s why I agree with Crystal Villarreal’s assessment of beauty in her column “Ethic features not seen as beautiful” on March 1, that each of us, male or female, has an impact on which “features are … accepted as Beautiful.” Her idea that “It’s important for society to embrace diversity in beauty,” is about more than appearances.

How people define attraction obviously varies widely. This is understandable given the mix of hormones and psychology that’s more art than science in determining physical attraction.

However distress for both women and men flows from the perception that “normal” white traits like, pale skin, thinness, and straight hair are the most desirable.

The representations of non-white beauty in media often supports this standard, with celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles, America Ferrera and Taylor Lautner portrayed as “exceptions” to the white-centric beauty pageant that is Hollywood and cable television.

These prominent ethnic celebrities convey an ambiguity of racial features that are at most slight variations from the white standard. Seen by hundreds of millions of people the portrayal of a specific type of beauty in media has set a global standard that spans diverse cultures and is dominated by the “white” definition of beauty.

If I make it sound like attractiveness is a big deal, it’s because for some people it really can be. The pressure to conform to these standards and be considered “equal” to those who happen to have socially desirable “white” traits is evident.
Studies by CNN and the Web site Careerbuilder.com show that people who view themselves as attractive, make more money, and report themselves as happier than those who consider themselves unattractive.

Attractiveness even lends credibility to politicians. It’s no surprise that the media are constantly drawing attention to the appearance of President Barack Obama the first black — but not too black — president and his wife and family. It’s not just another aspect of their rock-star-like fame, the Obamas’ appearance is carefully balanced on the same standard as ethnic celebrities. Attractiveness can be important part in appearing convincing, note that taller political candidates are more successful.

So what’s the answer? If not everyone can conform to an irrational standard why does it exist? It exists in part because constructing conditions and categories for people is so easy. Because seeing a deviation from the “norm” as undesirable is a convenient way to avoid trying to know a real person.

The unrealistic standards help simplify how men and women see each other, and since media comparisons are ever present the standard is easy to maintain.

Just because standards exist doesn’t mean that they have to be believed, and many advocacy campaigns such as “black is beautiful” and “real women have curves” have attempted to draw out a public discourse on the perception of beauty.

Let’s not worry about an unobtainable norm. Like these campaigns let’s emphasize broader definitions of beauty and worth.
Instead of concentrating on what traits might not be biologically present in certain people, let’s focus on what makes people attractive in the fuller sense, not just physically attractive.

What you might have found once unattractive in an old ex, could be intriguing on someone new.

The more open the definition of beauty the less power “normalcy” will have not only on physical attraction, but personality, interests and ideas.

— Scott Hurn is a senior from Hartland, Mich., majoring in newspapers and English.