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Facial masculinization in beauty pageant contestants: an example from the Miss Germany 2002 pageant
This post illustrates an example of how morphing different faces leads to a composite face that is better looking than the individual faces comprising the composite. Also, the individual faces considered here belong to the contestants in the 2002 Miss Germany pageant, which implies that the composite face reflects the central tendency among these contestants.
The data in this post are taken from the work of Christoph Braun, Martin Gruendl, Claus Marberger and Christoph Scherber (see here).
The 2002 Miss Germany pageant had 22 contestants, 7 of which are shown below and compared to the composite face resulting from blending the facial features of these contestants.
Miss North-Rhine/Westphalia (left) and Miss Thuringia (right).
Miss Bavaria (left) and Miss Bremen (right).
Miss South Germany (left) and Miss Baden-Wuerttemberg (right).
Miss Berlin (left; the pageant winner) and the composite face (right).
The attractiveness of the faces of the contestants was rated by 47 people on a 1-to-7 scale; 1 being very unattractive and 7 being very attractive.
The composite face was rated the most attractive with an average score of 6.2. The pageant winner, Miss Berlin (Katrin Wrobel), got an average score of 2.8 and not one of the judges rated her at least as attractive as the composite face. The highest score among the contestants was obtained by Miss Bremen (4.9). Note that clear facial masculinization is seen in all the contestants shown above except Miss Bremen. Reflecting the elevated facial masculinization that is a common observation among contemporary beauty pageant contestants, the composite is also somewhat masculinized compared to many feminine women out there (some examples here; learn about the subtlety of masculinity-femininity in facial features here).
None of this should be surprising. Contemporary beauty contests in Western nations are not known to apply exacting aesthetic criteria to judge participants and select the winner. There are political pressures, an example of which is seen in assigning weight to how well a participant answers questions, whereby a less attractive contestant could obtain a higher rank overall than a more attractive contestant. Also, the high status of high-fashion models clearly shows in the selection of beauty pageant contestants (some data regarding the masculinization of the physique among Miss America contestants from the 1960s to 2000 are described here).
No comment on the facial masculinization in the Miss Germany 2002 pageant contestants has been provided by Gruendl et al. The researchers are apparently not aware of this issue, given that their paper addressing what constitutes attractiveness features the following photo and accompanying legend.
Original legend for the picture above: Links das Supermodel Kate Moss, rechts das für unser Kindchenschema-Experiment fotografierte Mädchen Johanna (4 Jahre) aus dem Regensburger Universitätskindergarten. Das Gesicht von Kate Moss weist deutlich kindchenhafte Merkmale auf, besitzt aber zugleich auch Reifekennzeichen wie hohe, ausgeprägte Wangenknochen und konkave Wangen, die durch Make-up noch betont werden. Nach Cunningham (1986) macht gerade die Kombination dieser Merkmale ihr Gesicht sehr attraktiv.
Translated to English, the comment above compares the facial features of supermodel Kate Moss with a 4-year-old girl. According to the authors, Kate Moss clearly has some juvenile facial features in conjunction with mature traits such as high and pronounced cheekbones, a combination that makes her very attractive!
There is no way most people will rate the face of kate Moss as attractive, let alone very attractive:
The comment on cheekbones by Gruendl et al. is curious: masculinization results in high cheekbones and whether pronounced cheekbones make a woman more attractive is best answered by comparing the cheekbones of high-fashion models with that of glamour models.
Kate Moss’ claim to fame is her extensive use by nonheterosexual fashion designer Calvin Klein, who is known to select female models who look like underage boys and whose homoerotic ad campaigns leave no doubt as to his sexuality. As is true of the typical homosexual fashion designer, Calvin Klein stopped using Kate Moss when she turned into her mid-20s, most likely because it was increasingly becoming difficult for her to continue to look like an adolescent male.
Surely, it is high time the organizers of beauty pageant contests realize that what male homosexual fashion designers find aesthetically appealing in their female models, namely looks approximating those of adolescent boys (e.g., faces, physiques), are not what mentally normal people find attractive in women.
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This is an interesting observation. I have never thought of this notion before. I have watched a lot of pagents and I have never seen such things. Perhaps I was just captivated by the beauty that I see. I never had any idea how biology and genetics play their roles.
Posted by Jim Online on November 15, 2005 at 05:04 AM | #
I agree that Kate Moss is sooo NOT attractive.
Posted by brenda on March 11, 2007 at 01:43 AM | #
whoever owns this site deserves an award for the most
awesome REAL beauty site on the internet!!!
If you read this, TONS of KUDOS!!
you make a difference to every beauty!
God Bless
Posted by Priscilla Martinez on October 04, 2007 at 06:40 AM | #
Priscilla: I appreciate the blessings.
Posted by Erik on October 05, 2007 at 03:53 PM | #
MISS BREMEN IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. I THOUGHT SHE WAS THAT UNREALISTIC COMPOSITE BEAUTY WHEN I WATCHED THAT DOCUMENTARY UNATTENTIVELY. SHE IS MUCH PRETTIER THAN COMPOSITE. ONLY HER EYES COULD BE A LITTLE WIDER APART.
Posted by bron on October 20, 2007 at 02:56 PM | #
"Surely, it is high time the organizers of beauty pageant contests realize that what male homosexual fashion designers find aesthetically appealing in their female models, namely looks approximating those of adolescent boys (e.g., faces, physiques), are not what mentally normal people find attractive in women.”
I highly disagree with the term “mentally normal people” in referring to non-homosexual persons. There is nothing wrong with homosexuals “mentally”, and all do not share the same aesthetic tastes. Nor are all fashion designers homosexual males.
Posted by Carolyn on November 22, 2007 at 11:36 PM | #
Carolyn: Of course, not all fashion designers are gay and all homosexuals do not share the same preferences. However, there is a high frequency of psychiatric disorders among homosexuals, and a careful examination reveals that the increased prevalence of mental illnesses among homosexuals is largely unaccounted for by stigma, prejudice, discrimination and victimization. So what makes homosexuals mentally normal?
Posted by Erik on November 27, 2007 at 01:21 PM | #
You have lost time and effort on this extensive “research” ,just to justify your taste for big breasted,thunder thighed women with no eyebrows,cheekbones or chins that look like retards????
oh wait no! not only to justify that , you also used to call homosexual individuals mentally ill and that nothern europeans are the perfect race.
YOURE SERIOUSLY FUCKED UP! LOL
But in all , I find it very amusing and sad minstead of insulting.
I feel compassion for you erik , but also simpaty, beause youre dellusions are funny and quite entertaining well.
Kate Moss, while maybe unappealing to most (average,ordinary people with ordinary vulgar tastes) is 100 times much more atractive than the retard specimens on your “atractive” list of women with pancake faces.
Were you molested as a child erik?
Posted by Adrian on November 28, 2007 at 12:51 PM | #
Adrian: The women that I have shown in the attractive women section are in the low- to mid-range of the medically normal/healthy weight range, and you describe them as big-breasted and thunder-thighed! The average person can see how mentally sound you are.
I have not described homosexuals as mentally ill; just stated and cited evidence that this community has high rates of psychiatric disorders. There are plenty of homosexuals with no mental illness. Mental normality is a different issue from mental illness. Something normal functions in accordance with design. I have seen no evidence that homosexuality results from design, but plenty of evidence to the contrary, and hence have no reason to believe that homosexuals are mentally normal.
I haven’t described Northern Europeans as “the perfect race.”
Posted by Erik on November 28, 2007 at 06:08 PM | #
Erik , youre not normal ,you like women who look like the gerbers logo with a d cup. LOL sorry dude.
Youre also not functional ,you do extensive research to justify your prefference for women that look mentally retarded,why dont you go out, buy them a beer and fuck em? it would me much easier.
Posted by Adrian on November 29, 2007 at 01:30 AM | #
Erik,
My compliments for putting this together so well. I wholeheartedly agree with you.
As for the comments by Adrian: I knew you wrote a few “dangerous” things, things that we almost are not allowed to say anymore, things that can be taken out of the context easily. Which is exactly what Adrian does. Don’t let folks like him scare you off.
I am looking forward to any more articles on this site, I will bookmarm it !
Regards,
Paul.
Posted by Paul on December 02, 2007 at 07:00 PM | #
Given the exact proportional measurement criteria they have devised, wouldn’t it be possible to digitally render a model of the “perfectly” beautiful woman?
Posted by seo services on March 05, 2008 at 10:30 AM | #
Erik : Do you think the woman with high cheeksbone, board face, flat or hook nose, dark skin, coarse hair can be feminine too?
Posted by z on March 25, 2008 at 06:40 AM | #
The hairstyles of these models look really outdated to me.
Posted by chute de cheveux on May 03, 2008 at 07:59 PM | #
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