Good News!

For those of us who are too tired to try and get back into shape (if we ever were in shape... I think I was in shape in high school twenty-some years ago). A recent study published in the journal Body Image claims that chubby men are as attractive as men with six-packs. The University of Queensland, in Australia, had participants rate mock-up advertisements for jeans, skin-care products and cologne featuring muscular male models and average looking men. Neither the men or the women in the study responded more favorably towards the muscular models. You can read more about the study here.

Posted By: Nethie - Thu Jun 03, 2010 - Comments (6)
Category: Body, Exercise and Fitness, Health, Science

Follies of the Mad Men #106

[From Life magazine for September 12, 1949.]

This is someone's foot. With a face drawn on the sole. Wearing a collar and tie, glasses, and a hat. With fake "head" hair attached. I know it's "just a drawing." But the concept is ludicrous and creepy. I will not buy your shoes, Mr. Roblee!

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 01, 2010 - Comments (3)
Category: Anthropomorphism, Body, Feet, Business, Advertising, Products, Fashion, Shoes, 1940s

Which NEW YORK TIMES Do You Read?

Maybe you read Jane Brody's column for May 11, 2010.

People of normal height or taller might be inclined to assume, as that silly Randy Newman song put it, that “Short people got no reason to live.... Short people got nobody to love.”

As someone who never broke the 5-foot mark, I can attest that most assumptions about short people are just that: assumptions. Here are a few facts.

¶ Children who are naturally short are no less socially competent or intelligent than taller ones.

¶ Being short was no deterrent to the likes of Yuri Gagarin, who, at 5-foot-1, was the first man in space; the actor Danny DeVito or the pop singer Prince, both 5-2; former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, a mere 4-10; or George Stephanopoulos, TV correspondent and talk show host, just over 5 feet.

¶ Short people can run countries (though not necessarily well): Napoleon, Caesar, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Franco.

¶ Being short is no impediment to financial success: Ross Perot and Michael Bloomberg.

¶ Even professional basketball is not out of reach: Spud Webb, 5-6, and Muggsy Bogues, just 5-3.

Or maybe you read "FOR CRIME, IS ANATOMY DESTINY?" printed just a few pages afterwards.

Poverty, greed, anger, jealousy, pride, revenge. These are the usual suspects when it comes to discussing the causes of crime. In recent years, however, economists have started to investigate a different explanation for criminal activity: physical attributes.

A small band of economists has been studying how height, weight and beauty affect the likelihood of committing — or being convicted of — a crime. Looking at records from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, they have found evidence that shorter men are 20 to 30 percent more likely to end up in prison than their taller counterparts, and that obesity and physical attractiveness are linked to crime.

There is already a sizable stack of research that examines the connections between physical characteristics and the labor market. Economists have found, for example, that every inch of additional height is associated with a nearly 2 percent increase in earnings...

Posted By: Paul - Tue May 11, 2010 - Comments (11)
Category: Body, Newspapers, Screwups

Long Tongue Boy

Posted By: Paul - Mon May 03, 2010 - Comments (5)
Category: Body, Freaks, Oddities, Quirks of Nature

Love Is Blind Department

I had to snap this picture covertly, on the streets of Providence, with my camera held at waistlevel and viewfinder image unseen, so I'm surprised it came out as good as it did. Circumstances prevented me from gaping at whatever was on the front of the shirt.



More in extended >>

Posted By: Paul - Sat May 01, 2010 - Comments (9)
Category: Body, Obesity, Fashion, Signage, Outsider Art, Public Indecency

Gay News Today

Was Jesus Gay? Elton John seems to think so. He stated as much in a recent Parade magazine interview. Of course the mere idea struck terror into the hearts of all homophobic Christians and those who choose to interpret the bible as saying "discriminate openly" rather than "love thy fellow man".

And what about those silly gay people who want to serve in the military? Surprisingly, a recent CBS News poll asking about Obama's wish to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, finds that a majority of the public support allowing openly gay men and women to serve. But what's even more surprising is that the same poll doesn't want homosexuals to serve. I suppose the poll was worded badly. Or maybe the people who answered that poll still think gay means 'having or showing a merry, lively mood'. In that case, who wouldn't want a bunch of merry old souls in the military?



More in extended >>

Posted By: Nethie - Fri Feb 19, 2010 - Comments (11)
Category: Body, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, Crime, Domestic, Government, Law, Politics, Religion, Sexuality, Africa, Europe

Smallest Meets Tallest

My favorite part of the video is where the little guy holds the big guys index finger.



Click on the video at 1:04 to see that.

The big guys hand on the little guys shoulder at 54 seconds is pretty cool, too!

Posted By: gdanea - Wed Feb 17, 2010 - Comments (1)
Category: Body

Mystery Meat, Human Style

I was catching a bus the other day, and this box was awaiting transport. If you enlarge the photo, you can see that the label says: PLEASE RUSH/DONATED HUMAN TISSUE/NOT SUITABLE FOR TRANSPLANT.

What does one do with human tissue, if not transplant it? Perhaps create a cell-culture line? It's all very mysterious.

As I was taking the photo, a bus driver came by and joked with another employee. "What's that for--the barbecue?"

If anyone has a good explanation, please offer it in the comments!

Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 15, 2010 - Comments (12)
Category: Body, Science, Unsolved Mysteries

Bodyspasm

Ah, those wacky Dutch rockers.... More Bodyspasm here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 10, 2010 - Comments (3)
Category: Art, Outsider Art, Performance Art, Body, Stomach, Music, Europe

A Little Light Weirdness - 6

When the O'Gorman family encountered still opposition to their proposal to demolish the Edwardian house they owned and use the land for six modern properties they were probably a little miffed, or more than a little, if the name they chose to give the development is anything to go by. Having been given a green light by the local council, the O'Gormans announced that the new cul-de-sac was to be called "Pogue Muhone Court". Pogue Muhone is a phonetic English equivalent to the Gaelic "pog mo thoin", which means "kiss my ass" (Telegraph).

And if kissing ass isn’t your thing, perhaps you’d like to crawl through one instead? You can at a new exhibit called Grossology, which opens at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. Subtitled “The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body” the exhibits also include a tour of the nose, a giant replica of human skin and an interactive experiment in flatulence called “Burp Man” (Miami Herald).

Not kissing but kicking ass are the pensioners of Bavaria in Germany, who decided not to take the credit crunch lying down. After their financial adviser, James Amburn, handed them losses in excess of 2.3 million euros, five OAPs tracked him to his home in Speyer, kidnapped him, and tortured him into faxing a Swiss bank for the money to pay them back. Instead he managed to alert the police. Mr. Amburn later confided that his four day ordeal was perhaps extended by his kidnappers having to stop a while when they ran out of breath (Mirror).

Also taking a little longer than usual were the German actors appearing in Erofeev’s satirical play “Moscow to the End of the Line”, alternatively billed as a “crazy depiction of one of the most famous alcoholic benders in world literature”. In an ill-considered attempt at method acting four of the performers decided to swap the water in the props for real vodka “as an experiment", only to fall off their chairs, and the stage, before inviting audience members to take a swig. They were later taken to hospital under a police escort to have their stomachs pumped (Guardian).

More outrage now, this time from Great Britain, where in a clear breach of their normal high standards of decorum, British mums have been seen shopping in the Tesco supermarket chain in pyjamas and slippers. In fact more outrage seems to have been directed at Tescos, who have implemented a dress code and now escort anyone so attired from their premises, than at the mums, They should all just be thankful they don’t have Walmarts, that’s all I’m saying (Mirror).

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Fri Jan 29, 2010 - Comments (3)
Category: Body, Buildings and Other Structures, Fashion, Inebriation and Intoxicants, Shopping, Body Fluids, Excrement, Flatulence, Alcohol, Goofs and Screw-ups