Why being good-looking is no longer enough in California
From blond surfer to fifty-something businessman: how the desired profile has changed in the California dating market.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Why being good-looking is no longer enough in California
Most analyses of the dating market focus on beauty or wealth separately. But a recent discussion — blunt and direct — has put a paradox on the table: in California, the blond surfer archetype has been displaced by that of the fifty-something Mexican businessman with a Pontiac. The shift is not trivial: it implies a revaluation of erotic capital in more material terms.
The generational shift in preferences
According to the observations shared, during the 1990s the desired profile was a blond Summer surfer: young, athletic, California-born. The aspiration was physique and a carefree attitude. Today, however, the «California go-getters» would prefer older men of Mexican origin who run high-end nightclubs and restaurants and drive Pontiacs. The leap is from the cult of the body to the cult of business.
The frustration of the 'not born with it'
The lament of not having been born rich and handsome is nothing new, but it takes on another dimension when it becomes clear that the window of opportunity has narrowed. Anyone who lacks both attributes from birth seems to be shut out of the high-end market. Yet the very shift opens a path: accumulating wealth can make up for a lack of looks, though at the cost of age.
The open question is whether this trend is specific to California or extends to other Western economies. For now, what the exchange makes clear is that erotic capital has been revalued in more material than aesthetic terms.
Related forum threads
Most analyses of the dating market focus on beauty or wealth separately. But a recent discussion — blunt and direct — has put a paradox on the table: in California, the blond surfer archetype has been displaced by that of the fifty-something Mexican businessman with a Pontiac. The shift is not trivial: it implies a revaluation of erotic capital in more material terms.
The generational shift in preferences
According to the observations shared, during the 1990s the desired profile was a blond Summer surfer: young, athletic, California-born. The aspiration was physique and a carefree attitude. Today, however, the «California go-getters» would prefer older men of Mexican origin who run high-end nightclubs and restaurants and drive Pontiacs. The leap is from the cult of the body to the cult of business.
The frustration of the 'not born with it'
The lament of not having been born rich and handsome is nothing new, but it takes on another dimension when it becomes clear that the window of opportunity has narrowed. Anyone who lacks both attributes from birth seems to be shut out of the high-end market. Yet the very shift opens a path: accumulating wealth can make up for a lack of looks, though at the cost of age.
The open question is whether this trend is specific to California or extends to other Western economies. For now, what the exchange makes clear is that erotic capital has been revalued in more material than aesthetic terms.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (10 replies).
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