Were we that ugly?

bartholomewbinn

Colin Dunne was being interviewed on Capital D last night. As he was expressing his interest in the history of Irish dancing they showed a clip of a few guys dancing to the accompaniment of another two guys, playing a violin and an accordion. The clip looked like it came from the early 30’s or even earlier, its hard to say. But my point is, all the people in the clip were ugly. I know they were not dressed well, that’s to do with poverty. But they all looked ugly. Were rural people from that era all ugly, or was it just unfortunate that they happened on a particularly ugly community?

Black Swan

No. Not then or now. Speaking of now, Riverdance is grand!

Sherifu

Can't read it.

Black Swan

Sherifu wrote: »

Can't read it.

Scroll it.

Wibbs

Ugly or beauty is down to external indicators of reproductive fitness and fashion. If your diet isn't great while growing up that can show in your appearance. If your mothers diet while carrying you wasn't up to scratch that can also show up. Throw in a limited gene pool and the chances of any isolated rural community that also may have a limited diet and the chance of ugly goes up. If you also add other aspects of poverty where you don't have access to something as simple as well fitting clothes that may disguise things(makeup for women) and you can see how "ugly" may be perceived in things like this.

Good diet, wide gene pool, general fitness, access to medical care, and access to whatever is fashionable raises the chances of beauty.

bartholomewbinn

Wibbs wrote: »

Ugly or beauty is down to external indicators of reproductive fitness and fashion. If your diet isn't great while growing up that can show in your appearance. If your mothers diet while carrying you wasn't up to scratch that can also show up. Throw in a limited gene pool and the chances of any isolated rural community that also may have a limited diet and the chance of ugly goes up. If you also add other aspects of poverty where you don't have access to something as simple as well fitting clothes that may disguise things(makeup for women) and you can see how "ugly" may be perceived in things like this.

Good diet, wide gene pool, general fitness, access to medical care, and access to whatever is fashionable raises the chances of beauty.

That all sounds reasonable. There has to be some reason, these people looked absolutely awful. Reminded me of old pictures of hillbillies.

seamus

Wibbs wrote: »

Good diet, wide gene pool, general fitness, access to medical care, and access to whatever is fashionable raises the chances of beauty.

^^What he said.

Even in the last 15 years, you've had to have noticed the general jump in attractiveness of people walking around - not in dress sense, but just in the volumes of people who look like they take care of themselves. It's the money that's done it. We're healthier and take more play time than we've ever done before, because we can afford to.

One interesting thing is to see photos from 20 years ago of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Those in their 30's look like they're at the top of the hill, those in their 40s look like they're rolling down the hill, and those in their 50s look like they're ready to be buried under it.
Now people have changed completely - 30 is new 20, people in their 40s look fit and full of life and those in their 50s look like they're just on the verge of slowing down.

This is especially apparent in more impoverished areas. You see women in their late 20s with a gaggle of kids and a cigarette in their mouth who look like they're pushing 50.

Faith

seamus wrote: »

One interesting thing is to see photos from 20 years ago of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Those in their 30's look like they're at the top of the hill, those in their 40s look like they're rolling down the hill, and those in their 50s look like they're ready to be buried under it.
Now people have changed completely - 30 is new 20, people in their 40s look fit and full of life and those in their 50s look like they're just on the verge of slowing down.

That's really true. My dad is 63 and people won't believe it. He has a full head of black hair and looks about 50, at a push. We threw a surprise party for his 60th, and the question my mum got asked most frequently was "60?!.... Does he dye his hair?" My mum is in her late 50's too and doesn't look it at all.

Ross_Mahon

With Gyms,make-up, skin care ranges, healthy food, fake tan, Hair dressers, beauty products all about now, Yeah see people have the money to buy all these things now.

Cool_CM

You'd think that the inspiration for many of WB Yeats works would have been a stunner
ACgonne.jpg

Wibbs

I reckon even with all of the stuff at our disposal, I reckon lucky genes have a lot to do with it though. You don't notice in your teens but as the 20's roll by and then the 30's you do notice people age at different rates, some vastly. Yes if they're fitter through exercise it really helps, but even then you see differences, particularly in the face. I've known men and women who have wrinkles by 22 and others have none at 40. In men baldness can go either way. I know a guy who went egg like by the age of 20. He had a window of 3 or 4 years when he could choose a hairstyle after that..... He's in his mid 30's now and hasn't aged much at all. If he said late 20's you wouldn't bat an eyelid.

St Bill

Wibbs wrote: »

Throw in a limited gene pool and the chances of any isolated rural community that also may have a limited diet and the chance of ugly goes up.

Great expression....'chance of ugly'

1_in_1,000,000

St Bill wrote: »

Great expression....'chance of ugly'

Is he from Kildalkey

Wibbs

This expression can be used as an indicator value on the scale from Rio nightclub to SlapperFaceJacks. The latter having the highest "chance of ugly".

MooseJam

don't they all inbreed outside the Pale, Dublin ftw

WindSock

according to the English, we were much uglier in the past...

WindSock

Luckily we have improved much

Red Hand

WindSock wrote: »

according to the English, we were much uglier in the past...

WindSock wrote: »

Luckily we have improved much

LOL!:p

Tha Gopher

re the poverty/diet thing Brazil is a pretty poor place but many of the women are jaw droppingly good looking. Ditto south east Asia.

As for Ireland the oul one was saying she thinks every generation seems to be getting better looking. Probably subjective too, as the years go by women simply seem to dress better and take better care of themselves. Take 50 Irish or English women off the street and then compare them with 50 French or 50 Italian or German. The continental ones largely still have hair/clothing that was going out of fashion here by the mid 80s. Even now you notice Irish women are keeping their long hair for longer in life, back in the day women started getting the man haircuts by 32!

purple'n'gold

Years ago in the west of Ireland the better looking people, men and women probably emigrated. That left the uglier ones behind to be photographed!

Caoimhín

Centuries of inbreeding did that to us. Lets get mixing with the Brazilian and European girls i say.

SV

caoibhin wrote: »

Centuries of inbreeding did that to us. Lets get mixing with the Brazilian and European girls i say.

I've never agreed with something more.

Wibbs

Tha Gopher wrote: »

re the poverty/diet thing Brazil is a pretty poor place but many of the women are jaw droppingly good looking. Ditto south east Asia.

True enough. Good mixture of genes would be a big part of it especially in sth america. Even the diet is better than the stogey we staples we were used to. Also I would suspect that beauty is a way out for many so is aimed at more. The extra sun helps too.

As for Ireland the oul one was saying she thinks every generation seems to be getting better looking. Probably subjective too, as the years go by women simply seem to dress better and take better care of themselves. Take 50 Irish or English women off the street and then compare them with 50 French or 50 Italian or German. The continental ones largely still have hair/clothing that was going out of fashion here by the mid 80s. Even now you notice Irish women are keeping their long hair for longer in life, back in the day women started getting the man haircuts by 32!

Yep I would agree, especially the Germans. The rest I would say in general have better figures though, especially the further south you go. Now there are just as many "ugly" types as here, but I would say that there exists a certain albeit rare type of both men and women that are significantly better looking than you find here. I would say genes and diet mostly. I'm not plugging into the usual lazy Irish women are ugly thing here either. It's just what Ive seen and of course IMHO. A nightclub in Milan or Barcelona compared to here? There are differences.

Faith

I think the sun makes a huge difference. My friend and I look very, very similar, but she grew up in a sunny climate while I grew up in Ireland. She always looks heathier then I do and photograhs far better!