Contrary to popular belief, strangers don't give a shit about your opinion.

A bit of a preamble- this post was inspired a conversation I had with a friend of mine over beers (well she was drinking coffee and I had 2 pints, hence the plural form of beer) She stated "You know, I've been thinking, what's up with the double-standard of women being required to be fit, whereas men are not?". To which I replied: "More to the point, why the hell does anyone think it's okay to make negative comments to a complete stranger about their body? It's just fucking rude."

Yes, why is it seemingly acceptable to openly judge a complete stranger's appearance? And, why is it more common to do so when the subject of your commentary is female?

I am, frankly, flummoxed on what the answer to the first question could be. Unless it's to ask "dahling, where did you get that sinfully faaabulous handbag?" or something similar, I usually refrain telling stranger what I think of what they look like. I don't tell strangers if I hate their hair, think they might look better if they shed a few pounds, think their wardrobe is ghastly, or whatever. I refrain from commentary because I don't fucking know them. Therefore, I assume that my opinion on the subject of their appearance won't matter to them anyway. Also, may they like that haircut, maybe they know they are a bit chunky and they feel sexy and own/work that  or whatever. Not my body. Not my choice. Ergo, not my business.

As for the answer to the second question: I think that it's more acceptable to comment on a woman's appearance because, in general, women are expected to give a shit about their appearance. As a result, there is the all-too-common perception that the commentary is helpful. As in "Oh, the poor lamb doesn't know she's an uggles! How will she ever be happy looking like that? I better give her some tips to help her conform to my personal aesthetics and standards of attractiveness! After-all, I know best!".  Fuck. Me. That. Is. Extremely. Fucking. Stupid. (See the paragraph third from the top if you find yourself unable to comprehend why the attitude outlined in this one is anything but supremely fucking stupid.)

I'm definitely not implying that men are not expected to give a shit about their appearance. Especially in some contexts, such as white-collar workplaces, they are most definitely expected to care. But I am saying we have a double-standard here. A double standard that is painfully obvious and deeply annoying.