famous poster, WWII era, Betty Grable




                           
                                   





                                   
                        







   




   
   



                     



          



                              


                                      



                                      

I was talking yesterday about the universality of combat sports all over the world. Today, I thought it might be appropriate to talk about another universal way of communicating between humans. 

Men, especially fit, muscular men, sometimes, sometimes constantly, project an image of themselves as fit and muscular when they are in public places, almost as unconsciously and naturally as they breathe. It becomes a way of life. They do not have to be constantly flexing pectorals or quads or whatever muscle group is most likely to be noticed at the moment. They may just be used to standing and walking with energy as a way, probably a primitive way, of signalling to other men that they are a force to be reckoned with. The primitive signal was probably something like: "...and so, if you know what's good for you, keep your hands off of my women." Looking tough raised one's odds of breeding successfully. Over generations, fit and assertive men had more kids, in particular, more sons who watched their dads' examples, and passed their genes and their mores on more successfully down the generations. 

Women have other routes to power. I have never heard anyone say it out loud or in print, but it needs to be said. For women, beauty is a route to power. Beauty enables a woman to get men, a bigger selection from which to choose a mate. Beauty may also get other women who have been duly intimidated, to do what the beauties want. Beauties, over the millennia, have had more kids, especially more daughters who were imprinted with their moms' mores, and thus have had more success, over generations, in passing their genes and mores on. 

Men get weak and worn. Women get the same. Both get wrinkled. Beauties and muscles fade. But for a while at least, during their children's most impressionable years, they retain their signals and signalling power. 

The women in the images above are signalling that they are sexually confident. Note the tilts of the head and shoulders. These are pieces of a motif that is a universal human signal. 

"Yes, I know I'm cute. Yes, I might be interested in a liason with you."

The tilt of the head and the incline of the shoulders is a pose each of these women probably saw in the sexually powerful women around her when she was a little girl. The signal is universal. It is found in all cultures. But the fact that a woman is putting out such signals does not - repeat, does not - mean she actually wants some sexual interaction with the man she is looking at - or anyone else in the room, for that matter. It is a look that got imprinted into her little girl brain long ago. In many women, it can be a look that they are unaware of projecting at the time. 

An awareness of this fact is especially important when we travel from one culture to another. Women everywhere do this pose, but it indicates varying degrees of sexual interest or readiness.
There is universality here, but also there are particularities that vary from tribe to tribe.  In some countries, where women are kept out of the gaze of men, this look might very well mean an almost overwhelming level of desire and readiness is being signalled.

On the other hand, in the West, where sexual mores are more open, it may only be a pose, memorized and performed so many times that the performer is unaware of any signalling coming from her at all. Perhaps, she didn't even see the look in her own mom. It could be that she only saw it in a movie or a magazine, and she is doing nothing more now than testing the equipment. 

The women pictured below, for example, from everything we know of them now, were actually not very skilful as sexual athletes. It was all an act. 

Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe. Sex goddesses. And it was all an act, one which, in both of their cases, may have contributed to the array of forces that got them killed. May they rest in peace now.