A simple theory of where the women are beautiful

For a few weeks twice a year, after Ramadan and before Christmas,
thousands of Lebanon’s young men return from jobs abroad – and run
smack into one of the world’s most aggressive cultures of female
display.  Young women of means have spent weeks primping and planning
how to sift through as many men as possible in the short time
available.  The austere month of Ramadan ended a week ago.

The
country’s high rate of unemployment pushes the young men to seek work
elsewhere, sometimes in Western countries like France and Canada, but
mainly in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the other oil states on the Persian Gulf.  The women, inhibited by family pressures, are generally left behind.

MR readers will not be shocked to learn these women strongly prefer the Lebanese men with foreign jobs and foreign incomes; here is the full story of competition and rent exhaustion.

My simple theory of where the women are attractive has two variables: income inequality, and the willingness of wealthier men to marry beautiful women from the lower income and social classes.  Women then compete for lucrative marriage prizes.  That puts Cuba (the wealthy men are the tourists) and Brazil near the top of the list, where they belong.  New York City isn’t bad, and this mechanism won’t hurt China either.

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