Local Men Avoiding Match.com's Stir Events For Older Singles

Related: Schultz: Single Women Over 30 Are Not Attractive To Me

By JENEANE KLEIN

SANTA MARINO -- A strange phenomenon has been occurring on the venerable Match.com dating website. Approximately one year ago, the preeminent dating website launched a singles networking and event planning venture entitled “Stir.”  Stir has created many opportunities for local Santa Marino singles to mingle and, hopefully, find that special one.

With few exceptions, men have flocked to these events each of which allots spaces for men and women so that there is an even mix.  One exception, however, has been at events for singles in their 30s and 40s.  For these events, only women have filled the female allotment.  Men have been relative no-shows.

Santa Marino professor of sociology Maxine Wielding believes that society has taught men that only young and skinny women are attractive.  This discourages them from mingling with women in their 30s and 40s.  “Men have been trained not to recognize the beauty that more mature women offer,” she said.  “Take Jennifer Aniston who remains a beautiful woman inside and out.”

A local Santa Marino single male said that he does not find many single women in their 30s and 40s to be attractive.  “Dude, most of those chicks are spent,” he said.  “I don’t know what any professor said, but they’re butt (ugly).”

If you talk to most local women in this age bracket, however, you find that most are at their best.  “I am way hotter than I was when I was 25 because I am so much more confident,” said Jenn Beckerman, 36.  “I'm in better shape than when I was 21 because I do yoga everyday,” said Fawn Calloway, 42.  Ben Engelberg agrees.   “Women in their 30s have wisdom which can be sexy,” he said. 

Wielding hopes that Match.com and other dating websites will begin using their profits to educate men that older women can be beautiful, too.  “Men need a guiding hand so that they can see that all of these wonderful women in their 30s and 40s have life experience as well as beauty,” she said.  One solution that Wielding supports: federal legislation to require match-making websites to devote a percentage of revenues to dating education for male participants.  “The internet gives us a rich and cost-effective palette to reach the minds of single men,” she said.

For now, at least, far too many single women in their 30s and 40s will take finger-painting classes with cocktails alone.