Many men's rights activists would assume that ladies — being the shallow people that we are — would immediately walk away from a potential date if he didn't have six-pack abs with hundreds spilling out of his pockets.
The truth? Not so convenient, according to a new social experiment by the brains behind Simple Pickup. They conducted two social experiments using fat suits — one man, one woman. Each set up several dates on Tinder with "normal" looking photos, but showed up at the designated meeting spot looking a lot heftier than their online profiles.
And the reactions were... different, to say the least.
Tinder Social Experiment: Female
The guys reacted to the heavier woman with everything from condescending comments to downright insults. "You look kind of more voluptuous ... Are you pregnant?" said one man, adding that "I really don't appreciate people lying to me" before jetting off.
"It's very upsetting," said another "I'm a little upset. I wasted gas and my time to come over here, and I can't do this." One man even claimed he was married after discovering his date wasn't what he expected.
Only one ended up staying, though he did manage to get a dig in about her love of food.
Tinder Social Experiment: Male
And on the flip side were the ladies. Sure, many of the ladies were taken aback by the larger lothario, but generally they were polite. He was trying to be antagonistic with his comments — even adding that he hates dogs — but they all stuck around, a couple even made plans with the guy who essentially catfished them into a meeting.
Of course no one wants to be lied to when it comes to dating, but it was disturbing just how disrespectful most of the guys were toward a woman who didn't meet their standards. These Tinder dates weren't supposed to be a one-way ticket to relationship town anyway, so a polite "hello" before moving on was really all that was needed.
And ladies? You nailed it. You don't have to want to marry — or hell, even be attracted to — someone to respect them. It's just called being a decent human being.
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