MAFS UK viewers are arguing about what is appropriate to have a preference about when it comes to relationships following the comments one groom made about his bride's weight.
Caspar Todd and Emma Barnes are yet to hit it off since they walked down the MAFS aisle a few weeks ago.
The pair have had a rocky relationship from the beginning after Caspar claimed he didn't find Emma physically attractive when she asked him about it on their wedding day.
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Then, on their honeymoon, he admitted he didn't fancy his wife at all.
"So, you didn't fancy me and you don't fancy me - right?" Emma asked him, to which Caspar replied: "Not currently, no, let's be honest."
Emma quipped: "If you didn't think I was sexy in my f**king wedding dress and my gorgeous bikini today, I don't know what hope there is."
Similarly, fellow couple Adam and Polly have been winding up viewers, with some believing that Polly is begging a man who doesn't like curvier girls to sleep with her, even though he made it known she wasn't his type.
Since then, fans of the series have been pondering what preference is acceptable to have when it comes to choosing a sexual partner.
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On Reddit, viewers argued back and forth about double standards for men and women to have preferences and whether it’s okay to consider weight a deal breaker.
Weight has largely been an uncomfortable subject to tip-toe around when it comes to what you do and don’t prefer, and the comments certainly proved that to be correct.
The original poster wrote: “If a man isn’t attracted to a woman because of her weight, something she can largely control, he’s an asshole. Heaven forbid he dares vocalise it or express preference for the slimmer frame.
“If a woman isn’t attracted to a man because of his height, something he cannot control in any way, that’s fine - in fact good on her for knowing what she wants.
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“This double standard has to go. Both sides are allowed to have a preference without judgement.”
One person was quick to share that it was the entire premise of the show to look beyond appearances: “Then he should not have signed up to the show then. This is not real life this is a reality tv show based on an experiment. How many times do we have to see posts making excuses for a man who willingly decided to sign up for a show like this.”
Another defended Caspar’s right to find her unattractive: “It wasn't they are all hateful and weird. If they didn't fancy the man nobody would say anything. Why is it such a big problem that he has never dated a ‘curvy’ woman.”
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The OP wanted to know why it’s seemingly okay for some things to be a preference and other things are not allowed to be, writing: “So the man has to simply be accepting of her being physically unattractive to him? But, back to my original point, women are entitled not to find a man attractive based on his height.”
One user shared that he shouldn’t be so picky when he isn’t a model himself. Ouch.
There does seem to be a large divide in the comments about what is okay and what isn’t, even though nobody can agree with each other.
So, why is a weight preference so uncomfortable to talk about?
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Hayley Quinn, a dating coach, has weighed in on the situation.
She shared that both men and women have preferences, which can be ‘physical, financial, intellectual and spiritual’ which ‘only begins to feel uncomfortable, when there seems to be a disparity between what men and women are allowed to express about their preferences’.
Hayley said: “It is a touch unfair, that men are shamed for having a preference, but so many women can say they're only attracted to taller men.”
The coach went on to say that the beauty standard has only recently diversified from what she called the ‘Hollywood’ ideal standard, and regardless of whether a man or woman preferred that look, they wouldn’t be a bad person.
She continued: “However, the real stickler is that when you have a strong preference for a physical characteristic, whether that's height, weight, or hair colour; you ultimately limit your options.
“A taller man may fit your ideal of who you think you'll like, but his height is not what will make him a good, or a disastrous partner to you. Filter too strongly on height and you may miss out on the chance to get to know a guy who is sexy, kind and committed, just because he's 5'9".
“There could even be a hint here of internalised misogyny - do you really need a man who makes you feel ‘smaller’?"
She suggested challenging your type, as ‘you can't know who your perfect partner is until you form a relationship with them!’
Topics: Married At First Sight, Married at First Sight UK, Reality TV, Reddit, Sex and Relationships, Beauty
Britt Jones