At last - we've made it to the final part of our review of OkCupid's newest study, "The REAL 'Stuff White People Like,'" a look at the role ethnicity plays in online dating profile writing. We've already discussed the interests of white people, black people, Latinos, and Asians, so it's time to wrap up our examination with a quick look at the lists for Indians, Middle Easterners, and Pacific Islanders.
Let's start with Indian men. Like Asian men, they describe themselves as simple foodies who are entrepreneurs and engineers, but go a step further by announcing that they are "happy go lucky" and "loving guy[s]" as well. Food ("cuisines"), business ("consultant," "developer," "trading"), movies ("Bollywood"), music ("Red Hot Chili Peppers"), and literature ("The Alchemist") are also important to Indian men. "Cricket" takes the top spot on their list, followed by "Hindi" and "a software engineer."
Indian women share several interests with Asian women, like travel ("exotic destinations," "my passport"), cuisine ("vegetarian," "Indian food," "Thai food"), and chocolate (specifically "dark chocolate"). Various forms of entertainment are also prominent features on the list. "Bhangra," a form of dance and music, is the most-used term, and several movies ("Bridget Jones," "When Harry Met Sally"), books ("The Kite Runner," "Anna Karenina"), authors ("Jane Austen," "Salman Rushdie"), and recording artists ("Norah Jones") make the list.
The top 5 words and phrases for Middle Eastern men are "Arabia," "studying," "Arabic," "Iran," and "I'm a simple guy," indicating an interest in countries and heritage. "Lebanese," Egypt," "Persian," and "Palestinian" are also frequently used terms. Like Asian men, Middle Eastern men are interested in "different cultures." Like Latino men, they describe themselves as "very funny." And like black men, Middle Eastern make an "I am cool" announcement.
The list for Middle Eastern women reveals a preoccupation with physical appearance - "petite," "big eyes," "sexier," "hairstylist" - and an interest in a diverse set of musical and literary amusements, like "Cat Power," "Baudelaire," "Tolstoy," and "Damien Rice." "Chocolate" makes another appearance, but so do several very unique choices, such as "archery," "Darjeeling," "Brooklyn," and "grape leaves."
Men from the Pacific Islands are proud of their heritage ("Hawaii," "Filipino," "Samoan," "Islands," "ukulele"), but also love California ("Bay Area," "San Diego"). They describe themselves as "tall, dark, and handsome," "chivalrous," and "always down," and seem to be inordinately fond of "[their] abs." An interest in "surfing" will probably not come as a surprise to many, but an interest in "cowboys" and "gummy bears" that's so strong those terms made it into the top 50 might.
Women from the Pacific Islands overwhelmingly put "Alicia Keys" into the #1 spot, followed by "hula," "my girlfriends," and "kickboxing." They depict themselves as "quick-witted," "fashionable," and "strong," with a fondness for travel ("Venice," "my passport," "road trips"), food ("Trader Joe's," "Food Network," "home cooking"), and medicine ("medical field," "health care"). They also list "chivalry" at #42, making them a good match for the "chivalrous" Pacific Islander men!
So what can you take away from all of this seemingly-random data? While it's interesting to see how men and women of different ethnicities describe themselves, most of the lists exemplify racial stereotypes. We are not necessarily looking at who these people really are; we are seeing the kind of person they choose to portray themselves as.
One thing, however, is certain: almost everyone loves Alicia Keys.
To find out more about OkCupid, please read our review of OkCupid.com.
eHarmony Australia is also having free communication this weekend as well. It starts Oct 1st and ends Oct 4th at midnight.
eHarmony Canada just let us know that they are having a free communication weekend from October 8th to October 11th. This FCW happens to fall on Canada's Thanksgiving day which is the second Monday in October every year.
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