A Little Like Lake Woebegone in Reverse

Women judge 80% of Men as Below Average

women rate an incredible 80% of guys as worse-looking than medium. Very harsh. On the other hand, when it comes to actual messaging, women shift their expectations only just slightly ahead of the curve, which is a healthier pattern than guys’ pursuing the all-but-unattainable. But with the basic ratings so out-of-whack, the two curves together suggest some strange possibilities for the female thought process, the most salient of which is that the average-looking woman has convinced herself that the vast majority of males aren’t good enough for her, but she then goes right out and messages them anyway.

 So, reading the article, men have a rather symmetrical vision of female attractiveness, with approximately equal amount on either end of the curve (it's rather flat for a bell curve, but...), but prefer to court the ones they judge on the more attractive end (Hey, I agree with you girls, if that helps).  On the other hand, women think men are mostly unattractive, but are willing to settle for less attractive men if "other factors" make it seem like a good bargain.  Something like say, earning potential or political power, perhaps?  The seems consistent with Rep. Weiner getting so many messages from nubile women...