Who CARES About Eye Color?

Ever notice how eye color is almost always mentioned in a personal ad? These ads aren't cheap. So you'd think that the person would choose his or her words very, very carefully, in a way that maximizes the limited ad space, and tells a lot about that person.

Eye color tells absolutely nothing. Does anyone really care about eye color? Read singles ads. One after another includes eye color, for the description of the advertiser. Ironically, you will rarely-if ever-find an ad in which a person is requesting a particular eye color in a potential mate! You just won't find an ad that says, "I'm seeking a SWM, at least six feet, who's into outdoor sports, is a nonsmoker, and has blue eyes."

So if eye color isn't an issue when you are seeking a mate, why is it such a big deal when you are composing your ad and trying to attract responses? Have you, yourself, ever decided not to respond to an ad because of the eye color listed? As in, "Wow, this guy sounds good...he likes to travel, likes dogs, likes dancing...oh, wait, wait...dang, he has brown eyes! Aw shucks! Scrap him."

Do people actually select an ad to respond to, based on the eye color of its writer? What a waste of ad space. Eye color is no indication of compatibility or common interests. It is such a miniscule trait. Now, I'll admit, I have a very strong preference for brown eyes. But I would never respond to an ad just because it said brown eyes. And I would never bypass an ad just because it said blue or green eyes. Who cares? I'm more interested in a man's height!

Okay, maybe you believe that height is just as much a superficial trait as eye color. A man cannot control his height any more than he can control the color of his eyes. However...height is a very significant physical trait; it's hard to miss. Furthermore, the irony is that many men will not include their height in a personal ad, but will list their eye color. Same for women. Women are so quick to say, "Who cares?" when it comes to how much hair a man still has, or his height, or how big a woman's thighs are or how much she weighs. Yet women almost always include their eye color. Go figure.