Behold--The Eyeball Magnifyer

Throughout the centuries, women have physically altered themselves to look more appealing. They've bound their feet, they've gone through genital mutilation, they've worn neck rings to elongate their necks. Then of course there are the less drastic measures: hair dying, eyelash curling, nail painting. The latest body altering trend?

Pupil Enlargement.

Well, not really. Contact lens manufacturers now make lens that are supposed to "give you bigger, livelier eyes with a more expressive look." Translation: you'll look like an anime heroine. Has this been around for a while? I don't know. Seems new to me. It's all the rage right now in Asia.

During my last trip to Thailand a couple of months ago I stopped into an optical store. It was my last day there and I wanted to to buy a box of contacts. Yes, in Thailand you can do that--no prescription needed. I bought the only kind they had with my base curve size. Unbeknownst to me, they were the eyeball enlarging kind. I realized this when I put them on and and whoa....my eyes were big.

I have to admit, I kind of like them though. I think the brand I got makes them look really subtle. So you don't look bug-eyed or cracked-out or anything. Nobody's asked me so far if I was going into shock or having a seizure. So I think I'm okay.

To come to think of it though, all these physical traits women strive for usually have associations to an evolutionary benefit. For example, say, men like women with big hips and small waists because it's a sign of fertility. Or they like big breasts for that same child-rearing rationale. Why do men like women with big eyes, baby-like eyes? Maybe it's a signal that we'll be able to see clearly when the big, baby-eating boar comes running for our kids. Haha.

Or maybe they just want us to look like anime porn stars. Random thoughts, random thoughts.