Wow.... deep thoughts! Wasn't expecting to read such a post as I'm sipping my second coffee of the morning. Was outside with the puppy for an hour, and still feeling dozey. Will have to wake up more to post a proper reply, but I'm pretty much with you on the ideas of humanism vs. divisiveness.

From a historical viewpoint, there have been many shifts in the general perceptions of what is considered acceptable manly behaviour, and womanly. Same goes for appearance. A while back, a plump or even fat woman was the ideal, since it meant that she came from a rich enough family that she always had more than enough to eat. The ideal skinny female form is relatively new. Just look at a few paintings from the Renaissance Masters, like Raphael or Botticelli or Titian and you'll see what I mean. These guys painted beautiful women, and worshipped the (plump) female form.

(Looking at empty coffee cup)
I need a refill and some muffins. Will come back later perhaps with more about this. Neat topic! Hope more people chime in.