The Bigger the Bust, the Bigger the Backlash?
For years, people have joked — sometimes quietly, sometimes not — that women with larger breasts tend to attract more criticism from other women. Think of figures like Kate Upton or Sydney Sweeney. The narrative often goes like this: they’re seen as overtly sexual, appealing strongly to male desire, and somehow that makes them magnets for hostility.
Now, new research suggests there may be something deeper going on.
A 2024 peer-reviewed study from texas A&M international university explored whether women react differently to other women based on breast size. The findings? women were significantly more likely to report engaging in indirect or verbal aggression toward women with larger breasts compared to women with smaller chests.
That doesn’t mean open confrontation. It means subtler tactics — negative judgments, criticism, reputation damage, social exclusion. The kind of hostility that flies under the radar.
What the Study Actually Did
The study involved 114 college-aged Hispanic women. Each participant was shown images of women’s breasts ranging from A cup to D cup, with varying levels of firmness. They were also assessed for “intrasexual competitiveness” — essentially, how strongly they feel rivalry toward other women in dating contexts.
Participants were then asked how likely they would be to respond with verbal or indirect aggression toward the women in the images.
The strongest predictor of hostility wasn’t breast firmness. It wasn’t even the participants’ baseline competitiveness.
It was breast size.
women with C and D cups were disproportionately more likely to be targets of negative reactions than those with A or B cups. Interestingly, even women who didn’t score high in competitiveness still reacted more negatively to larger-breasted women. Simply seeing a highly sexualized physical trait appeared to heighten rivalry responses beyond their usual baseline.
But Before We Jump to Conclusions…
The study has limits.
The sample was small and not diverse — primarily young Hispanic women in a university setting. That’s not representative of all women. The images were also nude, which isn’t how women typically encounter each other in everyday life. Responses were self-reported rather than measured through physiological data like heart rate or pupil dilation.
And importantly, larger breasts aren’t universally seen as more attractive across all cultures or individuals.
So while the study is interesting, it’s not a sweeping universal truth.
Why Indirect Rivalry Happens at All
Evolutionary psychology offers one possible explanation. Historically, women’s reproductive strategies relied less on direct physical aggression and more on subtle social tactics. Instead of overt fights, rivalry often showed up as gossip, reputation damage, or social policing.
Research has consistently shown that women are more likely to condemn or criticize women who appear sexually provocative — whether through revealing clothing or visible physical traits associated with attractiveness. Not necessarily because they are direct threats in a specific moment, but because such traits can shift social and sexual dynamics.
If men place high value on youth and physical attractiveness, women may become more attuned to those traits in potential rivals. That awareness can translate into indirect hostility.
But context matters.
So, Where Does Sydney Sweeney Fit In?
If we look at someone like Sydney Sweeney, she fits a familiar hollywood archetype: highly attractive, visibly curvy, and frequently cast in roles that emphasize sexuality.
But here’s the twist — she didn’t always receive intense backlash from women. In fact, she built a strong female fanbase early in her career through indie roles and performances that felt more nuanced and less overtly male-oriented.
The shift seemed to happen when her public image started leaning more heavily into overtly sexualized marketing — ad campaigns, comedy sketches centered on her body, and brand partnerships that amplified her appeal to men.
The body didn’t change.
The framing did.
And that framing appears to matter more than any single physical trait.
It’s Not Just About Anatomy — It’s About Meaning
Other actresses with similar body types, like Christina Hendricks or Kat Dennings, have often been embraced by female audiences. Why? Because they’re perceived as more “female-coded” — aligned with women’s narratives, humor, or solidarity — rather than positioned primarily through male desire.
Hostility doesn’t distribute evenly.
It intensifies when physical traits associated with attractiveness are paired with messaging that seems to prioritize male attention over female affiliation. When a celebrity is perceived as “performing for men,” subtle forms of rivalry can surface.
This isn’t about simple jealousy. It’s about social signaling.
The hollywood Pattern Isn’t New
Look back at iconic images like Sophia Loren glancing at Jayne Mansfield’s plunging neckline in 1957. Or the constant comparisons between Marilyn Monroe and Mansfield. women in hollywood have long been pitted against each other, especially when occupying the same “sex symbol” lane.
Today’s versions of those rivalries play out online.
Memes. Think pieces. Discourse spirals.
The medium changes. The dynamics echo.
The Bigger Picture
The 2024 study suggests that certain physical traits — particularly larger breasts — can trigger indirect hostility among women in controlled settings. But real-world backlash isn’t driven by anatomy alone.
It’s driven by context. Branding. Cultural signaling. Perceived allegiance.
Sydney Sweeney didn’t suddenly become controversial because of her body. She became controversial because of how that body was framed, marketed, and interpreted.
The research gives us a lens. It doesn’t give us a verdict.
And maybe the most interesting takeaway isn’t that “bigger bust equals bigger hate.”
It’s that meaning — not measurements — that determines who becomes a target.
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