Hilly's insistence on the blind date represents the societal pressures to conform even in one's appearance. White women should be pretty, well-kept, and stylish but not draw too much attention. Skeeter's appearance is criticized because she is tall, has unruly hair, and wears little makeup. There is pressure for her to look like the cute, blonde, sorority girls from her college days, the ones who dropped out of school to marry. Skeeter finds the reliance on outward appearance silly and impossible, but she succumbs to it and agrees to go on a blind date with someone who should be a good match because of his wealth and social status. Stuart is shocked when Skeeter speaks her mind.