Ubiq: although I hate taking a stand here, you are kind of beating a dead horse here. Yes, some of the criteria used to “pick” girls is downright silly – people are more shallow/petty than prior generations. However, PART of the reason they do it is because they can. They have so many offers, why not opt for the absolute best, however that’s defined. If there were less girls available perhaps their expectations would go down accordingly. If the only problem was inflexibility there would have been just as many eligible unmarried boys as girls. That is more likely to happen in more modern circles where singles hold out for the “perfect soulmate” as the years tick by.
Yes, even if the numbers were to become equal some boys will continue to be stubborn and choosy, but the vast majority won’t.