Well, it's just my opinion.. but, I think people tend to see in things what they want to see.

Firstly.. For a long time there was this silly thing called "Russian Brides." I think the image of this concept colored everything.. Even though I think this 'business' is a thing of the past, and probably should be. Still, when I started to learn Russian, I found I had to be careful, because it seems 90% of the people that were, at that time, trying to meet and talk to Russians were actually trying to marry them and import them in like chattel. (Chattel, not cattle.. but the unlikeability of the idea is clear with either word) ... I had to clarify that I was indeed not one of these buy-me-a-wife-online people.. (What a horrible concept, says I)

Russian women are often beautiful.. but, the same can be said of most peoples on Earth. Genetic interplay draws some to others, and so on and so forth, but for the most part, I think this comes from people simply seeing things as they want to see them.

Another thing could be said for the often-displeasing experience of dealing with American women.. When the factors of value and attraction get dumbed down to possessions, social ranking and career... evolution might be happy about it, but the experience of dating, getting to know a person, falling into that ubiquitous L-word state with one another - it starts to feel robotic, soulless, sociopathic... I'd rather not be in a relationship than to be in one so cold, as they can be.

Who's to say Russian women aren't the same way? Well, the answer is simple, there - not most Western men, who don't really know that for a fact.. maybe they're all headed to disappointment, as some Russian men have explained it to me.. or maybe they're the wisest of us all.

In my personal experience, Russian people by and large are hard workers, good planners for the future, and good to their families. Surely that won't describe all Russians, but it's been my experience.

Maybe given these predispositions, westerners could get in their head that they'd be lucky to have a Russian wife.. I know I'm personally a bit biased in that direction.. whether I meant to be, or not. =)

EDIT: Let's leave sexism in its well-deserved coffin.... At the end of the day we all know what Hanna said about objectification is correct. Pandora should stay in the box.