Bitchery reader Joyce sent us the following article about a composite sketch of “the perfect man.”
Go ahead and check out that article. I’ll wait.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Duh-duh duh-duh DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY!
Now that Steven Tyler is shimmying around in my brain shaking his be-ribboned groove thang about dudes what look like ladies, let’s discuss. What is UP with that? Are all the women in the sample group outlandishly gay? Did the researchers look for women with Danskos and one of the seven lesbian haircuts? As Joyce pointed out, that image isn’t even on the same planet as the “ideal man” in the CG-artist’s realm. That image needs man titty like DAMN.
Aside from the discussion of what specifically constitutes attractiveness and beauty, and whether it’s a person’s features linearly adhering to a grid or just simple symmetry, the article raises a question that must plague the art department – what does an attractive male look like? Is there a common denominator for most women that can be drawn, or better yet, Poser-ed? Granted the sample of images used to generate Mr. Girly Hot Man was very small, and the sample of women rating the ballot of images was small as well, so we’re not talking about a major study. But are we working with dichotomous images of manhood that can’t be merged – the sexy studly macho alpha mantitty-sporting mega dude, and the “slightly effeminate image of a man with such traits as willingness to help, honesty, an emotional temper and love for children.” Or – do we want Mr. Girly Hot Man trapped in the body of Fabio DeSalvo?
In the opinion of a woman who likes her men short and dorky, neither image really does it for me. What about you?
