Should your important characters have a modelling contract, really?

missesdash said:

This is so interesting to me! I mean, I've noticed other people feel the same. But I've never felt a person's personality affects how physically attractive they are. I mean it's an entirely mental thing, isn't it? Because obviously they look the same.

But that's why a lot of fandoms (on tumblr anyway) begin after someone plays a particularly charming or compelling character. It's the performance. They probably wouldn't squeal over the same guy if he was serving them a bigmac at the local mcdonalds

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People don't physically change shape, but that doesn't mean they always look the same. Make-up could be considered a purely physical way to change, I guess, but there are also purely environmental factors like lighting, clothing, surrouding colors, relative attractiveness of other people near-by, etc. Human vision is not objective, so there's no reason that personal feelings couldn't affect visual perception in certain ways under certain circumstances. Then there's carriage/confidence which are part of personality, and lots of people find confidence very attractive.

I do wonder, how tangled up is pure physical attraction and other sorts of attraction? Maybe for you there isn't a lot of crossover?

Liosse de Velishaf said:

I do wonder, how tangled up is pure physical attraction and other sorts of attraction? Maybe for you there isn't a lot of crossover?

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For me, they're entirely wrapped together. I have ex-boyfriends I look back at now and wonder what I was thinking. And like I mentioned before, I wasn't attracted to my husband until I got to know him.

missesdash said:

This is so interesting to me! I mean, I've noticed other people feel the same. But I've never felt a person's personality affects how physically attractive they are. I mean it's an entirely mental thing, isn't it? Because obviously they look the same.

But that's why a lot of fandoms (on tumblr anyway) begin after someone plays a particularly charming or compelling character. It's the performance. They probably wouldn't squeal over the same guy if he was serving them a bigmac at the local mcdonalds

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I've noticed this too, and it happens to me. People become more or less attractive to me after I get to know them, but it has to be entirely mental.

I think it is because when we dislike someone, we tend to focus on their negative features while when we like them, we focus on their positive features. So when someone rubs us the wrong way, they become less physically attractive, and when someone proves to be just awesome, they become more physically attractive. Everyone has good and bad features, no one is truly a perfect beauty or completely ugly, so it all has to do with what you choose to focus on.

MAP said:

I've noticed this too, and it happens to me. People become more or less attractive to me after I get to know them, but it has to be entirely mental.

I think it is because when we dislike someone, we tend to focus on their negative features while when we like them, we focus on their positive features. So when someone rubs us the wrong way, they become less physically attractive, and when someone proves to be just awesome, they become more physically attractive. Everyone has good and bad features, no one is truly a perfect beauty or completely ugly, so it all has to do with what you choose to focus on.

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It's funny because people do become more attractive to me if I become attracted to their personality/charisma. (Benedict Cumberbatch is the exception. I don't find him attractive at all, even though I find him really charismatic in Sherlock.)

However, it doesn't work the other way. If I meet someone and they're attractive but a total asshole, I don't see them as less physically attractive, I just think they're unfortunately a prick. A kind of, "They're hot but my God, don't they know it?" thing.

Missus Akasha said:

But I absolutely hate it when American networks remake British shows because you go from having ordinary-looking characters that you grow to love to a whole bunch of beautiful, self-absorbed characters. :<

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The exception that proves the rule is The Office.

The_Ink_Goddess said:

It's funny because people do become more attractive to me if I become attracted to their personality/charisma.

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Totally. This is happening to me IRL right now, actually never gave this guy a second glance before we started talking a lot, now I'm like "omg he's supercute!"

However, it doesn't work the other way. If I meet someone and they're attractive but a total asshole, I don't see them as less physically attractive, I just think they're unfortunately a prick. A kind of, "They're hot but my God, don't they know it?" thing.

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God, yes. There's one guy I knew in high school, most gorgeous person ever, but biggest jerk in the world. I see him around sometimes and I still go "Wow, he is pretty beautiful. But euughhh!" Because whenever I see him, he's being a dick to a waiter or swearing every other word in public or talking about "some slut."

thebloodfiend said:

A tall skinny, metro Asian guy with a good looking face doesn't really excite anyone when phrased like that.

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Sounds good to me!

Liosse de Velishaf said:

People don't physically change shape, but that doesn't mean they always look the same. Make-up could be considered a purely physical way to change, I guess, but there are also purely environmental factors like lighting, clothing, surrouding colors, relative attractiveness of other people near-by, etc. Human vision is not objective, so there's no reason that personal feelings couldn't affect visual perception in certain ways under certain circumstances. Then there's carriage/confidence which are part of personality, and lots of people find confidence very attractive.

I do wonder, how tangled up is pure physical attraction and other sorts of attraction? Maybe for you there isn't a lot of crossover?

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I guess there is no overlap. I compartmentalize. And then when deciding whether or not someone is "overall attractive" I'll weigh each quality (this person is very funny, but not physically attractive or intelligent--next!).

That's also probably because they have different indications, you don't really need to be attracted to someone's personality to enjoy a roll in the hay. Well, I don't. But I think everyone will agree that the more time you're expecting to spend with someone, the more closely you'll examine and consider their personality.

What is this thread about again

/derail

Maxinquaye said:

Mitch Hewer (Maxx) not conventionally attractive?

I'm actually trying to think of a British show that has a beautiful MC, but can't really think of any. Merlin has a sort of bony type. I suppose Arthur could be described as attractive. Misfits? Christ... Nathan was not conventionally attractive, and neither was his replacement. None of the Misfits are attractive. Not Lip or any of the other characters in Shameless either. Hmm...

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Torchwood had Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who's pretty hot in my book.

I just want to pop in again and say I love British shows because the people do look like real people. Some are very attractive, some are in the middle and some have bad teeth and a silly grin but you fall in love with them anyhow because of the dialogue they're given or the character they're playing.

There are a few American shows like this, but not a lot, and I think Americans are still caught up in the 'if you're on TV you got there on LOOKS and talent.' I've heard so many people tell somebody (not me), a friend or cousin, perhaps, 'Oh, you're so good-looking, you should be on TV.' (Or in the movies.)

There are exceptions, and hopefully more as time goes on. But when movies started, the talent scouts were looking for pretty, beautiful and handsome. Men wanted to stare at gorgeous women and women wanted to pine over Valentino or whoever. Most people in real life had scars, bad teeth, maybe pox marks on their faces, etc. (I look at old family photos from the late 1800's and go omg what was wrong with him? If I find one pretty face in a hat with a lot of flowers I'm wondering, where'd you come from?)

So anyhow, as I digress all over the place, we also like to look at smooth, pretty, young faces as they're an indicator of good health, and we're biologically-oriented to find them appealing - no matter how young or old we are. My four-year old grandson will often say, she's a pretty girl. But I notice he says that of anyone who's nice to him and smiles.

Maxinquaye said:

Mitch Hewer (Maxx) not conventionally attractive?

[snip]

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Heh that was my thought too. I was obsessed with him for a while.

Becca C. said:

Totally. This is happening to me IRL right now, actually never gave this guy a second glance before we started talking a lot, now I'm like "omg he's supercute!"

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I was like this with Matt Smith when he first started on Dr Who - I saw the promo posters and was really disappointed because "If we're not getting Christopher Eccleston back, we could at least have a hottie" but Matt's got this bumbling, long-legged awkwardness that just makes him really attractive on screen. Plus, the hair helps