Can someone be "too beautiful"?

[Zombie]

In Britain we love to moan. About anything. About the weather, TV, next-door's cat, the fat + gristle "bargain pie" bought for £1.50 at the service station (what did they expect?).

 

Recently people have been writing in to newspapers and blogs complaining that nineteen year old Douglas Booth, the actor who played PiP in the BBC's adaptation of Great Expectations shown recently in the UK, was "too beautiful". Just to make myself absolutely clear here, he is grab-your-eyeballs-by-the retinas beautiful. This guy could not walk down the street without causing death and mayhem. Multiple pile-ups, people stepping in front of buses - that sort of thing (he can also act and it's a terrific production - if you get a chance to see it you won't be disappointed).

 

Of course we're just talking physical beauty here. Not the inner self thing.

 

But "too beautiful"? Is this possible? And what is physical beauty anyway?

 

Here are some pics + clips from the BBC adaptation:

 

http://img.thesun.co...82_1429977a.jpg

 

http://www.tumblr.co...fore=1325121619

[Marzipan]

Beauty can come in many forms, sometimes the not so obvious can be beautiful. I don't believe there is a measure to beauty. There is no such thing as too beautiful, unless it is so beautiful it becomes boring.

 

Let's focus on the stunning androgyny Andrej Pejic for a sec... He is a male model, one could say too beautiful,but that would be an understatement; he is beyond beauty in my mind. If he were a woman, would I still find him equally stunning as knowing he is actually born male? Likely not, even if I could recognize the simplicity of physical beauty. For me part of Andrej's beauty is the idea of him. He is one of a kind and he makes me smile just knowing he exists.

 

http://andrejpejicpage.tumblr.com/

[Zombie]

Now that's interesting. I accept that, for you, those pics are the epitome of beauty. Yet for me they do nothing. No reaction. I guess beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. But I'm still curious to understand what it is that strikes us visually when we see someone, maybe passing in the street, and we are arrested by their physical beauty. May not happen very often, but when it does - WOW!

Thanks for the post.

[Andrew Q Gordon]

Zombie,

 

I don't think you can be 'too beautiful' though Menelaus and Paris might disagree where Helen was concerned.

 

Booth is definitely very cute/hot/beautiful, take your word, but is by no means the most hot/cute/beautiful man I've ever seen, Which is why I say you can't be, because there will always be some who disagee on his status as #1.

[Y_B]

He's a good looking guy, but isn't "too" anything.

 

I don't believe there's such a thing as "too beautiful" in an objective sense. If you feel that way about someone, you've let somebody overwhelm you and that's strictly emotional. It's happened to me on occasion and I was just blown away madly in angst over how beautiful someone is, but 100% of the time that feeling subsides when I've come back down to Earth and realized that even a 10 is not the same as infinite.

 

I googled Booth and browsed through some pics...I'll give the whole experience a 5-6 because I generally don't find soft looking plastic model boys on the internet to be very attractive, especially ones with long wooshy hair, plus I have no clue who he is.

 

and with Andrej Pejic....that's just.....nvm.

[Jasper]

Yeah, I think the problem with that is that 'beautiful' sort of suggests a specific type, and it can be kind of confusing... 'Beautiful' and 'sexy' are two very different things. Booth is kinda beautiful, but I can't say I find him particularly attractive. I just don't think he's hot.

 

It's the same with Andrej Pejic too--that guy is unbelievably beautiful, but I'm not sure I'd ever even consider him in that way. I guess it sort of depends on what kind of partner you go for, some guys like the really pretty ones and some guys just don't. Even so, I can appreciate that both these guys are very good looking, just not really my type.

 

For me, 'beautiful' and 'sexy' are almost mutually exclusive--if a guy has traditionally delicate, almost feminine features then even if I can look at him and say 'wow', he's just not sexy. But I reckon it's gonna be different for everyone because the guys that like that sort of look will, I'd imagine, find it hot, so yeah. Sounds complicated

[Nephylim]

Well, I think it's kind of obvious that I am a MAJOR Andrej fan Is he too beautiful? Is there such a thing... I don't know. Unlike Maria, I am absolutely sure that, all things being equal I would desire him equally as much if he was a woman. For me, beauty is beauty and has nothing to do with gender. As I have said before... I like my women to look like a woman and my men to look like a woman... Perfection. The 'all things being equal' refers to me being 35 years younger, and able to realistically desire anyone of that age. Yes, he makes my pulse flutter, just for the sheer beauty, but I genuinely can't imagine doing anything sexual with him, not even kissing. He's a baby.

 

On the other hand I really don't think that Phillip is particularly good looking at all.

 

It's just as well we have different ideas of beauty. I think nature/god/whatever, knows that it's doing in this respect.

 

On reflection I decided to add .... Jonny Depp. Sigh. Now, as beautiful as Andrej is if ther was a choice between him and Jonny... no competition. I've been in love with Jonny forever.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Nephylim

[myself_i_must_remake]

I had this very thought about my ex. When I was dating him, he was still highly attractive, but I saw pictures of him when he was like nineteen and twenty, and it was out of control. Not only was he beautiful, but beautiful in a way I had never seen before, like... I didn't know a human could look like that, and I think it had an undue effect on me. If I had met him back when he looked like that, I could see myself having gone crazy over him. I'd post pictures if it weren't creepy. I know in my mind, I'll always imagine him like that and when I'm writing stories, I see myself imagining him often as a character.

[hh5]

I think I wonder about what the little collision yielded in the dancing??

it does gives certain audience members some excitement

Is this a correct dicken's interpretation?

 

oh is this the other reason to moan? lol!!

[Cyhort]

I think someone can be too beautiful for certain people. For me I'd never be able to be with someone who looked the way I look/wanna look because I'd always be judging myself against them. That's why I go for guys who look different. I can enjoy their hotness without getting all jealous and self critical.

[JamesSavik]

People can be too beautiful for me to rationally deal with.

 

For instance: were Rupert Grint to ask me hand me the soap in the shower at the gym, my reply would be something like...

 

[K.C.]

Beauty and sexually arousing, for me are very different. (No it does not mean that I only bang ugly dudes! ) I can appreciate beauty in both women and men, but that is not what I’m looking for in a partner/mate.

 

When someone is so extraordinarily beautiful it has to be intimating to anyone around them. Yet extreme beauty can turn instantly ugly if they have an awful attitude.

[Sara Alva]

Too beautiful for what? For the role, maybe? Sometimes when I watch movies, I feel like certain actors are so perfect or plastic-looking that they don't look real . . . and that ends up detracting from the story (assuming the story is meant to be realistic). Of course, they probably weren't acting all that well in the first place if I was distracted enough to think about that.

[Curti]

I think beauty is best described in the eye of the beholder. There is never ever a set form of beautiful because every single person finds something else beautiful. That's why questions like, "Do you prefer blonde or dark?" or "Do you prefer pale or tan?" exist. If everyone found the same thing beautiful, say blonde, tan boys then boys like me are in a load of trouble in the love department. It helps that everyone finds something different beautiful because that allows everyone a chance at finding love and finding someone that sees them as the most beautiful person they have ever seen.

Edited February 4, 2012 by Curti

[Zombie]

I don't believe there's such a thing as "too beautiful" in an objective sense. If you feel that way about someone, you've let somebody overwhelm you and that's strictly emotional.

 

Ah, but perceiving beauty is all about the emotional response.  I suspect (but I don't know) that someone who is unable to experience emotions would not be able to perceive beauty.  Is there a physchologist reading who can comment?

 

I googled Booth and browsed through some pics...I'll give the whole experience a 5-6 because I generally don't find soft looking plastic model boys on the internet to be very attractive, especially ones with long wooshy hair, plus I have no clue who he is.

 

 

I agree - the Google pics are insipid.  His appearance only seems to be striking when you see him in performance.  "Still" pics sometimes work really well for some people but not others.  I don't know why that is.

 

Yeah, I think the problem with that is that 'beautiful' sort of suggests a specific type, and it can be kind of confusing... 'Beautiful' and 'sexy' are two very different things. Booth is kinda beautiful, but I can't say I find him particularly attractive. I just don't think he's hot.

 

 

You're right, human response is complicated.  And I agree, I don't find him hot either, even though I appreciate his beauty.  For me, a hot guy will be "rougher" looking e.g. Luke Mclean, the rugby fullback / fly-half for Italy (Italian blood, Aussie raised).  He's in a short YouTube vid "5 Stylish Ways to Tie a Scarf" - also worth watching for those who've never quite known what to do with a scarf

 

( if the link failed to show just cut + paste this into the browser window: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X14XKtZzfw )

 

Frankly, for me, however he tied his knot it would look pretty damned hot.

 

Meantime, I'm searching for the vid on how to remove his clothing ....

 

For me, beauty is beauty and has nothing to do with gender.

I agree.  I may be gay but I can be equally struck by female beauty e.g. Julie Christie in Day for Night.

 

I had this very thought about my ex. When I was dating him, he was still highly attractive, but I saw pictures of him when he was like nineteen and twenty, and it was out of control. Not only was he beautiful, but beautiful in a way I had never seen before, like... I didn't know a human could look like that, and I think it had an undue effect on me. If I had met him back when he looked like that, I could see myself having gone crazy over him. I'd post pictures if it weren't creepy. I know in my mind, I'll always imagine him like that and when I'm writing stories, I see myself imagining him often as a character.

 

Good point.  And that's the problem with beauty.  It fades.  Whereas a rugged "manly" guy's looks can get better with age.  Example, the older Gregory Peck and Cary Grant (imo) look much better than their younger selves.  

 

Beauty and sexually arousing, for me are very different. (No it does not mean that I only bang ugly dudes! )  I can appreciate beauty in both women and men, but that is not what I’m looking for in a partner/mate.

 

When someone is so extraordinarily beautiful it has to be intimating to anyone around them.  Yet extreme beauty can turn instantly ugly if they have an awful attitude.  

 

Yeah, that's a good point KC.  If someone is exceptionally beautiful / handsome / good looking and they know it - that can be really bad.  For them, and for those around them.

 

I think beauty is best described in the eye of the beholder. There is never ever a set form of beautiful because every single person finds something else beautiful. That's why questions like, "Do you prefer blonde or dark?" or "Do you prefer pale or tan?" exist. If everyone found the same thing beautiful, say blonde, tan boys then boys like me are in a load of trouble in the love department. It helps that everyone finds something different beautiful because that allows everyone a chance at finding love and finding someone that sees them as the most beautiful person they have ever seen.

 

You're absolutely right.  Also, if we all looked the same and had the same emotional responses to each other then life would be much less interesting and fun too!

Edited February 5, 2012 by Zombie

[methodwriter85]

Armie Hammer looks like a Disney Prince come to life:

 

 

Goddamn. The best part is that not only does he look like a Disney Prince, but he actually has a pretty cool and lively personality:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=4-dInUB-bMk

[Dark Princess]

Definitely! There is this one guy in my school and he is by far the Most Beautiful, Mysterious, Hot, Sexy, Delicious guy on the planet! He is a complete ass but wow I have never seen anyone compare! Not actors, not models, no one! And it is not just my opinion but the opinion of all the gay guys and girls in school. He makes Anthony Saldana look like a mountain troll...

[intune]

I personally don't think people can be too beautiful, although I have run into a few people that I was surprised were so good looking. Does that make sense?

 

Anyways- in some peoples minds there is such a thing as too beautiful or this wouldn't be an issue. Actually, in looking up phobias the other day:

 

http://phobiaguide.com/fears/caligynephobia-fear-of-beautiful-women

I came across Caligynephobia or fear of beautiful women. If that exists I'm sure a generalized fear of beautiful things/ people does as well. Obviously for some people it really is a problem.

[Rndmrunner]

The interesting thing about beauty is that I find there is objective and subjective beauty. If I know nothing about the individual, I can find him objectively incredibly gorgeous, or not. Once i know someone, the beauty becomes tempered by his personality: the most gorgeous man becomes like the evil queen in Snow White if he is a prick, and conversely an average guy becomes hot if he acts hot and has an attractive personality. A good flirt is seriously hot!

[SoullessCynner]

The interesting thing about beauty is that I find there is objective and subjective beauty. If I know nothing about the individual, I can find him objectively incredibly gorgeous, or not. Once i know someone, the beauty becomes tempered by his personality: the most gorgeous man becomes like the evil queen in Snow White if he is a prick, and conversely an average guy becomes hot if he acts hot and has an attractive personality. A good flirt is seriously hot!

 

I like your thinking! I even agree with you.

[John Doe]

As an art major, at my school beauty was a vigorous point of study. I want to point out that Beauty not only applies to people. If you want to read philosophical musing about Beauty read Kant. Though it speaks of art, his thoughts can also be applied to people.

 

Personally, I think Beauty is deeply tied to emotions and experiences. In respects to physical beauty.. Booth is a good looking person, but I too find that he's also quite ordinary. I see guys like him walking around all the time. I'm not being sarcastic or exaggerating either. Too beautiful? No such thing (at least of the everyday human experience). I think for something to be too beautiful, there has to be an overload to the senses (an analogy) and a person is afterall a person. A human being. There's nothing etheral or otherwordly about him or any or anyone else for that matter... nothing to render our senses dull.

 

Beauty is subjective. All depending on a person's view. Again, for me, I think people who gush over others have one of two mindsets (or both): they fail to see the Beauty in of themselves and/or they feel that they are lacking in some respect (or something - whether it be it large or small).... so thus claiming something to be beautiful means whatever holds beauty, in the eyes of the beholder, sees something they value that they themselves fail to see in them.

[Princely Orange Peel]

While I don't believe that anyone can be too beautiful, I do think that it's possible to be too beautiful to be an actor. This sounds kind of mean but it's true for me. Watching anything that Douglas Booth is in generally means that I'm watching him and not whatever it is. He's too distracting.

 

Also, people were critical of his Pip because he is too beautiful to play Pip. Estella is meant to be very beautiful but Booth far outshone her in the looks department. It just didn't really work.

[Ashi]

Funny, I was actually trying to rent this version of Great Expectation and found this thread....

 

I rarely find people who are "beautiful" sexy. I rarely find physically perfect people "loveable." I don't know..., I appreciate beautiful people (like Booth), muscular hunks or whatever the way we rank beauty, but none of that actually means anything to my emotional attachment. I don't mean I won't ever fall in love with a hot guy (actually I did have a crush on a guy who was pretty handsome, in my subjective measure of course), just that hotness makes no difference whether I like the guy or not. I really think personality trumps over physical beauty.

 

As for the original question, whether Booth is "too beautiful." I think people just mean he was not correctly cast as Pip. I never imagined Pip as being a superfluous handsome guy in any way.... Like Princely Orange Peel said, Estella is meant to be beautiful, but Pip isn't. He probably looked gentlemanly like, but I don't get the impression he is a "pretty boy." Won't work for the storyline, but won't stop me from renting the movie either.

 

BTW, I kind of disagree with people who think Booth looks ordinary. He is beautiful alright, in an androgynous way. Very standard model look. I won't say he is "perfect" but perfection isn't what makes one stand out from another. I find plastic look very unattractive. Andrej Pejic is "beautiful." I will have a hard time saying he is "handsome" which I probably could still bring myself to use the word on Booth (just barely though). I think Pejic is far more beautiful than most female models I've seen, which is kind of intriguing....

 

And I agree with whoever said objective beauty (should I rephrase it to "conventional beauty"?) vs subjective beauty. I would not date either Booth or Pejic (even if they would entertain such thought... probably not), though they're really beautiful people by conventional standard.

 

But now I know your type of guy, Zombie. LOL! "...could not walk down the street without causing death and mayhem." LOL. Beautifully phrased.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Ashi