I work with a young woman. She’s quite attractive, smart and well-educated. Dresses nicely. Some of the young men in our workplace think she’s hot stuff and want to date her. Possibly even marry her and breed. Even if I were available, I doubt I would date her – she’s not really my style of attractive, and she’s a bit too timid and mousy of personality to appeal to me. But if I were single and found her appealing, I still couldn’t do it. Her voice is so nasal and whining that I can’t listen to her for more than a moment without wanting to run away. I really don’t think I could like her enough to get past that. Have you ever rejected a potential mate/lover who was otherwise attractive but you just couldn’t stand the voice? Enquiring minds want to know.
Yes, I stopped dating a guy because he sounded like he was having a seizure when he laughed and at first I thought I was very shallow to let it bug me, but after listening to it a few times and being in restaurants where people were staring, I decided it was a no go. Never regretted my decision.
Steve Martin, in The Man withTwo Brains, is planning to kill a beautiful hooker and replace her brain with the disembodied brain of his wife…until he hears the hooker speak.
I just did! His voice was so raspy like he needed to clear it. Always. I tried so hard to get past it, buy it constantly made me queasy.
The very first thing I thought of after reading the OP!
Yeah. I dated a fellow once who sounded like Marvin the Martian when he talked. There were other things, and I hung my hat on those. But really, it was the Marvin voice.
It’s about the whole package for me, and I’d never be attracted to a guy in the first place who didn’t have an awesome, sexy voice + laugh. I wouldn’t think of it in terms of rejecting someone who was otherwise perfect for me–I can’t begin to be attracted to someone if I’ve never heard them speak or laugh. In practical terms, though, I suppose it’s equivalent.
Then there’s the Lina Lamont (brilliantly played by Jean Hagen) subplot in Singin’ in the Rain.
Oh yes. I have to listen to that in bed. I can live with it if he can’t summon a deep baritone*. I can’t live with it if it’s awful or whiny or whatever.
I also wouldn’t date someone with a horrible horse laugh. Sorry.
*ETA: Helps if he can fake a passable Received Pronunciation.
If accent is factored in to the question then hell yes. I’m extremely sensitive / attuned to accents and wouldn’t consider dating someone who speaks with an annoying (to me) regional accent / dialect.
I can and did once.
I suppose I could if all the stars lined up. My wife had a really beautiful speaking voice. I once heard her walk into a room and thought what a beautiful voice until I realized it was her (I wasn’t expecting here there). But she had a classmate in college who had a high squeaky voice. The girl had been born with vestigial gill slits and the plastic surgeon who repaired them really fucked up by severing her vocal cords (or damaging them severely, I’m not sure) and this was the voice the poor girl was left with. I have wondered if I could have lived someone like that and I honestly don’t know.
I always kinda had a thing for Stephen King. I like lanky, gawky, boyish men. But when he speaks, his squeaky voice is a turn-off. Here’s what I mean: - YouTube 1:23:10.
I was set up on a blind date once with a woman who sounded just like Jackee Harry. I wanted to stab myself in the ears.
Oh hell yes. No question. Done it. You don’t even make it to the first date. I am not wasting my time. I don’t care how great you are, Fran Drescher.
Yes… I had been emailing back and forth with a guy from a dating site and we had agreed to meet. He gave me his cell number to confirm the time and as soon as I heard his whiney voice, my heart sunk. I still showed up to meet him, but it was the fastest coffee date I could politely get away with.
On the other hand, an average looking guy with a nice voice will suck me in every time.
I guess I’m hopeless then. My voice has a strong accent I’ve never been able to get rid of.
On the other end of the spectrum, I once worked with a guy who was…not attractive in any way, really, except his voice - oh, dear God, his voice. He seriously should have been on the radio or doing voice-work or something, because he had about the sexiest voice I have ever heard on a man! It wasn’t just me, either - I confirmed it with the other lady working in the office.
Vocal fry would be a showstopper.