# ABC's True Beauty **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096 "2009-01-06T16:14:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brix11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@brix11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brix11)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/1 "2009-01-06T16:14:43Z")
Please tell me I’m not the only one who watched this garbage.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/2 "2009-01-06T16:37:01Z")
Thank you for sparing me the humiliation of writing that exact OP. I am still grinning about the fact that she got booted for not holding the door for the guy. I think this has the potential to be fabulous fun. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/3 "2009-01-06T16:56:02Z")
The hosts really clinged to that “most beautiful according to science” thing. I agreed with the guy who said it was stupid. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/4 "2009-01-06T16:59:07Z")
I’m not sure if they really bought it, or whether they were just gaming the contestants. ---
**Author:** ![brix11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@brix11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brix11)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/5 "2009-01-06T17:05:17Z")
I hesitate to think about this show too much, but I love that the judges chided the loser for her dishonesty, when the whole premise relies on the judges being duplicitous themselves. And, please chime in if you’ve ever known somebody in your life who has NEVER washed a dish. ---
**Author:** ![Sublata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Sublata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublata)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/6 "2009-01-06T17:09:09Z")
I watched that garbage too. And enjoyed it. And I’m going to watch it again.:o I actually ended up liking Chelsea (is that her name? the blonde who almost got booted off). She’s such a bitch to the other contestants, but when she’s alone and doesn’t think anyone important is watching, she’s ethical and nice. Weird! I’m torn on whether anyone actually believed that “scientific measurement of beauty” thing. At first I thought they were just doing it to see how the contestants would react. But the plastic surgeon did a very good job of acting, if he didn’t really believe in his process. ---
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/7 "2009-01-06T17:40:08Z")
I enjoyed the show and will watch again. I read somewhere that the science of beauty is measured on how symmetrical you face is, among some other minor things. While I can see the point that a truly symmetrical face may be beautiful, it does not count in things like uniqueness for instance. Look at Owen Wilson, there are plenty of people who find him attractive. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/8 "2009-01-06T17:46:42Z")
[Dicknose](http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/owenwilsonyoume.jpg)? Attractive? He’s proof positive that women are aroused by status as much as looks. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/9 "2009-01-06T18:07:46Z")
Ashton Kutcher, you bastage. I’m in! > [@Sublata](#): > > I actually ended up liking Chelsea (is that her name? the blonde who almost got booted off). She’s such a bitch to the other contestants, but when she’s alone and doesn’t think anyone important is watching, she’s ethical and nice. Weird! I think a lot of her bitchy behavior is a front. She says at the beginning that she used to be picked on for being heavy, and I think she puts herself out as someone you can’t screw with because she is too strong for it, but you can see her crumple when the one guy tells her outright that he doesn’t like her, and to stay away. > [@](#): > > I’m torn on whether anyone actually believed that “scientific measurement of beauty” thing. At first I thought they were just doing it to see how the contestants would react. But the plastic surgeon did a very good job of acting, if he didn’t really believe in his process. It’s pretty much measurements of how symmetrical you are. There was an article once about how 90s supermodel [Christy Turlington](http://www.wangoppa.com/ritts/Christy-Turlington,Hollywoo.jpg) had one of the most symmetrical faces ever, although I can’t find it now. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/10 "2009-01-13T14:42:16Z")
I think they’re going to keep Chelsea around for a while just because she’s so damned entertaining. Is she really that stupid? (Of course, none of these contestants are exactly rocket surgeons.) I’m rooting for Billy, both because I think he is tied with CJ as the best-looking of the men and because he seems like a nice guy. Of the women, I can’t keep any of their names straight besides Chelsea – but I think the “club dancer” (what’s that mean, like a stripper who keeps her clothes on?) is really pretty, and I agree with Chelsea that the pageant girl’s winking and twinkling is annoying as hell. Love the closing shot where the two janitors come out with the cart to throw out the evictee’s picture – the squeaky wheel on the thing is the perfect touch. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/11 "2009-01-13T15:15:01Z")
I missed last week, but I caught it last night. I’m in, because really…what else is there to watch in this time slot? CSI Miami? No thanks. I didn’t find any of the contestants particularly attractive on the outside though. Joel was by far the worst, looking as though he’s somehow engineered or something. Maybe it was the hair, but he looked odd and off to my eyes. Billy did seem to be sweet, genuine and kind, so if I have to pick someone to root for this early on, I guess it’s him. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/12 "2009-01-13T15:39:05Z")
I was entertained by Billy’s enthusiastic protein shake manufacturing. He’s my favorite so far, and he doesn’t look 33! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/13 "2009-01-13T15:45:50Z")
I think the show could stand some production improvements, but that could work itself out over time. The paradox of using dishonesty to detect dishonesty is interesting, though. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/14 "2009-01-13T15:52:02Z")
I watched it the other night, too. I couldn’t look away. All that prettiness–and yet so very unattractive in other ways. The receptionist was a bitch and I’m glad she got booted. I hope I remember to watch another episode. If there was a previous episode, I missed it. Very entertaining garbage. 🙂 I would die if I were in a room with all those people, though. And the amount of work it seems to take to stay so ‘beautiful’–wow. That’s a lot of primping and pumping. ---
**Author:** ![Sublata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Sublata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublata)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/15 "2009-01-13T15:56:39Z")
I was a bit annoyed this time at the stupidity of the kind-heartedness test during the shopping expedition. Handing over cash to some alleged solicitor for some no-name charity out on the street? What, is gullibility officially beautiful now? I think I would have preferred that they be given adequate shopping money and then be judged on how they treated the salespeople in the stores. ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/16 "2009-01-13T18:02:24Z")
I like the little test at the very end , at the entrance to whatever they call the judging site (House of Beauty maybe? something cornball like that). I’m a Billy fan, too, not sure who I like best for the girls. Chelsea is the easiest to remember, the others are so interchangeable. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/17 "2009-01-13T20:14:10Z")
> [@maladroit](#): > > I like the little test at the very end , at the entrance to whatever they call the judging site (House of Beauty maybe? Hall of Beauty. It will be interesting to see how they decide things if either both people or neither person helps the plant outside – so far both weeks the loser has been the person who didn’t help. For that matter, what happens when someone makes bottom two a second time – will they be aware that there’s a test involved outside the building? Does the person who isn’t eliminated see the clip collection? ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/18 "2009-01-13T20:35:10Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > For that matter, what happens when someone makes bottom two a second time – will they be aware that there’s a test involved outside the building? Does the person who isn’t eliminated see the clip collection? The one who stays isn’t let in on the gag. I also thought the shopping thing was stupid. The store where they all got the stuff for free was obviously in on it. And all of our empty-headed heros are left to believe that, yes, high end stores are just itching to give their stuff away to good looking nobodies like them I hate almost everything about this show! I can’t wait for it to finish it’s run so I won’t be able to watch it every week. Go CJ! ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/19 "2009-01-13T21:40:28Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > I also thought the shopping thing was stupid. The store where they all got the stuff for free was obviously in on it. And all of our empty-headed heros are left to believe that, yes, high end stores are just itching to give their stuff away to good looking nobodies like them I wonder how much of that has to do with how pretty they are vs. the fact that they’re being followed by cameras. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096/20 "2009-01-13T21:57:02Z")
Yeah, I agree, it didn’t need to be set up in advance – people in LA, in a store or on the street, seeing a group of attractive people trailed by multiple videocameras, are going to assume “reality TV” and be happy to go along with whatever in order to get their 15 seconds of fame. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abcs-true-beauty/480096.md?page=2)