# Handsomeness Poll. From a Male perspective. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180 "2003-08-28T13:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/1 "2003-08-28T13:00:30Z")
I don’t think **Brad Pitt** is especially handsome. He’s kinda punkish. He’s got that cropped hair, 30 year old Calvin where’s my Hobbes look to him. Harrison Ford I would say is Handsome. Mel Gibson sure, but Brad Pitt, Colin Farrel definitely not. Just run of the mill boyish to me. As a heterosexual male who’s quite comfortable with my sexuality and masculinity, I think handsomeness has varying degrees. I would not consider myself vain really, as I have not been to the gym in a few years. However I have kept my definition in my upper body from all the damn hiking, rock climbing, and projects I do around the house. My wife thinks I am a handsome man, I’m over 6 foot, sandy blond hair, 220, quite lean, decently symmetric. So what are your conditions of handsomeness? How do you define it? Who is handsome that we can reference in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/2 "2003-08-28T13:31:42Z")
I have a hard time finding the attractiveness in actors who I feel look boyish, lanky, too styled in that Gen-X kind of look. I agree that the spiky-haired thing just doesn’t look good to me. Harrison Ford is a good looking man for sure. I always thought that Patrick Swazye was also a very handsome/attractive looking guy. Leonardo DiCaprio? No. Orlando Bloom? No. They both fit into that thin, hip, ‘pretty-boy’ look that I just don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/3 "2003-08-28T13:44:51Z")
Exactly, **Eonwe** - I don’t like that too hip for photo’s look either. Slight hijack for you - real quick. I’m going to be in VT this wekend please tell me the weather is not going to be crappy…I’m on a lake in north east kingdom…beer, books, steaks…Oh I don’t want to get rained out. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/4 "2003-08-28T13:51:20Z")
Dude, you are _so_ gay!. I’m kidding, of course. I think B.P. rocks the house but I don’t get all the hoopla about how he’s so hot. I can’t think of a guy I think is “handsome” right now, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/5 "2003-08-28T14:01:00Z")
Are you allowed to hijack your own thread like that? 🙂 Anyway, no rain in the forecast, just partly cloudy. Bring something warm though, summer’s kind of ending. Very pleasant days (highs in the low-mid 70s), with nights down in the mid 50s. If you’re going to be awake and out in the mornings or evenings I’d suggest making sure you’re not just in shorts. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/6 "2003-08-28T14:01:37Z")
Well, if I combine what I’ve learned about female preferences and what my own perception tells me, handsome actors are presumably - George Clooney - Russel Crowe - The Darcy dude in Bridget Jones and Pride & Prejudice (forgot his name, sorry). These all seem to be quite sturdy built and have strong features. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/7 "2003-08-28T14:27:19Z")
Thanks **eonwe**! very much! Oh Bruce! :rolleyes: come on now. Be honest…You like Dale Earnhardt Junior don’t you? 🙂 The only reason i wrote this thread is because my wife thinks brad Pitt’s very handsome and I had to completely disagree!! ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/8 "2003-08-28T15:21:38Z")
I’d have to agree with your wife **Phlosphr** and say Brad Pretty is a good looking guy. Of course, nowhere near as hot as his wife but I digress … I’d also agree with Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson and nominate Taye Diggs, Chris O’Donnell, Val Kilmer, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, Leonardo De Caprio, Don Johnson and Gabriel Byrne. Whoa, that seems like an awful lot of names for a hetero guy :eek: ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/9 "2003-08-28T15:24:18Z")
Tall, but not Lurch. Fit, but not steroidal. No facial hair. Well groomed, but not fastidious. Dark hair. In short, George Clooney (particularly in Ocean’s Eleven) or Cary Grant (in damn near anything except “I Was A Male War Bride.)” ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/10 "2003-08-28T15:33:53Z")
I’m a girl, so I can’t answer the OP myself. My boyfriend and I have had this discussion before though, and he thinks another man is attractive if he would want to look like him. He doesn’t like pretty boys or men who look like they spend more than an hour each day getting ready. Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Russell Crowe, and Jeremy Irons were a few he considered attractive. Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt were not considered attractive by him. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/11 "2003-08-28T16:16:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Tusculan wrote: > The Darcy dude in Bridget Jones and Pride & Prejudice. Colin Firth. _Colin Firth!!_ How can you _not_ know?!?! (Oh right—you’re a guy! 😉 ) Actually, even though I loved Colin Firth in _Pride and Prejudice_ and some other movies he’s been in, I don’t find him to be devestatingly handsome. Nice-looking, sure, but not drop-dead handsome. Hell, I don’t think of Harrison Ford as “handsome.” _Extremely_ attractive, but not “handsome.” And Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio. Nah. Cute, OK, but not handsome. Actually, I don’t think DiCaprio is even “cute.” He’s just…something. Not hideous, just semi-appealingly not-ugly. Colin Farrel—he’s very attractive, bording on handsome. Brad Pitt, very cute, but not what I’d call “manly handsome” (whatever that means). Russell Crowe—oh yeah. Well, maybe more “attractive,” like Harrison Ford. (But I mean _attractive._ here…) But Sean Connery (especially in his prime) _oh my GOSH_ was he handsome. Same goes for Paul Newman (!), Burt Lancaster, Gregory Peck (!!), and Tom Berenger (similar to Paul Newman in Greek God looks) when in his “prime.” Very handsome. Sorry, sorry, sorry, I’m a chick so my opinion doesn’t really count here. But I wanted to chime in and say that some of us don’t see much appeal in Leonardo DiCaprio or Orlando Bloom. ---
**Author:** ![merge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@merge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merge)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/12 "2003-08-28T17:32:10Z")
Well here is the thing… I have noticed during my scientific study of Celebrities that lasted 3.2 seconds… Our “icon” celebs keep getting younger and younger… back in the days of Cary Grant… even up to Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Richard Gere types… they were much older than the current “icon stars” Brad Pitt, Collin farrell, Orlando Bloom, Ashton Kutcher types are all younger… and harder to look at as traditionaly handsome… But as another comfortably heterosexual male… in his mid 20’s… who fits **plnnr’s** description pretty well… I would have to agree that Brad Pitt is a good looking guy… I would rather have the younger sexy/cute guy look right now… and hopefully be “handsome” when I am in my late 30’s -40’s ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/13 "2003-08-28T17:57:08Z")
Brad Pitt is 40 according to the IMDB, was bout 30 at breakthrough (T&L, Kalifornia, etc). Richard Gere was bout 30 at breakthrough(American Gigilo and Officer and a Gentleman). Ford was 35 in SW. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/14 "2003-08-28T19:41:35Z")
Bard Pitt is ok. I’d say George Clooney, Elvis, Chris Isaak, Sam Elliot, Cary Grant…etc are the kind of Good Lookin I’d want to be. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/15 "2003-08-28T19:51:42Z")
My bestfriend (who happens to be a 52 year old guy) and I help eachother pick out pretty and handsome people for eachother. We discussed yesterday that Tom Selleck, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones were all handsome. I did mention Bradd Pitt to him and he said no way! ---
**Author:** ![sickboy51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@sickboy51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sickboy51)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/16 "2003-08-28T22:08:27Z")
I don´t know if John Cusak is handsome or if it´s just that I like him (as an acotr I MEAN)… Anyway, most men that my female friends find attractive (like those baby-looking welps like… uh… Justin Timberlake or the like) doesn´t seem to me… I´ve noticed that there are two main types of men that my f-friends find handsome: a) girlish boys looking like preteenagers b) tall muscled brutes I find a man handsome when he´s well-proportioned and has some style, some way of moving… you know, self confident but in a no agressive way (I don´t know if I´m making myself clear) Slightly hijack tought- Funny how many times us, hetero guys talk about handsome men… ---
**Author:** ![sickboy51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@sickboy51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sickboy51)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/17 "2003-08-28T22:17:44Z")
I don´t know if John Cusak is handsome or if it´s just that I like him (as an acotr I MEAN)… Anyway, most men that my female friends find attractive (like those baby-looking welps like… uh… Justin Timberlake or the like) doesn´t seem to me… I´ve noticed that there are two main types of men that my f-friends find handsome: a) girlish boys looking like preteenagers b) tall muscled brutes I find a man handsome when he´s well-proportioned and has some style, some way of moving… you know, self confident but in a no agressive way (I don´t know if I´m making myself clear) Slightly hijack tought- Funny how many times us, hetero guys talk about handsome men… ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/18 "2003-08-29T03:26:00Z")
I’m incredibly pathetic with names, so I can’t think of his, but what about that guy who died in Star Wars Episode 1? He was in Rob Roy, too. But, does it really matter what we straight guys think? Me, I’m good looking enough to be doing fine in my career (yes, looks seem to matter), and good enough that when a woman 15 years younger catches me looking, she looks pleased and not "ewwww"y. But not good enough looking for it to really matter with the women. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/19 "2003-08-29T03:35:05Z")
Interesting thread! I hate to do this, but some of us girls like this look: [http://www.davidtoc.com/ck/ckad.cfm?Ad\_ID=356](http://www.davidtoc.com/ck/ckad.cfm?Ad_ID=356) Sorry 'bout that - but long hair is quite sexy. ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180/20 "2003-08-29T04:17:48Z")
I’m afraid I’m one of the girls who don’t find that Calvin Klein model attractive in any way whatsoever. His face looks too feminine IMHO. Actually, I can’t think of any young actors right now who are handsome. Plenty of them are cute, but they don’t even compare to some of the older generation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeness-poll-from-a-male-perspective/198180.md?page=2)