No offense, but nobody said that this was supposed to be an exhaustive test of what people find attractive, nor does anyone claim that people will be in general agreement on such matters. It’s just a way of informally collecting opinions on different looks. If nothing else, this has helped some guys see things in themselves that may appeal to some individuals, or turn others away.
For example, some guys have expressed surprise at the level of detail with which the women here have dissected the men’s appearance, or the conclusions that they drew based on various criteria (smiles, wrinkles, laugh lines, jewelry, clothing, etc). I’d say that’s pretty illuminating information, wouldn’t you?
If any of these guys were lacking in confidence, I’m glad I helped out. Nothing wrong with giving someone a boost, so long as the guy doesn’t end up feeling like god’s gift, you know? You mentioned that some of my comments were surprisingly on-target. Can you tell me which of my comments were spot on? Other than Mr. 4 having tattoos…
Well, I should emphasize that some of these guys won’t necessarily have their photos posted. Conversely, some of these photos are of fellas that know nothing about this little test.
I suspect that some of your comments did give someone a confidence boost, Seeker74. And I’ll certainly tell you more about which of your comments were on-target, but I’ll do it via e-mail. Wouldn’t want to further bias the results, dontchaknow.
I think this is/was a cool poll. I for one was surprised to hear some of the things that the females looked for/at when determining if a man is attractive, such as the laugh lines you mentioned. It was also interesting to hear the widely varied opinions for each guy. Kind of reassuring to know that even though you’re not someone’s type, odds are you are someone else’s type.
Cute, but sad. I don’t think he’s as young as he looks in the photo though for some reason.
Thinks he’s cute, smart and witty. He makes remarks that he thinks everyone else thinks are clever and witty.
Has fake gray hair and the skin on his chin is orange compared to the rest of his face. What’s up with that? I think he’d be better looking without the fake gray hair. I’m not fond of the shiny yellow tie.
To much hair gel or VO5. Unfortunately the squint and smirk make him look both unattractive and irritating in social situations.
Why am I having a hard time finding something kind to say about these guys?They aren’t ugly and I don’t know them, so why do I have such initial uncharitable feelings and assumptions about them?
Okay, “stupid” was too harsh - I think I was going for “useless.” I’m not trying to rain on your parade here - I just don’t see the point of this exercise.
If a woman is attracted to a guy, she’s attracted to him. If she isn’t, she isn’t. I think what I’m trying to say is it isn’t helpful to tell guy #2 that women think he’s attractive, and guy #3 that women don’t find him attractive (for example). Some women find dark-haired guys attractive; that doesn’t mean that blonde guys aren’t attractive. Attraction is very much subjective.
Maybe a more useful poll would be “What do you notice about these guys, and what inferences do you draw from it?”
Well, petelin already discussed some of the reasons why this is useful. It can help to understand the broad range of things that women find attractive, for example. It has also demonstrated that a single characteristic, pose, or piece of clothing can be interpreted in many different ways by women.
Can this tell you if a particular woman would be attracted to you? Obviously not. That doesn’t make the study useless though, since can at least provide some guidelines and insights into diverse female minds.
Guy #1:
Trying desperately to be cute/cool, but just comes off as dorky. Makes loud and inappropriate comments. Chronological age is older than his clothing suggests, but I would guess his maturity level matches the clothing. Has a lot of insecurity issues. Thinks he’s a “nice guy”, I can almost hear him whining about girls not liking him because he’s such a “nice guy”.
Guy #2:
Great as a friend, or a short fling. Would be difficult to live with long-term. Very style-conscious, but manages to carry it off, IOW he doesn’t look like he’s trying hard. Proud of his sexual prowess/talent, but quietly so, not loud boasting. Self confident.
Guy #3:
Unhappy and untrustworthy. Works in a field that requires him to be “creative” with the truth. Cares too much for style over substance. Would cheat on partner if he thought he could get away with it. Believes in looking after Number One, and rationalises his behaviour. Not a nice person to be around, either romantically or platonically. Brash and overbearing personality to compensate for the emptiness.
Guy #4:
Hard to tell with all the squinting, but FWIW…
Nice guy to be friends with (but not a “nice guy”, IYKWIM). Needs a new hairstyle. Would be attentive in the sack, wanting the woman to have a good time, too, plus may have a bit of a kinky side. Fairly intelligent. Reasonably normal, eventless life. Fun.
Summary: If I was single, I could be attracted to #2 and #4. I wouldn’t go near #3 (internal alarm bells) and would probably get irritated with #1, wishing he’d grow up.
Now I’m wondering how different my opinion would be of the same guys in different clothes and different poses/expressions.
I’ve known guys who looked roughly like all four of them, and some of them I liked, and some of them not. So just based on how they look (not their age or how they’ve momentarily been captured in print), they’re all roughly equal.
That being said… I don’t go for the hair pomade look, which is #4.
#3 looks like he’s trying to look like someone else.
#1 looks not-too-intellectual (but it’s probably the shirt).
#2 looks faily normal by my standards.
But that’s just first impressions from the photos.
