# Straight women: which is more important — a man's face or his body? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2018, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401 "2018-08-28T11:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/1 "2018-08-28T11:48:29Z")
I mean PHYSICALLY attractive, of course. Only men whom you enjoy looking at for the sake of aesthetics are on the table here. It doesn’t matter whether you would actually consider having sex or having a relationship with the fellow in question; only whether his physical form is pleasing to you. Voice and personality don’t matter. With all that in mind: which is more important aesthetically, face or body? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/2 "2018-08-28T12:37:26Z")
Just for ogling / appreciating, I’d say his body, if for no other reason than there’s more of it to look at. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/3 "2018-08-28T14:23:15Z")
If we’re just oogling…I can get lost in some hot abs and completely forget the dude has a face. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/4 "2018-08-28T14:31:08Z")
For me it would be the face; hair and eyes first. Lips are another feature I notice. Some men have no upper lip. I also like to see a little beard scruff or at least a hint of 5 o’clock shadow. I have nothing against a bald or balding man, but there’s something about certain men’s hair that really gets to me. An example is Simon Baker (The Mentalist) - his hair…oh my! And the rest of him is mighty fine too! ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/5 "2018-08-28T16:33:01Z")
I’ll go with body. I think the biggest thing for me is how well does the guy take care of himself, and you see elements of that in his face, but much more so in his body. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/6 "2018-08-28T17:37:49Z")
I’ve seen women about whom I’ve thought “dang girl, if you lost those extra chins you’d be dang pretty!” I’ve never seen a guy whose face I found attractive atop a body I didn’t, or a male face that I thought would be pretty without the extra fat. And any bit can be a turn-off: if you’ve got a body that makes Apollo want to cry and a face that makes him cry blood, but your nails are chewed to the quick… I’m out of here. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/7 "2018-08-29T00:59:18Z")
If we’re going by physical attractiveness, body. The face isn’t necessary. Actually, cropping the face out of a relevant photo on purpose often makes it more attractive via mystery. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/8 "2018-08-30T23:27:58Z")
How fat is he? Generally speaking, to the point of Kevin Smith in the [first Clerks movie](https://goo.gl/images/USSZbB), a pleasant face is more important to what I consider attractive than his body. And honestly, I’ve seen plenty of guys in very fit shape I still consider ugly because they’ve got a face that can stop a truck. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/9 "2018-08-30T23:37:08Z")
Face, absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/10 "2018-08-31T01:03:29Z")
If I had to pick, then face, but you just can’t exclude voice and personality. It’s everything. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/11 "2018-08-31T01:20:33Z")
> [@blob](#): > > but you just can’t exclude voice and personality. It’s everything. You can when the OP specifically states that it is strictly concerning _physical appearance only_. Think of it like seeing a picture of a man. Pictures don’t talk. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/12 "2018-08-31T01:48:58Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Think of it like seeing a picture of a man. Well, in that case, I’ll take back my pick and say “no way to tell”. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/13 "2018-08-31T18:49:15Z")
> [@blob](#): > > Well, in that case, I’ll take back my pick and say “no way to tell”. Exactly, I don’t judge people by their looks. It’s a difficult position to articulate. I may make a fleeting assessment of attractive vs. not attractive, but I recognize that there’s much more to attraction. A person can be physically attractive, but be such a jerk that their looks are tinged by that ugliness. The opposite is also true. My DH isn’t conventionally attractive, but he has such a kind heart and terrific sense of humor that he’s wildly attractive. I’m nuts about him and other people are drawn to him as well. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/14 "2018-08-31T19:18:08Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Exactly, I don’t judge people by their looks. It’s a difficult position to articulate. I may make a fleeting assessment of attractive vs. not attractive, but I recognize that there’s much more to attraction. A person can be physically attractive, but be such a jerk that their looks are tinged by that ugliness. The opposite is also true. My DH isn’t conventionally attractive, but he has such a kind heart and terrific sense of humor that he’s wildly attractive. I’m nuts about him and other people are drawn to him as well. So, you’re saying that there’s no such thing as physical attraction in your universe? Other than fleeting impressions? ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/15 "2018-08-31T19:31:05Z")
I would suggest that it might be helpful if the OP and responders were clearer on whether they were referring to a man’s clothed body or unclothed. References to abs and such suggest it’s the unclothed body, which raises the question about whether the answer would be different fully dressed. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/16 "2018-08-31T20:03:58Z")
Face, particularly the eyes. They should be large, but not freakishly large. Large and deep-set are good. I tend to prefer dark eyes, but other colors are nice. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/17 "2018-08-31T22:58:04Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > So, you’re saying that there’s no such thing as physical attraction in your universe? Yes, but whether a person is or isn’t attractive isn’t just on the visuals. I think Steve Buscemi is attractive. Look at a photo, you wouldn’t call him handsome… I worked with a guy who was “good looking” tall, dark curly hair, regular features, but he didn’t have anything interesting to say. He was “good looking” but not “attractive”. It’s not just looks. Voice, how you move, what you say, whether you’ve got anything in your head, sense of humour, personal qualities, musical abilities, other talents, they all go in to whether somebody is attractive or not. And you can be attractive and “hideous” looking. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/18 "2018-08-31T23:29:32Z")
I’m another woman who would say that it is impossible to answer the question as presented. If you were to take a group of 50 men, and show me pictures of just the bodies of 25 of them, and pictures of just the faces of 25 of them, I might be able to pick out some that I found attractive, but the numbers of bodies and faces would be completely random, and wouldn’t necessarily relate to which ones I would find attractive if I saw the whole pictures, or if I saw the men in person. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/19 "2018-09-01T00:23:04Z")
The most important thing to me is what’s behind his face. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401/20 "2018-09-01T00:56:22Z")
I’ve never seen so many posters fighting the hypothetical. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-women-which-is-more-important-a-mans-face-or-his-body/820401.md?page=2)