Straight guy here. All I can say is I find vaginas so appealing that I want to lick them for hours. 
[QUOTE=DianaG]
I emphatically disagree with the stated premise. A gorgeous cock is… well, gorgeous. It IS an asethetic appreciation (in addition to the tactile, or the anticipatory).
And pussies are pretty, dammit.
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[QUOTE=Antinor01]
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
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Me, too. (Don’t spank me, I wanna use my newbie license before it’s too late!)
I don’t think genitalia are ugly, either.
While working for a gynecologist for several years, I saw a bazillion women’s genitals and wouldn’t have called any of them “ugly.” None struck me as pretty, either. Parts is parts.
But the man-bits are another matter. To me they are visually appealing, and a particularly beautiful package is a true pleasure.
They weren’t made to be scrutinized from 4 inches away. Maybe it’s so you have procreative sex, instead of other less fruitful sex
[QUOTE=panache45]
There isn’t one human body part that, in and of itself, is ugly. And yes, that includes genitals.
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I beg your pardon, many human body parts are, in and of themselves, ugly – but most of those are only visible upon dissection.
[QUOTE=jackelope]
My guess: They have no evolutionary need to be beautiful, because by the time one sees them, one is in a state where any aesthetic desires have become secondary.
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That’s probably the best explanation.
[QUOTE=Maastricht]
HotorNOt, as you all know is a site where you can rate a person’s appearance. I once stumbled across an adult part of the site where people posted nothing but pictures of their genitals.
It was a strange experience; after the 50’th penis in a row, they DO take on more character, the way faces do. “This penis is beautiful, that one so-so, this is a kind penis, this a muscular one, this one unkempt, this one scary, this one is depressed…”
So my guess is we just don’t see enough different “real” genitals in a lifetime to become familiar with and comfortable about them.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find access to that part of the site again. I seem to have misplaced the link, and hotoronot takes great pains not to have anyone stumble across that section by accident.
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This is my take, as well. We just don’t see them enough. We don’t have lifetimes of experience, starting with our parents, leaning over in a restaurant whispering, “Wow, that woman over there has a beautiful vulva!” Penises are not used (directly) to sell beer on billboards. There is no such thing as intrinsic beauty - it’s culturally or biologically determined. We find some things (hip to waist ratio on women) beautiful because we’re genetically wired that way. We find others (hook noses or blond hair or big breasts or a perfectly round face) beautiful because the other people in our culture have consistently reinforced which things are beautiful. While we may have our personal preferences that run counter to the cultural norm, that’s almost always, it seems, based on personal experience. Date enough women with small breasts, or have a small breasted mother or teacher or crush in grade school, and it’s likely you’ll retain a preference for small breasts.
We don’t have a cultural or biological beauty rubric for genitalia, so what’s left is the much weaker personal preference. Some of us are really into them, and most of us are pretty indifferent (barring gross deformity - which leads back to the biologically based preference.)
I do have to chime in with those who disagree with the premise of the OP.
I think vulvas are very pretty, although as with everything, some are prettier than others. I love the visual appeal of the labia minora and clitoral structure. They always remind me of flowers. (very SFW, Georgia O’keefe paintings)
I think man-tackle :p* is less visually appealing, but then the male body seems to be designed more for utilitarianism than for aesthetics, generally speaking. I’m completely fascinated with cocks in general and my partner’s in particular, and I love the way they look, but they’re not as “pretty” as a vulva can be. They’re appealing in a different way… the difference between masculine “handsome” and feminine “beautiful”.
*Smiley pun intended.
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
That’s probably the best explanation.
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I don’t know, I think the way our genitalia look predate clothing by quite some time.
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
But not compared to faces, surely!
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This is true, perhaps, although I find the prettiest of vulvas nearly as compelling as the most beautiful faces.
I’d say that vulvas are more attractive than almost all other bodyparts, and judging by the responses in this thread, I’m not alone.
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
I beg your pardon, many human body parts are, in and of themselves, ugly – but most of those are only visible upon dissection.
[/QUOTE]
I did study anatomy, and I stand by my statement.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned: that straight men totally don’t get how sexy a nice pair of balls can be. Most straight women get it, and most gay men get it, but our straight brethren seem to have a lot of trouble with this.
[QUOTE=Rick]
Straight guy here. All I can say is I find vaginas so appealing that I want to lick them for hours. 
[/QUOTE]
What’s that got to do with beauty? I think the Hope Diamond is beautiful, but I don’t want to lick it.
[QUOTE=groman]
I don’t know, I think the way our genitalia look predate clothing by quite some time.
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AFAIK, there is no human culture, however primitive, where people do not wear some sort of clothing to conceal their crotches.
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
AFAIK, there is no human culture, however primitive, where people do not wear some sort of clothing to conceal their crotches.
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How about these dudes?
It doesn’t matter what pussy looks like when you have your face buried in it.
I still think they are usually pretty though, and my cock is absolutely fabulous, thankee very much.
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
What’s that got to do with beauty? I think the Hope Diamond is beautiful, but I don’t want to lick it.
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Speak for yourself.
[QUOTE=The Sonoran Lizard King]
Well, you could follow the example of English Sexologist Havelock Ellis and use ‘manroot’ for penis and ‘her sex’ for vagina.
I’ve kinda liked Robin Williams’ suggestions too, Mr. Happy and Madam Wonderful.
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I have to admit, I do prefer any euphamisms. Not because I’m too prissy to talk about genitals unless I “kiddify” them ala “High Anxiety”, it’s just that they’re such unattractive words.