Misadventures, Rants, and Tidbits (by beth): Mmmm. . . scruffy nerf herders

I read an online article recently about how some leading men/women on screen are more attractive when dirty. I don't know how much of that is true, or if what appears to be an attraction to scruffy grit and grease is actually more attraction to the character. Power, authority/dominance, action, moxy . . . whatever it is, it's yummy.

For me, it's definitely the character. The man behind the costume could be drop dead gorgeous in a normal cleaned-up way for the fawning masses, but my toes don't always curl because some guy gets spritzed with baby oil and goes swash-buckling across the screen; maybe it's the element of danger inherent in a particular character, something more than just dirt and grit.

Okay, so (channeling the girly-girl thing here) on my way home yesterday I was thinking about what the elemental appeal for me is, the difference that makes me go from "oh, he's cute" to "oh my god, where can I find this man". . . and I don't even know. Scruff seems to be a part of it, but it's not always a constant . . . perhaps some bad-boy image with a heart of gold maybe??? I dunno.

Maybe someone out there can figure it out, 'cause I got nothin'.

Here are a few visual aids--mostly same person or character in some movie I have, but with some change in appearance that just made my toes curl. (AND, in case you're wondering, real-life Toe-Curlers have come and gone--I can only hope for more down the road as they were either involved (story of my life) or I was too nervous to say anything before our paths diverged because I have the social experience of a 'tween wallflower.)

LOL!

Fraser: (top) cute, but no. (bottom) veddy nice! A 5 on the Toe Curling Scale (1 - 10, 10 being most excellent).

Caviezel: (top) no. (middle) you can plot against me anytime, Count!; TCS rating: 8. (bottom) slightly less curl (TCS: 6), but comb the hair and keep the coat and I'll bump him up to a 7 plus add him to the potential keepers list! :)

Kilmer: (top) no. (middle) no. (bottom) Ahhhh, Thomas Moore, you and your leather pants are what drive me to watch this movie. Please tell me you have a brother in South Africa who is single and likes pain-in-the-butt brunettes! TCS: 8

Bloom: (top) veddy cute. TCS rating: 6. (middle) better . . . TCS rating: 7. (bottom) OMG sit up and take notice everyone, the captain has arrived!! The funny thing is, he just got a few hair extensions, and changed his shirt. I have no idea what the vital change here was between the middle and last image, but whatever it is, do it again!!! TCS rating: 22. LOL.