Saturday, October 16, 2010

Model Mayhem

If somebody doesn't make a movie called "Model Mayhem" I just might do it myself.

I joined Model Mayhem in order to find guys to model for me for a series of watercolors I am planning. Even though you are not a model, you still have to sign up like a model and even get a model number.

I was amazed to see that Juliet Landau who played Drusilla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel is listed in MM.

As in acting, the quantity and aesthetic appeal of the women models is far higher than the men. Many male models have good bodies, but very few have beautiful faces - and the ones that do want lots of money. And as in acting, women tend to drop out, the older they get, but men hang in there. Some 60-year-old model guy emailed me with this helpful suggestion:
I work with an artist here in Chicago who draws me as entertainment at women only parties. You should consider same concept.
Frankly I find it hard to believe that women in Chicago would consider watching an artist draw a (presumably nude) bald 60-year-old man as "entertainment." I mean, his body is in great shape, but it's still attached to an old bald head. I could easily imagine a 60-something paying women to watch him pose nude.

Men always overestimate the importance of a muscular physique in attracting women. I'd much rather have a guy with a pretty face and a nice head of hair who was a bit skinny or out of shape than some buffed-up guy with an ugly face and a bald head. Those guys should spend less time working out and more time at the cosmetic surgeon's office, or Hair Club for Men.

And not always wearing slobby sports team clothes and sneakers would be a big improvement too. A couple of years ago I briefly dated a 50-year-old guy with a nice head of hair. But he was 50 for crying out loud and he got all pissy with me when I didn't want to make out with him by the 3rd date.

Dude - you're 50 years old, I need time to find out if you are trust-worthy, and I like your personality, and we're compatible - nobody wants to make out with you based on your appearance alone.

But also, on every single date he wore those big white balloon-y sneakers that tourists with shorts and fannypacks love to wear so much (he DID come from the Jersey suburbs which explains alot.) It was such a turn-off. I certainly don't care about designer fashions or bespoke tailoring or wearing business suits - but I like a guy who has some sense of style. My last two long-term boyfriends - I dated one for 12 years and the other for 8 - both preferred to wear black clothing. It wasn't a huge style choice, but it was a choice. And neither of them ever wore sneakers either, preferring boots.

Too many men seem to buy into the idea that women are not "visually oriented" - an evolutionary psychology based lie that is floating around out there. Certainly the world is arranged in such a way that most women don't have the luxury of selecting a mate purely on the basis of aesthetic appeal, but we sure as hell want to have sex with the best-looking guy within the range of possible candidates. And best-looking isn't only about a pretty face or head hair - it's about making a goddam effort once in awhile in a world where most women can see.