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S/o Unattractive


fairfarmhand
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I hope this thread isn’t offensive. I just know there are so many lovely people and Hollywood has such a narrow view of traditional beauty. So many actresses look similar but there are those who’ve had less of the look that fits that mold but they’re still nice looking. 

 

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I was thinking Meryl Streep, too. 

I remember one time reading a review in the TV Guide (lol, remember TV Guide???) about actress Laura Dearn (I think that’s her name). This part of the article, which I remember word-for-word because I objected to it so strongly, said, “She has a face that struggles to be pretty and never quite makes it.” ? Are you kidding me??? I thought she was lovely! Hollywood is so horrible in re: beauty. Oh, but only for women! (Doubt anyone ever said Danny DeVito “struggles to be handsome but never quite makes it.”)

So, maybe Danny DeVito is one. 

Cher. Not traditionally pretty so much. 

Jennifer Grey. Is that her name? Dirty Dancing? I’m not much of a celebrity follower, so I’m pretty lousy at this. 

Quasimodo! The Hunchback of Notre Dame! ? “Sanctuary!” 

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I don’t think it’s offensive at all!

i have commented many times when watching olde movies and tv shows that I wonder if any of those people would ever get a leading role today because they don’t conform to today’s extremely narrow definition of beautiful/suitable for a leading female role. 

Uma Thurman

 

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5 hours ago, Murphy101 said:

Male actors are given a LOT more grace in this area of Hollywood than women. Imnsho. 

We were just talking about this in a slightly different context.  We were watching the news report and the male newsreader looked almost hungover while the similar age female had perfectly styled hair and immaculate make up.  Now I can’t say for sure they are held to different standards but it sure seemed like it.

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So what I’m seeing are these people who aren’t big time in social media following but they’ve done major heavy lifting in Hollywood over the last few decades. 

Like the Kardashians are pretty and hugely popular in social media but as far as talent—not so much. 

So my question is, why the big shift. So many actresses of the past were not the conventionally beautiful type. But even the beautiful ones had to be really good. I’ve wondered if the fact that past stars had to be multifaceted. They couldn’t be just an actress. They had to sing well. They had to dance. And they had to work like crazy because the studios were brutal to them.

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So subjective, but I was also thinking of Sarah Jessica Parker.   But Barbra Streisand was the first person I thought of. 

Honestly I don't think the Kardashians are pretty at all.  Maybe I just find them as a group so offensive I can't see beauty in them in any form. They are certainly genius at marketing themselves and making money but as far as I can tell, that's about it.

But I have found that the more I get to know people and like them, the better-looking they are to me. The converse is also true.  I've told this story here before: I used to work with a sales rep who was just drop-dead gorgeous. I mean the women in the office would just all stop and look when he came in. But he soon proved himself to be one of the biggest jerks out there - arrogant, pushy, demanding, demeaning... very soon he was not the least bit good-looking in my eyes, and I wondered how he had ever seemed handsome to me.

Edited by marbel
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1 hour ago, happysmileylady said:

That's a good one.  Also the girl that played Punky Brewster.  Soliel Moon Frye  (I had to google it cause I have never been able to spell it.)  I don't know that she qualifies as a celebrity really right now though.  I haven't really seen her in anything else.

 

You know, I don't know if you want to count reality stars or not.  But.....Mama June.  I know she got her own show called "From Not to Hot."  But, the weight loss just didn't work for me, in terms of her appearance.  

 

I have seen her recently, well, somewhat recently, on an interview.  I just looked her up, she has done a lot of voice acting recently.  

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“Fat’ is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her. I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’?  - J K Rowling.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/454548-fat-is-usually-the-first-insult-a-girl-throws-at

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I feel like in acting and performance generally the right kind of quirky face gets a pass. Like with models certain types of unusual facial structure looks really good when filmed or photographed so they don't hinder a career. I think some talents do overrule this though and you can look more averagely beautiful in certain areas like comedy.  Varied bodies are really hard to find much of though.  I think famous people in non-performance areas might yield more of a range of appearances but I'm tired and can't really think of anyone now.

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30 minutes ago, sheryl said:

DD has said that Anne Hathaway is the most beautiful actress.  I think she is pretty but I don't think she's gorgeous.  However, her features just all come together.  I know what I'm thinking even if that doesn't make sense.  HA!

 

I think beauty can be a fad too. What one generation thinks is beautiful doesn’t always translate to the next. So many of the current “beauties” today just look startlingly and unnaturally underweight to me. 

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Wow, I think my standards of beauty must be far different than many because nearly all of the people listed as unattractive I think are quite attractive. I think most people are attractive in some way if they are neat and well-groomed and are good people. (and I wonder how overweight actresses are being lumped in with unattractive- those are 2 entirely different things IMO)

Edited by soror
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2 minutes ago, soror said:

Wow, I think my standards of beauty must be far different than many because nearly all of the people listed as unattractive I think are quite attractive. I think most people are attractive in some way if they are neat and well-groomed and are good people. (and I wonder how overweight actresses are being lumped in with unattractive- those are 2 entirely different things IMO)

I don’t think they’re unattractive but they have a unique appearance that is quite different from many popular stars. 

Like Meryl Streep isn’t unattractive but she doesn’t look like the typical vision of holly wood star. She has more average looks, but is so talented. And I also wonder if the average looks helps because they don’t always get typecast into a particular type of role. 

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31 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I think beauty can be a fad too. What one generation thinks is beautiful doesn’t always translate to the next. So many of the current “beauties” today just look startlingly and unnaturally underweight to me. 

Yes, can you imagine Marilyn Monroe, with her womanly figure, being considered sexy in Hollywood today?

If "famous people" doesn't mean just actors, my award in this category goes to Lyle Lovett. He even had a song about it.

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10 hours ago, marbel said:

So subjective, but I was also thinking of Sarah Jessica Parker.   But Barbra Streisand was the first person I thought of. 

Honestly I don't think the Kardashians are pretty at all.  Maybe I just find them as a group so offensive I can't see beauty in them in any form. They are certainly genius at marketing themselves and making money but as far as I can tell, that's about it.

But I have found that the more I get to know people and like them, the better-looking they are to me. The converse is also true.  I've told this story here before: I used to work with a sales rep who was just drop-dead gorgeous. I mean the women in the office would just all stop and look when he came in. But he soon proved himself to be one of the biggest jerks out there - arrogant, pushy, demanding, demeaning... very soon he was not the least bit good-looking in my eyes, and I wondered how he had ever seemed handsome to me.

 

This is so true. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And someone who is confident yet still projects a certain humility, seems at peace with their own flaws and their positive attributes  and strives to become a better person all around usually appears more "beautiful."

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7 hours ago, soror said:

Wow, I think my standards of beauty must be far different than many because nearly all of the people listed as unattractive I think are quite attractive. I think most people are attractive in some way if they are neat and well-groomed and are good people. (and I wonder how overweight actresses are being lumped in with unattractive- those are 2 entirely different things IMO)

 

I agree.  I don't really see anyone as unattractive.  I see people who I consider more attractive than average, but I think most people have attractive features.  And I don't consider someone's weight (either over or underweight) as a factor either. 

24 minutes ago, Liz CA said:

 

This is so true. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And someone who is confident yet still projects a certain humility, seems at peace with their own flaws and their positive attributes  and strives to become a better person all around usually appears more "beautiful."

 

Yes, this is where I want to be!  I've suffered from eating disorders my entire life and have always felt awful about my appearance no matter if I was underweight, obese, or somewhere in between. I look at women who look confident with the attributes you wrote about  - no matter what their size - and find them so attractive and I feel envious of them because I don't know how to get there.  

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7 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Yes, can you imagine Marilyn Monroe, with her womanly figure, being considered sexy in Hollywood today?

If "famous people" doesn't mean just actors, my award in this category goes to Lyle Lovett. He even had a song about it.

 

Well, Marilyn Monroe was slimmer and far better-proportioned than Kim Kardashian.... ? 

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kardashian smarpashian. I think she's yucky. And Mick Jagger? Always thought he was just haggard looking! 

Sophia Loren has always been gorgeous! Who told anybody Kim Kardashian was attractive? The Emperor's New Clothes! Look! ?

Liza Minnelli. Meryl Streep. Glenn Close. Uma Thurman. Classic looks.

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I think y’all are thinking of some of these people as they looked when middle-aged. Look at Sophia Loren from the fifties when she was in modeling and movies. She could be a model today. Same with Candice Bergen. Same with a lot of earlier stars. I think that actually, it is less important today to be conventionally beautiful to be in show business.

And TV seems more forgiving than movies. There are more “regular people”portrayed on tv and maybe more character parts. 

Maybe also some people that look best on film and sparkle the most aren’t the ones who are most interesting in photos or IRL. 

I would say say there are actors I think of as not unattractive or even that they are nice looking, but not the 90-95th percentile or above:

Jennifer Anniston. Tom Cruise. Nicole Kidman. Jennifer Lopez. Tom Hanks. Ben Affleck. Kenneth Branagh. Emma Thompson

lots and lots for which you could say you saw several people at the grocery store in the past few weeks better looking than them.

 

Oh, and Chrissy Metz is beautiful by any standard, just not thin.

 

 

 

Edited by Penelope
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Not necessarily ugly, but fat...which is an unforgivable sin for a woman in Hollywood...

Ricki Lake (pre weight loss)

Marianne Sagebrecht (German actress)

Melissa McCarthy (skinnier now)

 

 

Skinny...but what the French call Jolie-Laide   (Beautiful ugly)

Rossy de Palma

Charlotte Gainsborough 

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The SNL ladies is a great example. 

They are very pretty women imo. I actually think most anyone not me is pretty. But there is normal pretty and then there is The Hollywood Standard. 

Most women won’t pass muster for that Hollywood standard. Most actresses don’t!  Hence all the air BRUSHING. 

Edited rude autocorrect. 

Edited by Murphy101
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