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Beauty

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May. 14th, 2008 | 01:02 pm

[info]theferrett, aka Boob-groping McAwkwardpants, has a semi-reply to my post about the nerd uniform. At least I think it's a reply though I didn't get a link back.

I almost want to start some sort of open-source beauty project for nerds, but I think things with "open-source" in the title might go bad. Seriously, though, I've always been curious; my goal is to live my life as well as I can with reason and logic as my guide. Reason and logic say that it's a good idea to appear as attractive as you can be without it interfering with your productivity. Ultimately you want to hit that sweet spot, using the least amount of effort that brings you the best results. I'm learning more about beauty and attractiveness all the time, and it's a lot more about planning and careful work than luck. You should choose your style of facial hair based on a) facial shape, b) color, texture, and thickness of your facial hair, c) the maintenance required. Goatees don't look good on everyone. And while we're talking about hair, the nondescript girl geek hairstyle of just letting your hair grow doesn't look good on hardly anyone and is also a big pain. I know, I used to have hair like that.

And don't say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," because the Germans, who are so geekfree that they don't even have a word for "geek", like the inverse that myth about the Inuit and the words for snow (the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, if you want to get technical) - uh-oh, labyrinthine sentence structure - the Germans have determined, scientifically, what is beautiful and what is not. At least for Germans. It looks like their subject pool was whiter than sour cream. One thing that that study determined was that everyone is ugly, even Miss Germany, compared to the virtual models.

This isn't to say that most geeks I know are ugly, quite the opposite. Last time I worked in computer tech, my two coworkers my age were just gorgeous. I loved coming in to work, I've got to tell you. I felt like I was the hag of the office.

Uh-oh, I don't really have a point.

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Comments {58}

Hoban Harris

(no subject)

from: [info]aesiron
date: May. 14th, 2008 07:14 pm (UTC)
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I've read about facial blending. The end results always look great, even when the people's faces they are inputting are not. If you blend the facial features of Steve Buscemi, the Elephant Man, Kathy Bates, George Bush, and 96 other awkward or ugly people, the end result is still going to be much more attractive than usual. I forget the reasons stated for it on the sites I read but I found it interesting.

As for his stated reasons for goatees, they're not mine. I just grew it to see if I actually could and liked the end result. It gives character to my face that it otherwise lacks. It's the same reason I wear sideburns. I don't have much of a profile without them.

Edited at 2008-05-14 07:16 pm (UTC)

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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 14th, 2008 07:19 pm (UTC)
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Wanna see something freaky?

I don't think anybody really knows why average faces are more attractive; they just are. And I think Kathy Bates has a nice face!

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Hoban Harris

(no subject)

from: [info]aesiron
date: May. 14th, 2008 09:03 pm (UTC)
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She was the only unfortunate looking female celebrity I could think of on short notice. Sandra Bernhardt or Condoleeza Rice would have been better choices. Or Paris Hilton, for that matter.

Those faces on the end look like wax busts that've melted.

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Le Capitaine Weasley de Crainte

(no subject)

from: [info]ninepointfivemm
date: May. 15th, 2008 12:02 am (UTC)
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Oh, God. Sandra Bernhardt. That woman is not attractive.

Paris Hilton is okay-looking, but she always has such a smarmy facial expression. If she used the same normal-looking expression everyone else did, she'd look normal, I think.

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Jim Smith

(no subject)

from: [info]jim_smith
date: May. 14th, 2008 08:08 pm (UTC)
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Reason and logic say that it's a good idea to appear as attractive as you can be without it interfering with your productivity. Ultimately you want to hit that sweet spot, using the least amount of effort that brings you the best results.

The important thing to note is that the average male geek hits upon the "nerd uniform" because it requires almost no effort and it achieves the best results possible given when the average male geek has to work with. Seriously, I'm trying to picture [info]theferrett clean-shaven and with short hair and it's not a vast improvement.

Most likely [info]theferrett doesn't have to imagine this look, because he had it when he was younger, before he could grow a beard or had thought of growing his hair out. Whereas you only see the finished product, the average male geek generally has spent most of his life looking at his short-haired, clean-shaven face and has had ample time to consider that look before ultimately rejecting it.

[info]theferrett's problem isn't that he's wearing the nerd uniform; it's that the nerd uniform makes him uniform with all other nerds, which is to say that he looks almost exactly like at least two guys on my friendslist, and possibly more. The roundness of his face doesn't help.

Well, okay, [info]theferrett's problem is really that he's notorious for advocating the relaxation of breast-touching protocols. But if he looked like Jonathan Frakes he might have been able to pull that one off.

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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 14th, 2008 08:26 pm (UTC)
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I think he's cut his hair. You could honestly put "exercise" and "weight maintenance" in the same category: you eat and move everyday even if you don't want to, so why not eat and move in a way that works for you, instead of against you? I actually don't think [info]theferrett is ugly; he has pretty green eyes. I'm not even sure the goatee is a mistake for him. I do think he'd look nicer if he, at the very least, kept his facial hair neatly trimmed.

Jonathan Frakes

Jonathan Frakes?! Yuck! I'd rather do [info]theferrett.

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Hoban Harris

(no subject)

from: [info]aesiron
date: May. 14th, 2008 09:05 pm (UTC)
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I used to think Riker was hot.

Also, these past couple entries have made me reconsider my appearance. I didn't even realize I was subconsciously conforming, which I don't like, but I DO like my hair and beard. It's a dilemma.

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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 14th, 2008 09:06 pm (UTC)
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I know how you feel. I liked my long hair until I took japanese and all the girls had super long hair. Then when I decided to cut it, they all cut their hair. I felt weird.

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The Ferrett

(no subject)

from: [info]theferrett
date: May. 15th, 2008 04:32 pm (UTC)
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a) Actually, the truth is I like my hair long because I wasn't supposed to have it, and then my wild hair became a signature look for me - everyone knew I had crazy hair. I was wild and rebellious, I tell you. And that in turn gave me an identity, which in turn was mighty hard to shear even when my receding hairline made me look like a record executive.

b) I've seen myself shaved. It's not pretty.

c) Frankly, I could have looked like Brad Pitt and still not pulled it off.

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Jay the Nerd Kid - Now with Sarcastilect 4.0!

(no subject)

from: [info]bewarethespork
date: May. 14th, 2008 11:16 pm (UTC)
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I have long hair. I happen to think it looks nice that way. Does this mean I am accidentally conforming? And if so, how many girl geeks' hair will I have to cut before I'm nonconformist again?

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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 14th, 2008 11:18 pm (UTC)
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Who cares if you're conforming or not? If it looks good, it looks good. If it doesn't, it doesn't.

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Jay the Nerd Kid - Now with Sarcastilect 4.0!

(no subject)

from: [info]bewarethespork
date: May. 14th, 2008 11:34 pm (UTC)
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Yes, I know. That was part of my point. But never mind.

(I have to say, when it's four in the morning and my hair still isn't dry when I washed it at seven the night before, I do sometimes give thought to cutting it. But I really do love it too much - and I'm too lazy to just use the hair dryer.)

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affenbrotwald

(no subject)

from: [info]affenbrotwald
date: May. 14th, 2008 11:24 pm (UTC)
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I don't know if these are the same people, but they also used the golden ratio once to determine the ranking of a Miss Germany contest. The one with the "perfect" face got fifth or third place.
Fortunately we humans do not depend on looks alone. They way you behave is important, too. (Things that make you attractive: smiling, laughing, being animated and active)

But I agree with you. It's not that hard to make yourself seem more attractive.
Combing and washing your hair regularly for instance. Takes almost no time at all, but makes a huge difference.

How would that Open Source project work?


(btw [info]theferret should get new glasses asap)

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The Ferrett

(no subject)

from: [info]theferrett
date: May. 15th, 2008 04:30 pm (UTC)
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Those are new glasses, gotten in an emergency when my wife stepped on my old pair. I actually have grown to like them.

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affenbrotwald

(no subject)

from: [info]affenbrotwald
date: May. 15th, 2008 05:07 pm (UTC)
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You know, I take it back. I actually like your glasses.

Your icon confused me ... I thought those were your current glasses. Don't ask. New ones are spectacular!

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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 15th, 2008 06:32 pm (UTC)
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I like your new glasses!

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Le Capitaine Weasley de Crainte

(no subject)

from: [info]ninepointfivemm
date: May. 15th, 2008 12:53 am (UTC)
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I'm amused. The "ideal male," according to the Germans, looks like my friend, Mike.

I think the reason why "average" people are more attractive is because we're much more used to the average. Not everyone is an Angelina Jolie or a... Brad Pitt/Johnny Depp. Angelina Jolie has gorgeous eyes, but the rest of her features look artificial. Brad Pitt is like, the stereotype of manliness. I really only think he looks attractive in Fight Club, though.

Most geeks I know are ... okay looking. A good portion of them look like theferrett. I also know some very attractive geeks. (Most of them are comic book geeks) It's also becoming more acceptable by the mainstream to be a geek (at least in our age group), so the average guy can geek over his favorite Star Wars movie and the sexiest car he can think of.

Now I want to make a post of my own about this stuff.

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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 15th, 2008 06:39 pm (UTC)
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I've always hung out with classical musicians and band types and geeks, not the most attractive lot, I guess.

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Le Capitaine Weasley de Crainte

(no subject)

from: [info]ninepointfivemm
date: May. 15th, 2008 06:55 pm (UTC)
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I'm kind of dating a former band geek (who so does not realize he's as good-looking as he is). Most of my friends from high school were band geeks and actors. I'd say both of them were about equal in attractiveness physically, but the actors had the draw when it came to charisma. I really don't think a lot of band geeks and musicians are all that unattractive. Maybe more involved in their music than their looks, but it doesn't make them ugly.

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The Ferrett

(no subject)

from: [info]theferrett
date: May. 15th, 2008 04:29 pm (UTC)
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Actually, three other people commented upon it, so it wasn't a reaction to anyone specifically. I generally link if it is someone specific.



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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 15th, 2008 06:37 pm (UTC)
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No link = no love, dude.

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The Ferrett

(no subject)

from: [info]theferrett
date: May. 15th, 2008 06:48 pm (UTC)
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You telling me I'd have gotten a better intro here if I'd linked? *g*

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A Mostly Harmless Yet Slightly Crazy Undead Chick

(no subject)

from: [info]ardys_the_ghoul
date: May. 16th, 2008 12:52 am (UTC)
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I think I'm okay looking, considering that I don't really try. That is, I don't wear makeup, and my daily hair routine involves running a brush through it. I pluck my eyebrows and upper lip occasionally, but that's really about it.

I agree about living life using reason and logic as a guide, although I personally would also add "common politeness" to that. Which is to say, I try to treat everyone I meet with the common politeness they deserve as a fellow human being. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with reason or logic, although it seems logical to me to be polite.

Wow, I am really out of it. I've been in bed all day.

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Sex and a dog-eared paperback dictionary

(no subject)

from: [info]redcoast
date: May. 16th, 2008 01:08 am (UTC)
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Me, too. I got up at 12:45.

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A Mostly Harmless Yet Slightly Crazy Undead Chick

(no subject)

from: [info]ardys_the_ghoul
date: May. 16th, 2008 01:57 am (UTC)
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I've got that beat, I didn't get up until about 7 PM. Which explains why I feel so horrible. It isn't even as if I didn't sleep last night. I actually slept surprising well last night, even with the bizarre nightmares.

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