Sunday, June 18, 2006

Beauty and the Geek

It's a worthwhile question and one I'm sure we'll be asking ourselves till far into the next century - whereupon with genetically modified babies in a Gattaca type utopian paradise, we'd have such impossibly perfect superhumans that such questions wouldn't arise. Sure, the world would be a far more boring place populated by cookie-cutter Stepford models but hey, at least it would be perfect.

So? Beauty or brains?

Seriously, somehow the question came up today after I came out from the cinema, courtesy of Lanky Lex. Although the latest installment to the Scary Movie franchise was a sick laugh a dozen, I was certainly relieved that my brain cells still seemed to be functioning after the movie. Don't even ask me what I was doing dumbing down my IQ by subjecting myself to such blatant idiocy but I wasn't the one who picked the movie. Big Bicep Barry did, though I'm not sure why he did so myself. Cited conflicting schedules but I suspect that he just enjoys the occasional mindless acts of mayhem.

Somehow or rather, my mention of Barry's name triggered a series of messages to Lex that came up with the timeless question of beauty or brains. I'm afraid choosing a little bit of both isn't on the list - and defeats the purpose of the question, Lex :)

Paul : Beauty or brains?
Barry : Tough question. Why did you suddenly think of such a question? Brains, I think.
Paul : Seriously?
Barry : Yeah, definitely brains.
Paul : You know you'd have the brains of Einstein but look like the Hunchback?
Barry : A difficult trade-off but I'll still take brains.
Paul : I prefer beauty actually.
Barry : You're joking. My God, you're not.

Though I have to admit that I'd take beauty anytime. Sure, I'd be a brainless himbo with zero intelligence *hyuk hyuk* but hell, I'd be too stupid to know the difference. Imagine resembling a hunkier Brandon Routh strutting down the street with people risking whiplash just to watch you... Try it the other way around with brains instead of beauty and you'd be forever tortured by the inalienable fact that the Hunchback of Notredame would win more points in a beauty pageant. Not a happy thought.

Clark Kent
All-American beefcake

Obviously the brilliant Kryptonians got it right when they sent their perfect specimen Kal-El here as a last act of perpetuation. Not sure why everyone else on this uncivilized mudball would even think the poor man's gay though, judging by the latest news furore. Would be a wet dream fantasy to have the delicious muscular square-jawed All-American hero with the raven spitcurl ( and the allegedly supercrotch ) leap out of the closet into my bed in a single bound but somehow neither Clark Kent nor his prettier spandex-clad alter-ego Superman ever struck me as a raging queer.

Hell, if Clark was gay - he'd be in deep shit. Any self-respecting homosexual Lucas Lane could see through his cheap store-bought glasses and frumpy pinstripe suits to that award-winning beefcake physique in a second. Even without the much vaunted X-ray vision.

Now if you're talking about Batman, that's a whole other story.

14 comments:

famezgay said...

can i have both? uhmnn.. well if really have to choose one.. I want to have brain.. cause i still don really like hot guys without brains..

MrBunnyBan said...

Of course, Batman's a pedophile who makes kids run around in just red underwear, no pants and curl-tipped slippers.

Brains or beauty? What about heart?

akihisa said...

Like you, I would also choose beauty over brain. For once, I want to know what it feels like to be in the shoes of those who rely on their good looks to bring in the big moolah. Papparazi, snapping away their cameras at you, trying to capture you at your worst state (there's hardly any and there's no bad camera angles for you). People just crumble to their feet worshipping how gorgeous you are... Errr, I got carried away again.

So there!! ;p

Sue said...

Ignorance is bliss. But then, you still get old and the beauty fades away. Still, I would go with beauty. But I would have to be stupid enough to not know I was stupid. Now that IS stupid.

j said...

Another reason why I should watch Superman...

Petie said...

Unfortunately, Sue, brain also faded away when you get old too ^^

I must say that I agreed with akihisa. It would be nice to have the beauty to know how it feel to be desired and what it's like to be able to pave your way with the goodlooks

Petie said...

And BTW, I wondered how will your ISO answered this question :)

Annie said...

mrbunnyban has a point. What about heart? Still, take it from someone who's dated both..
All brains, no beauty = no spark, just a lot of appreciation for his mind.
All beauty, no brains = lots of spark (hubba hubba), but boring as shit and annoying as hell.
Having heart would just be icing on the cake...*sigh* .. or is it part of his beauty?
As someone famous once said,
"Beauty is not in the face;
beauty is a light in the heart."

Alex said...

It's tough decision if we were presented with such choices. However, we weren't. So, don't bother and stick with what we have. Be it beauty or brains.
Remember, Zeus is fair to all of us.

Anonymous said...

i'm quite sure when it comes down to the crunch...it doesn't really matter...coz when u fall in love...he'll b the smartest n most beautiful person in the world...

Anonymous said...

Hmmm you know, I think I'd pick brawn over brains too. I mean, it's great to have brains... but in this day and age, nobody pays you any attention if you look like the Hunchback hehehe.

Annie said...

Dear K..
Is this from experience? Do give us details. :D

Anonymous said...

Geez, i'm torn! Can't we have beauty and brains all rolled into one? They do come by, y'know. :-)

savante said...

Not that easy to have both, ceusm :) Bet they'd be close to inaccessible with the number of admirers banging down their doors. Hear that, mark? :)

Heart? Not as easy to ascertain, Daniel :)

Ahmad and sue, I totally agree :P

There are people who are NOT watching, jairam? :O

Pete has a point. Not sure what he would say but I shall ask him.

Not easy looking into the heart. The other two intangibles are easier to judge, anniieieie.

He should be fairer to me, alex! :P

k, that was so terribly sweet - and you're right.

hbjock, not sure I'd want to look like the Hunchback either :)

paul