lunedì, settembre 03, 2007

I'm so hot for you

Saw Hard Times last night. I can admit it would have been shitty if James Coburn hadn't played an execrable waster in it so well. But he did, and then there was Charles Bronson being shirtless for the rest of it. God, he was hot. And I think he was around fifty when he filmed that too - certainly older than I usually torch for. When he stepped onto the screen and I registered his squishy Tatar eyes and crooked face, I had a moment before drifting off into Fangirl-La of understanding other people would be puzzled by the notion of him being an attractive man.

All this ties into my interest in evolutionary psychology, which to me is about as scientific as tarot cards (you know I hate the Guardian for its abuse of commas and general condescending tone, but this Bad Science feature is great and this one in particular about evolutionary psychology is really great) but it's fun nonetheless. Because it's all speculation about the history of sex and sexual attraction - or at least it is in my head. And what could be more fun that that, besides a gramme of reefer and a Marx Brothers movie, and even then I'm mentally undressing Chico with all my might?

I like to think, for example - let's take my torch for Chico - about why funny, musical men are attractive beyond their ability to kill fresh protein. I speculate it's because post-partum depression and seasonal affective disorder once plagued our ancestors too, perhaps even worse than it does us as they were fresh off the sunny African savanna or wherever. So unless the (potential) father of your brood could amuse you, make you laugh or otherwise cheer you up during the shitty winters and the beginning of motherhood you were liable to go crackers before getting pregnant, run away from your family before you'd finished nursing, or otherwise break off contributing to the gene pool or letting him contribute with you.

See - pure speculation. But it makes sense, doesn't it? Tell me I'm wrong. But you can't - that's evolutionary psychology, baby! I love the funny men because I should! Charles Bronson isn't funny, but it does look like he could pick me up, throw me over the saddle of his horse, and take me away from all this, which probably also ties into our European ancestresses suffering seasonal affective disorder - if Jung is right, and you know he is, changes of scene provide a fail safe but short-lived cure for depression.

Anyways, I think the rub-a-dub speculation of evolutionary psychology provides a great explanation for why people have such crazily varying tastes. And thank goodness we do.

9 commenti:

Sugarplum ha detto...

There would be no such thing as friendship between women if there were no varying tastes. At least, not during puberty or in university. And that would mean that our species wouldn't survive with all the women angry at each other and competing for the same men in devious womanly ways. The best thing for our species is for everyone to be attracted to different people so that there is a large variety in the gene pool. I find myself repelled by men who hunt and macho men. I think I'm drawn to men who are more likely to stick around.

Melbine ha detto...

I agree with your theory of why a girl likes a guy who can make her laugh. It's true, you need something to get you through the rough times!

Sugarplum, in a realistic sense I'm also repelled by men who hunt and are macho...but in my fantasy world they totally ring my bell and bring back fond memories of my dear grandfather who was one of the manliest men I can think of..

Dread Pirate Jessica ha detto...

I like macho men for two or three weeks, which serves its own evolutionary purpose. I used to like them lots more than I do now, when word combinations like 'high risk group' meant less to me.

Now it's all down to geeking on Charles Bronson and getting the F-word to grow sideburns. Sweet sweet sideburns.

Anonimo ha detto...

Hard Times is one of my all time favorite movies.

That dude has some fast hands!

Dread Pirate Jessica ha detto...

Seriously. Fast, awesome hands.

Anonimo ha detto...

I don't find too many women who like this movie.

What did you like about it?

Any scenes in it that you like best?

Dread Pirate Jessica ha detto...

Anonimo, I'm deeply in love with Charles Bronson, so any scene with him in it was the one I liked best. There's something about him that makes me believe in the strong, silent type who can protect me from naughty people and look filthy hot doing it.

James Coburn was a good annoying scumbag too. The scene with him talking to the prostitute after coitus was pretty funny in a sad way.

Anonimo ha detto...

I did not like Colburn's character either.

I think he was just as bad as the mob that he borrowed $1000 from.

He sure was lucky that Bronson's charcter came back at the end and pulled he butt out of the fire.

Anonimo ha detto...

he sure knew how to knock them out