Pretty Men And Pretty Women In Myth and Legend
Pretty men and women in myth and legend.
(link opens in a separate window)
Recently saw an article here about AI. I use AI to help me clarify and define story ideas. Usually I start with some random thing I think of and see where it goes. This is a discussion I had with Meta.
This starts with a discussion of the idea of the "Man that all women love" trope. It's a standard in certain types of anime but the idea is much older. The first time I encountered it was in the book The Well At The World's End. Ralph, the hero, is a young, spoiled, rather callow and self centered youth. He's also a man that all women love. I started with a discussion of Ralph. But it proceeded to a discussion Endymion, Narcissus, Echo, and Medusa. It touches on elements of consent, of deprivation of agency and patriarchy, then and now.
Trying to get a discussion started. Tell me what you think.
There are archetypes of desirability that are portrayed in both men and women throughout the ages. Most often it is a fantasy. Today I would point to Brad Pitt probably for the man. For me the woman would probably be one of the smart AND attractive female Democratic politicians.
That's true. This discussion is really about things like how we are not responsible for other's feelings and they are not owed anything because of how they feel. Yeah Brad Pitt or George Clooney, definitely archetypes of male attractiveness for many people. And I imagine that they both have suffered somewhat from unwanted attention from the opposite or even the same sex. But it's kind of not the same since they actively seek attention and praise. Endymion and Narcissus didn't.
For me the woman would probably be one of the smart AND attractive female Democratic politicians.
Like who for example?
I like Mallory McMorrow
AOC is also a cutie.
I get the impression that no one has read the link.
Narcissus and Endymion
This starts with a discussion of the idea of the "Man that all women love" trope. It's a standard in certain types of anime but the idea is much older.
I think that might actually be mentioned in the Bible-- even The Old Testiment! Perhaps even more frequently mentioned-- the women who were so amazingly attractive.
Oh and does Cleopatra qualify? That was in ancient Egypt-- very long ago!
Life was seldom great for the women of great beauty. Especially in myths but in history too.
Cleo was a woman of great beauty but she was also a highly educated, astute woman who exercised power. She was not a hapless victim of her appearance or of the way others perceived her. She had agency.
Judith definitely was more than just a pretty face. In fact a lot of the biblical women were pretty badass. Doubt they would have put up with the shit from the Roman and Greek gods that Medusa and Echo got.