GuidoWorld

Beauty: Form and Function

October 6, 2007 on 4:47 pm | In General |

There are two basic modes of appreciating beauty. The first is in finding something pleasant to see, touch, hear, etc. In general this is when we find the form pleasing. The second type of beauty is when we appreciate the efficiency or usefulness of an object or quality. This is when we find beauty in the function of something.

Form is the mode of beauty most commonly stated and is the preferred mode of most females. Since many males seldom comment on the pleasantness of form we are often categorized as being blind to beauty or at least indifferent to it. Yet, the truth of the matter is that most men do see beauty in the world, but our preferred mode of beauty is in appreciating excellence of function.

Men see beauty in a well designed machine, in intelligent tools, in the elegance of a mathematical or scientific theory. We will see beauty in the efficiency, excellence or creativity of a particular play in a sports contest or in an athletes performance.

While the average woman will like the look of a statue or hardwood floor the average man is more likely to be impressed with the beauty of the craftsmanship involved. Obviously if a woman is an artist or a craftsman she will appreciate the talents of the artist, but even these women are often initially drawn to the piece due to its striking beauty. Many men on the other hand will have the opposite experience, whereby he firsts is drawn to the craftsmanship and then to its visual splendor.

Yet, even the most beauty oriented man in both form and function would acknowledge that the majority of women are as or more devoted to beauty than he. As mentioned before, the frequency in which the concept of beauty enters female conversation is astounding when compared to male verbal interchanges. In addition to this, the percent of time that female conversation revolves around the form of beauty rather than its function is also quite amazing to the average man.

As I also observed in a previous post the female body is the center of the male concept of beauty. Especially as the form of beauty. Men never tire of looking and admiring the female form and recent studies suggest that watching or ogling the naked female body might actually lengthen the life of the average male.

Yet, one has to wonder if even this love of the female form is structured in her function as the source of sexual pleasure. Could we not say that the promise and function of pleasure is at the source of men’s obsession with the “beauty” of the female form?

What is most depressing and confusing to men is how little women seem to appreciate and focus on the male form. While woman often complain about men obsessing over female bodies, men are often flustered with how indifferent woman seem to be about the average man. Sure woman will swoon over an occasional handsome face or comment on a particularly shapely behind. Some men can get positive recognition for a muscular or well toned body, yet the majority of men have to adapt to the reality that woman don’t find their bodies sexually intoxicating.

While there are men who are sexually aroused by almost any body type, there appear to be very few male body types which are sexually provocative.

One of the easiest sight gags in movies is for a man to parade around in his underwear or be naked. Yet, seldom if ever does one use the female form as a source of comedy in motion pictures.

Adolescent boys are often blind to the fact that girls don’t find their bodies and faces particularly attractive. They assume that since girls are flirting with them because they are too hot for words. Boys assume that since they are attracted to so many females that girls must find them as irresistible. When they start to notice that girls aren’t swooning over them, they usually don’t take this to mean that girls don’t get sexually aroused as often as men, but rather that woman don’t find them attractive. Most adolescent boys with the least shred of sensitivity only end up feeling personally rejected and interpret their flirting with other guys as a sign that they do in fact find other men enticing.

I will end this post with the lyrics to one of my songs. I think it sums up this post rather well.

 

 

 

Preening Like A Peacock 6/7/06

Preening like a peacock hormones out of control
Preening like a peacock putting on the show

Women find beauty in natural things
Sunrise/sunset, seashores and gems
Women see beauty in many things
Flowers, colors, in fashion and rings

She sees beauty everywhere, preening like a peacock
Why is she looking way over there, preening like a peacock

A woman feels beauty in every touch
In satin, silks and in a baby’s flesh
A woman smells beauty in every sniff
In perfumes, herbs and floral scents

Spending hours smelling roses or buying a new top

A man sees beauty in the girl of his dreams
His temptress, his partner, his goddess his queen
A man finds beauty in a woman’s form
A breast, a thigh, a hip bone exposed

She is the goal of art
She is his anchor and spark
She gives the milk of life
Without her he shrivels and dies

A man feels beauty in the passion of curves
Flowing from buttock to the small of the back
A man feels completion with a woman in tow
She’s his altar, his Eden, his castle and throne

While I preen my feathers I feel oh so hot
Every time I feel I’m pretty I hear the bubble pop

Nothing pleases like a maiden in heat
Itching for pleasure from her head to her feet
Yet lust fades as quick as it comes
From an 8 course banquet to a stick of gum

In a woman’s world of beauty men don’t make the cut
A few handsome faces maybe and the occasional butt
But we’ll never really get it, we’ll continue to strut
We’ll shake our tail feathers thinking we’re too much (we’ll strut our stuff)