This is especially true of musicians. I don't find Chris Rea all that attractive but when he starts singing Texas (my favourite song by him) in that gravelly voice, oh my gosh, my nipples stand up and salute!

And I think it explains the attraction to Rod Stewart too. Not so great in the looks department but that voice!!

Mmm mmm mmmmmmm!

ani

I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but I definitely understand what you mean, Jeannie! There are definitely times when the package as a whole is strangely attractive, whereas the individual parts are not so much...

Okay, by now everyone knows I married my high school sweetheart, which came as a huge surprise to me, most of all. When we started "re-dating" at the age of 24, I wasn't at all convinced it would be anything special. I'd just come away from a long-term relationship with a guy who was (IMO) off-the-charts hot, and although my husband is adorable, he wasn't in the same league as His Royal Hotness. We'd been together for about eight months and things were going really well and he made me laugh every day, but I still wasn't convinced he was THE ONE. Until I got a call saying I'd been selected to go on an overseas assignment for five years, and I totally panicked. How could I possibly leave this guy who, much to my amazement, had come to mean everything to me??? I couldn't do it! I absolutely could not leave him. The mere thought gave me an anxiety attack. Thankfully, he'd already bought me a ring and was just trying to muster enough courage to propose...which he did. And we went overseas as newlyweds and he made the whole experience a total adventure. Now, when I look back at pictures of His Royal Hotness (who turned out to be a big jerk), he doesn't hold a candle to my husband!

Okay, here's a guy who is not especially attractive. Thomas Hayden Church. He's craggy, has ears that stick out, and a wide mouth. But when he opens that mouth and begins to talk -- oh, my! I first saw him in The Broken Trail and initially thought, "Ew." By the end of the movie, I was head over heels in love with him.

For me, the world of men opened up in academia -- until then, I had only known one kind of guy, really -- blue collar, etc. Not that that's bad, I know lots of great blue collar guys, but you know... my perspective was limited. ;)

In college, I met one professor after another -- glasses, great clothes, funky hair or styles -- they read and thought and had intense conversations... LOL Wow. Some really knocked my socks off, and a few that I had secret crushes on. One in particular, who I did think was a complete geek, I mean, real Clark Kent material. I didn't see him as attractive at all, and then one day he wore this shirt that showed his arms and chest in such a way that I was hypnotized for the rest of class... I probably didn't learn a thing. He was married, and actually, come to think of it, so was I (although academia is rife with affairs, in spite of teacher/student taboos... it's amazing, really)...so it was definitely just admiration from afar, LOL. But it sure made class a lot more fun. ;)

Sam

I never got the musician thing. I just didn't get it. Then I was watching "American Idol" (DH is a freaky fan...I don't get AI, either, but it's on every Tues and Wed in our house) and the Australian guy, Michael Johns, who I cared not one whit about for ten weeks plus auditions, sang "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" and did this thing at the end...this broken voice riff down "wrong", and I just GOT the groupie thing. At that moment he could so totally eat crackers in my bed. I'm totally embarrassed to admit this because it sounds so stupid, but oh my GOD!

It's here: http://www.americanidol.com/videos/index.xhtml?vid=1090&pcs=518, if you're curious.

Margaret *who needs a drink of cold water*

I don't watch/get AI either... you are not alone. ;)

I don't know that a singer has ever done anything for me, either... though funny how one word got you. :)

Actors, though -- whoa. I love live theater for a reason...

S

Ya know, sometimes eye candy should just stay eye candy LOL. Especially those guys who, once they open their mouths or spout off on some half-baked rant, instanly make you go ewwwww.

Then, like you say, there are the ones that just oooze charisma. They speak, we pant. I love listening to Johnny Depp (okay, so I'm beyond biased to him, he's just hot!) because he's 1) got a sexy voice and 2) has strong and usually philisophical opinons that are often mixed with humor and just crack me up. John Mayer, on his own, is like eh *shrug* cute kid, but as soon as that guy starts to sing... wow.

Someone has to put this eye candy discussion in a Blaze, because it's killing me LOL

Talk about reversal of the sexes...

Jeannie, I don't watch the dance show either -- I'm into Survivor and Ninja Warrior -- athletic, sweaty men, that's my bag, LOL, so I guess to each their own eye candy, huh?

My favorite live performance so far was The Real Thing, a Tom Stoppard play well worth seeing if you can, and uh, sit in the front row. ;) We did, in a small theater, and it had me almost covering my eyes, the scenes going on under my nose, so intimate... and when Henry sat there, legs sprawled, talking... LOL -- but wonderful, and I think Henry from that play will always be my favorite...

I suppose no matter where you look, singing, dancing, surviving, climbing ropes, we're all looking to men with skills...

I admire skills most of all. ;) Ineptitude or lack of talent/smarts is never sexy.

Sam