You're Beautiful

Natasha Whittam · 1 You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:30

Natasha Whittam

Nat Lofthouse

Posts : 34087
Join date : 2012-01-04
Age : 40

I read a lot of books, about three a week. My evening routine is spend a bit of time on here ripping Largehat a new one, big glass of Pepsi, 8-10 McVitie Cheddar biscuits, and then an hour of reading before getting my beauty sleep.

I'm no intellectual, I read the book equivalent of blockbuster films, authors like John Grisham, Lee Child, Robert Crais and Peter James.

Something is really starting to bug me about modern day writers though - their insistance on making every character in their book beautiful or handsome. For example, I'm about 100 pages into a Peter James book right now. Probably about 15-20 people been mentioned so far, and all but two of them have been described as beautiful, handsome, pretty, good looking, pleasant looking, stunning etc etc.

Why? Why do authors feel the need to make characters the reader can't see appear good looking? Does it enhance the story or make it easier to follow? Of course not. It's just really poor writing.

Am I the only one who wants to imagine some ugly people in my reading material? Does anything else bug you about authors?

largehat · 2 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:49

largehat

Frank Worthington

Posts : 3484
Join date : 2012-01-25

Natasha Whittam wrote: My evening routine is spend a bit of time on here ripping Largehat a new one

Can the moderators intercede in this internet bullying scenario please.

Bernard Dennis Park · 3 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:51

Bernard Dennis Park

El Hadji Diouf

Posts : 2746
Join date : 2012-01-07

I took that to mean Natasha bums you every night.

Hipster_Nebula · 4 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:53

Hipster_Nebula

Nat Lofthouse

Posts : 14148
Join date : 2012-01-23
Location : Scotland

Nat i would have thought that would make it easier for you to relate to these characters.

Numpty 28723 · 5 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:04

Numpty 28723

Andy Walker

Posts : 1373
Join date : 2012-05-15

This is what bugs me about American films and sitcoms. Unlike us, they're useless at portraying low-life. Because the movies are churned out on the Hollywood conveyor belt, the guys are always rugged and handsome, the women perfectly made up with hair right out of a shampoo advert, clothes immaculate. And they always live in apartments with more space than your average Asda superstore with Olympic sized pools round the back - and the sun's always shining. Bastards.

A classic example was the American version of "Steptoe And Son," called "Sanford And Son."

You're Beautiful Sanford-and-son-300x225

You're Beautiful Sanford-and-son-300x225

Frank Zappa had it sussed:

“I have an important message to deliver to all the cute people all over the world. If you're out there and you're cute, maybe you're beautiful. I just want to tell you somethin' — there's more of us UGLY MOTHERFUCKERS than you are, so watch out.”

doffcocker · 6 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:10

doffcocker

Ivan Campo

Posts : 4968
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Age : 32
Location : Halliwell

In every Hollywood film where there's somebody that lost their mum at a young age and that person asks somebody "What was mummy like?", the answer is always "She was beautiful."
I'd love it if the answer in just one film could be "She was OK. Nothing to write home about, lookswise - red hair, pasty skin, glasses, bit chubby, tendency to burn in the sun."

Numpty 28723 · 7 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:13

Numpty 28723

Andy Walker

Posts : 1373
Join date : 2012-05-15

doffcocker wrote:In every Hollywood film where there's somebody that lost their mum at a young age and that person asks somebody "What was mummy like?", the answer is always "She was beautiful."
I'd love it if the answer in just one film could be "She was OK. Nothing to write home about, lookswise - red hair, pasty skin, glasses, bit chubby, tendency to burn in the sun."

largehat · 8 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:25

largehat

Frank Worthington

Posts : 3484
Join date : 2012-01-25

doffcocker wrote:In every Hollywood film where there's somebody that lost their mum at a young age and that person asks somebody "What was mummy like?", the answer is always "She was beautiful."
I'd love it if the answer in just one film could be "She was OK. Nothing to write home about, lookswise - red hair, pasty skin, glasses, bit chubby, tendency to burn in the sun."

Angry Dad · 9 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 16:29

Angry Dad

Youri Djorkaeff

Posts : 5382
Join date : 2012-01-19
Location : East Sussex

Natasha Whittam wrote:I read a lot of books, about three a week. My evening routine is spend a bit of time on here ripping Largehat a new one, big glass of Pepsi, 8-10 McVitie Cheddar biscuits, and then an hour of reading before getting my beauty sleep.

I'm no intellectual, I read the book equivalent of blockbuster films, authors like John Grisham, Lee Child, Robert Crais and Peter James.

Something is really starting to bug me about modern day writers though - their insistance on making every character in their book beautiful or handsome. For example, I'm about 100 pages into a Peter James book right now. Probably about 15-20 people been mentioned so far, and all but two of them have been described as beautiful, handsome, pretty, good looking, pleasant looking, stunning etc etc.

Why? Why do authors feel the need to make characters the reader can't see appear good looking? Does it enhance the story or make it easier to follow? Of course not. It's just really poor writing.

Am I the only one who wants to imagine some ugly people in my reading material? Does anything else bug you about authors?

There is one ugly little runt in that book nat.

Keegan · 10 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 16:36

Keegan

Admin

Posts : 7149
Join date : 2011-12-29
Age : 56
Location : Jamaica, mon.

This is true, though - TV and movies - everyone is beautiful/handsome. It gets boring. It annoys me when they get some beautiful woman and ugly her down to suit the character. Just get a ugly woman to begin with and give her a break!

Natasha Whittam · 11 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 16:38

Natasha Whittam

Nat Lofthouse

Posts : 34087
Join date : 2012-01-04
Age : 40

Keegan wrote:This is true, though - TV and movies - everyone is beautiful/handsome. It gets boring. It annoys me when they get some beautiful woman and ugly her down to suit the character. Just get a ugly woman to begin with and give her a break!

It doesn't bother me in films so much as they are a visual thing, but there's no excuse for books. If you met 20 people today only a fraction would be beautiful.

largehat · 12 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 17:17

largehat

Frank Worthington

Posts : 3484
Join date : 2012-01-25

Natasha, I think you like football, and you seem to like contemporary fiction, you should read The Damned United by David Peace. It's one of the best novels of the 21st century IMO.

Keegan · 13 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 18:36

Keegan

Admin

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Location : Jamaica, mon.

Wasn't that about Manchester United?

largehat · 14 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 18:49

largehat

Frank Worthington

Posts : 3484
Join date : 2012-01-25

No, it is a fictitious account of Brian Clough's football and managerial career. Told in alternate chapters, half the novel is a flashback internal monologue about his career prior to the events in the "present", which in the novel is his 44-day spell as Leeds United manager in 1974.

It is absolutely brilliant. The film wasn't bad either.

Keegan · 15 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 19:14

Keegan

Admin

Posts : 7149
Join date : 2011-12-29
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Location : Jamaica, mon.

The words "damned" & "united" tend to lead my thoughs in a particular direction - along wth other words that are unsuitable for a family forum. Wink

Reebok Trotter · 16 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 21:12

Reebok Trotter

Nat Lofthouse

Posts : 23694
Join date : 2012-01-02
Location : Broadmoor

British humour doesn't seem to travel well across the Atlantic. I think our humour is somewhat different to our Yankee cousins. The american version of The Office wasn't a patch on the original.

Hipster_Nebula · 17 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 21:14

Hipster_Nebula

Nat Lofthouse

Posts : 14148
Join date : 2012-01-23
Location : Scotland

I totally agree.

Speaking of horrific US remakes of British series.

has everyone seen this?

Numpty 28723 · 18 Re: You're Beautiful Thu Aug 09 2012, 11:05

Numpty 28723

Andy Walker

Posts : 1373
Join date : 2012-05-15

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I totally agree.

Speaking of horrific US remakes of British series.

has everyone seen this?

That is so shit. Why can't they just watch the English version over there? We show all the American sit-coms without re-making them.

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You're Beautiful

1 You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:30

Natasha Whittam

2 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:49

largehat

3 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:51

Bernard Dennis Park

4 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 13:53

Hipster_Nebula

5 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:04

Numpty 28723

6 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:10

doffcocker

7 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:13

Numpty 28723

8 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 15:25

largehat

9 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 16:29

Angry Dad

10 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 16:36

Keegan

11 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 16:38

Natasha Whittam

12 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 17:17

largehat

13 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 18:36

Keegan

14 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 18:49

largehat

15 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 19:14

Keegan

16 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 21:12

Reebok Trotter

17 Re: You're Beautiful Wed Aug 08 2012, 21:14

Hipster_Nebula

18 Re: You're Beautiful Thu Aug 09 2012, 11:05

Numpty 28723

19 Re: You're Beautiful

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