Add realism by dialing back on attractive actors, give them bad teeth and hair, and have them not so eloquently well spoken.

Submitted by BlessThisDay t3_11d07y2 in movies

I’m sure this subject has been discussed before in different ways, but please indulge me. I feel like the fact actors tend to be higher than average attractiveness takes away from realism. Especially in action movies. And the fact that people have great teeth and hair (a killer body) in post apocalyptic settings kills the vibe. It is so easy to address this. Why don’t they? Do movie makers really think people prefer eye candy over a more humanizing cast of characters. The story would be more heroic if they were more relatable. Any movies you feel address this well? Or even really badly?

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Salty_Letterhead t1_ja60vex wrote

>Do movie makers really think people prefer eye candy over a more humanizing cast of characters.

Yes. And, for better or worse, that really is what most people prefer. Average looking people just don't attract viewers in the same numbers that attractive people do and less viewers equates to less profit.

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Veszerin t1_ja617oh wrote

There's a ton of research in a variety of fields demonstrating that things we say we want aren't actually things we want.

The fact is that the percent of people that want worse teeth or hair for characters in movies is negligible

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PotterAndPitties t1_ja61yxw wrote

None of this matters nearly as much as quality story-telling and filmmaking. While casting should reflect the characters, story is what matters.

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Unleashtheducks t1_ja62woo wrote

Replying to Salty_Letterhead (#2,043,793)

Yeah man. I’m an actor and every day the most good looking people you have ever seen audition for roles and can’t get shit. You think beauty is some objective fact that everyone agrees on but it’s not. It’s a product that’s sold to you and you buy it because you want it believe in it.

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charleyismyhero t1_ja62z0m wrote

Yeah I’m actually over realism in movies at this point.

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja64is8 wrote

Replying to Veszerin (#2,043,513)

Fascinating. Sounds like you have some really interesting background with your research. I’d love if you can share it. It does fascinate me. And thank you for providing the data points around this topic. Helps to bring realism to the discussion.

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja65tzd wrote

Replying to WhereIsThatElephant (#2,044,275)

I’m not sure how bad breath would be visualized… but yes bad in bed would be more refreshing, possibly adding to the dramatic tension that having sex with the person you’re escaping aliens with already presents.

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no1name t1_ja66c10 wrote

You are talking about British movies then.

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7loUge t1_ja69pbu wrote

>The story would be more heroic if they were more relatable

Why? Would Greek mythology figures be more heroic if they had big beer bellies and burped? Gods, idols, heroes--they are all larger than life. So are movies for the most part.

It's not that way by accident. Realism is great, but how many of the all-time grossing movies are realistic?

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja6a8mm wrote

Replying to ScientificAnarchist (#2,044,676)

I agree. However, I feel a new paradigm is in play, and the formula isn’t as standard as implied. Just comparing movies over the decades along with technological advances (accessible computer f/x, low cost high quality video equipment), cyclical cultural evolution, and access (movie theater prices, video rental, pirating, streaming) is chipping away at the stranglehold the financially risk averse have on the commoditization art. Marvel and big tent pole movies are narrowing the options for casual consumers. The original question dared to ask if we are watching movies or really long commercials for toothpaste and hair products?

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uncultured_swine2099 t1_ja6du7q wrote

In Where the Crawdads Sing, the main character who lives out in the marsh is treated by the townsfolk like this freak that shouldnt be trusted, but she looks like this very attractive young woman who seems like she just stepped out of a salon everyday.

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ToxicAdamm t1_ja7jcay wrote

In the end, most people go to a movie theater for escapism. So, Hollywood is always going to lean towards appealing to the masses.

So, that's why for the majority of film history, movies have been beautiful people, in beautiful settings saying perfectly-crafted dialog.

The 70's was a real break from this. Some of my favorite movies are from this era because of this. Early Spielberg was really great at doing it. He would ground his movies in realism upfront. People were sweaty, houses were unkempt, hair was a little messy. That way, when the fantastical part of the story kicks in (Jaws, Close Encounters, ET) you are bought in and along for the ride. But even he got away from it and his later fantasy films (Hook, War of the Worlds, A.I.) have that glossy sheen on them all the way through.

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grapemetodeath t1_ja7kv19 wrote

The trailer just dropped for Bert Kreischer's movie. Unattractive, bad teeth and hair, nothing eloquent about him. Everything you asked for!

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jamesneysmith t1_ja7v39q wrote

People enjoy the glossy fake realism of Hollywood. Obviously there is a place for more genuinely realistic movies but those won't typically attract the mainstream attention. Its a facade and we not only accept it but enjoy it. Give us perfect tooth Tom cruise riding a horse in 1873 and people will eat it up. There's nothing wrong with that. The more gritty realism is usually saved for the artier movies which are enjoyable in their own right

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Federal-Ad-1102 t1_ja7x2jf wrote

The thing is men (that’s me) like looking at attractive actresses. Though I’m not 100% sure I think the opposite is also true for women.

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PerfectAdvertising30 t1_jada1th wrote

>Do movie makers really think people prefer eye candy over a more humanizing cast of characters?

Yes

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