"The Most Beautiful Man In Pop"

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This is how David Sylvian was promoted at the turn of the 80s.

- are there still 'beautiful men' in pop (as opposed perhaps to sexy or handsome ones)?
- could you imagine anyone being promoted this way now?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Friday, 16 January 2004 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

The idea implies a kind of androgyny to me (maybe just cos I'm thinking of David Sylvian in 1980) - has androgyny fallen from favour as a pop image currency, and why, is I suppose what I'm asking? Does that kind of distant beauty only make sense in a country (like Britain 1979) where personal grooming for men is almost nil?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Friday, 16 January 2004 10:22 (twenty-two years ago)

in a way it is surprising considering how male grooming has been such a growth market in recent years. David Beckham and other footballers are bastions in that sense perhaps, yet they are never considered or made to look androgynous (the wearing of the sarong seemed more like "it's okay for MEN to wear this stuff" rather than "i'm wearing this cos i want you to question (my) manliness"), and it would be hard for them to do this being as they are professional athletes otherwise immersed in a conditionally 'masculine' threshold...

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 16 January 2004 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't seen any pics of him with long hair. Was he also goodlooking with it?

― nathalie (nathalie), Friday, 16 January 2004 10:46 (twenty-two years ago)

that said, Beckham IS a pop icon and a beautiful man. as for male androgyny, i can't think of many recent British examples but i've not been paying that much attention perhaps. Fischerspooner were sort of pushing this image and perhaps expected/hoped it would help them get more attention, which it did to some extent ('Emerge' video concept is kinda cool in it's absurdity), but what are they doing right now?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 16 January 2004 10:46 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:KVdqABz2dBAC:www.u2achtung.com/00/artistes/placebo/02.jpg

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 16 January 2004 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

(http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:fGs8yCglbMYC:blackwidow.sinfree.net/bribri800x600.gif)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 16 January 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/paramount_pictures/zoolander/david_bowie/zoolander.jpg

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 16 January 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I want pictures of Sebastion Bach - upside down please. If only to remind of when my (slightly homophobic hair metal obsessed) friend from high school saw a picture of him upside down and asked who that babe was.

― Jedmond, Friday, 16 January 2004 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Derek Bailey

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 16 January 2004 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

...is nowhere near as good looking as Han Bennink but a lot better looking than Evan Parker.

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Friday, 16 January 2004 13:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Where is Erik when we need him?

― Sean (Sean), Friday, 16 January 2004 13:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I wish I still had the old NME where julie b reviews the singles, including an individual called "Howcher - the most beautiful man in the world" (howcher???) I don't remember much about him, except he had long curly hair, and he wasn't as beautiful as david sylvian anyway. Or julian cope, for that matter.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 16 January 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Is Stevem the most androgynous man on ilx?

If so, will this undermine his apprenticeship in the trade of Carsmiling?

― the bellefox, Friday, 16 January 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

you sayin i got girly hair?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 16 January 2004 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Easily Toog.

― maria b (maria b), Saturday, 17 January 2004 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Watch it! Stevem's hair is *my* secret love, and I'm jealous jealous woman, Pine-O!

― the river fleet, Saturday, 17 January 2004 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't know if they are promoted that way, but the boybands have some of the same androgynous, or at least partly feminine, thing about them that a lot of the biggest early 80s male UK names had.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 17 January 2004 23:43 (twenty-two years ago)

...and that excites you does it Geir?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 19 January 2004 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Boybands often have a cute but boyish, unthreatening quality that is palatable to young girls, but it's not really the same vibe that the remote and theatrical performers like Sylvian had. Plus can you imagine Justin Timberlake with all that eyeliner and lipstick?

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 19 January 2004 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

He'd look like little sister playing dressup

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Monday, 19 January 2004 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Easily Toog

http://www.moderniste.com/toog/orange1.jpg

He's lovely, isn't he?

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 19 January 2004 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

haha! that reminds me of a joke.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 19 January 2004 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

It's just fashion - it's coming back one of these days.

― Kim (Kim), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

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