Dear Whys Guy: "Why Don't Guys Know When Other Guys Are Attractive?"

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK


DEAR WHYS GUY:



Why don't guys know when other guys are attractive? Whenever my husband and I watch a movie or TV show together, he asks, "Is he good-looking?" We're talking Bradley Cooper in The Hangover II, Idris Elba in Thor, Curtis Stone on Top Chef Masters-no-brainers. And I swear, he isn't playing dumb.

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DEAR REDBOOK READER:

You know who is a handsome man? Michael Caine. Go back and watch his stuff from the 60s and 70s, The Ipcress File, Get Carter, Slueth, even The Holcroft Covenant in the 80s-that is one good-looking dude. Even in old age, Michael Caine has retained his hotness; have you seen Harry Brown? Actually, if you're going to rent Harry Brown, you should also rent The Limey starring Terrance Stamp and have a double feature. Terrance Stamp is a hot old British guy, too.

So as you can see, I can, in fact, recognize attractiveness in guys. I fully appreciate hotties like Michael Caine and Terrance Stamp: elderly British gentlemen who blow stuff up and punch people in the face.

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As for your list, I agree about Idris Elba because he was on The Wire and he's British (though he's a little young for my taste). Come to think of it, maybe I just have a type. Maybe when it comes to dudes, we just can't see beyond our specific types; we stay in our handsome-dude comfort zone.

You know who else is a handsome dude that you don't normally think of as a handsome dude? Bob Hoskins.


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Need help decoding odd male behavior? Redbook columnist Aaron Traister, who lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two kids, is our resident male who is happy to answer any questions you might have about the mind of a man. Either leave your questions in the comments or email him at redbook@hearst.com with Whys Guy in the subject. Letters, emails, and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

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