mysteryscape Posted June 19, 2012 Posted June 19, 2012 I was sitting with some people last night, a little alcohol flowing, and we got to talking about the distinction between "cute" and "hot," something that has come up here before. I asked if "hot" means "sexy" and one of the women said "No, someone like Cary Grant (extremely suave, handsome actor from the old days, for those who don't him, you should check him out, starting with "North by Northwest.") is sexy -- not hot." The other women agreed. (And cute means something else.) A little perplexed, I asked then what does "hot" mean if not "sexy"? And I think one of the responses was something like "Hot is someone that will do for a one-night stand. Sexy is something else." And I was more perplexed than ever. So, anyone care to enlighten us on the meaning of cute, hot, and sexy as they pertains to men? And as they pertain to women? In particular, what gives with the hot/sexy distinction?
MrCastle Posted June 19, 2012 Posted June 19, 2012 Sexiness is mostly a state of mind to me. It's part of your personality. You either have it or you don't. To me, someone like Kim Kardashian is "hot", but she's not sexy at all to me. Nothing she says or does is sexy. Whereas, there may be women less attractive than her that are sexier. Sexy to me is how you walk, how you talk, your confidence level, your openness when it comes to sexuality. All of that makes up sexy. Having big boobs or a nice butt don't make you sexy. 2
january2011 Posted June 19, 2012 Posted June 19, 2012 I've never made the distinction. But thinking more on it, sexy refers to someone who has a more sophisticated and mature persona. Whereas hot refers to someone who is younger and may lack the sophistication and maturity attributes but still has a sexual vibe. For what it's worth, I've never considered Cary Grant to be sexy. Suave maybe, but not sexy. If we were to stay old school, I'd consider someone like Clark Gable to be sexy or even Sean Connery (accusations of spousal abuse aside). Cute suggests someone younger, more coy rather than hot or sexy.
FitChick Posted June 19, 2012 Posted June 19, 2012 It's hard to believe someone might not have heard of This scene is very erotic -- and they keep their clothes on. The sound on this clip might be a bit off or it might just be my computer. Trust me, the man had a very sexy voice. Actually, everything about him was very sexy. He makes George Clooney look like a wimp.
Author mysteryscape Posted June 19, 2012 Author Posted June 19, 2012 I tend to agree with you about Cary Grant -- super suave, sexy enough, but that is not his most outstanding trait. How about Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck? Where are they on the cute/hot/sexy triangle? As for women, I saw a set of pictures of women who are supposedly "beautiful" or "hot" or "super hot." I found the beautiful ones not to be all that attractive -- more like cute. And the super hot didn't appeal to me at all -- they looked more sluttish than hot. But the hots -- they really had it! Beauty, intriguing looks, sexy -- everything.
Author mysteryscape Posted June 19, 2012 Author Posted June 19, 2012 Yes, the famous train scene in North by Northwest. He actually seduces -- at least that is implied -- the saintly Eva Marie Saint (who last I heard was still acting in plays, a half century later). Check out Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in "To Catch a Thief," another Hitchcock classic. So I'd agree, Cary Grant is sexy, but that is outweighed by his unmatchable suaveness. Perhaps it's all part of a package. I agree about George Clooney and most all the contemporary boys and girls. Brad Pitt! Tom Cruise before he became a has-been! Kim, Beyonce, on and on. They don't hold a candle to the old-timers (who did most of their work before I was born, by the way; this is a case of something I have discovered for myself, not grown up with).
ThaWholigan Posted June 20, 2012 Posted June 20, 2012 Sexy is something that is internal. It comes out in the movement, the words, the expression. When one infuses sex appeal alongside their other natural attributes, it can be indeed a beautiful thing. Sexy can be attributed to hot, cute, and any other...... Hot girls are either objectively hot or subjectively hot, but if that hotness lacks a level of substance then it can be pretty meh, even with the hotness. Needless to say though, hot still has admirers. I like cute though. Cute is understated, coy and pleasant. 1
Leopard Posted June 20, 2012 Posted June 20, 2012 I'm no expert, but I assume that hot is "one night stand" and sexy has more to do with how she carries herself and how confident she is. To me sexy is never an appearance but rather a vibe. A man can be hot but a complete idiot, but he would be sexy if he was hot + intelligent for example, or hot + charming, hot + great conversationalist etc. So I suppose a woman is hot only when she is just her appearance, but sexy when she is also intriguing in ways that have nothing to do with what she looks like.
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