What is the old adage? Do girls make passes at—? No, that’s not it. It’s Do guys make passes at girls who wear glasses? Ah, that age-old question.
When Dorothy Parker’s famous quote hit print in 1937, Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses, it cemented the concern in spectacle-wearing dames from that day forward. Doomed them to a life void of passes from gents. The poor Janes! Cursed for having four eyes!
Did anyone ever stop to wonder if girls make passes at guys who wear glasses? Why did Parker single out girls to be the heirs of that blight?
I don’t suppose we’ll ever know. But thinking about it did make me realize something: I adore men who wear glasses! I find them sexy, incredibly so. I’m not sure why, though. I study men who wear glasses. I look close at photos in magazines of men who wear them. And I wonder. What is the allure?
I’m not sure, but I can tell you this…
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of silent films, and, right up there with my beloved Rudolph Valentino, is Harold Lloyd, the comedic genius of the silent era. His talent is unparalleled. He didn’t need sound to be funny.
But what really attracts me to him? His glasses! The horn-rimmed spectacles that stand between me and that hidden tiger. The optical paraphernalia that promises mystery just the other side of those two circles of glass. A terribly handsome, sexy man lurks behind those frames.
If you don’t count Timothy from my second grade classroom, then Harold Lloyd is the object of my first imaginary love affair with a spectacle-wearing fellow. I fell in love with the silent hunk with the manly charisma and boyish good looks the second I laid eyes on him.
Oh, I know what you’re going to say. It’s the Clark Kent syndrome. You’re going to tell me that I think there’s a Superman behind those specs. Nah. It’s not that. Or is it?
You just might be right. I stumbled across an interesting piece about my silent film hero, and this information would not only interest Superman lovers, but Harold Lloyd fans as well. Seems that the character, Clark Kent, was based partly on Harold Lloyd. Who knew? And I found it even more interesting that Kent’s name was derived from combining the names of two actors, Clark Gable and Kent Taylor. Go figure.
So my darling Harold is a super man after all!
But still. I couldn’t have known that in second grade, when I daydreamed about Timothy, when I had the most agonizing crush on him. Later, in high school, there was Michael. And Alex. Ricky. And then later, Billy. Bill. Tom, my husband.
To me, there is something so very sexy about a man stopping to take off his glasses before he begins to—well, make love. There. Oh, geez, I said it. Yes. I admit it. What a wildly wonderful experience, as a guy pauses to pull off his glasses and, with that careful deliberation (partly not to break them, of course), folds them shut and sets them on the table. Now he’s ready for business. Can you sit there and tell me that is not kind of sexy? He’s undressing without undressing?
Oh, calm down. I never made ‘whoopie’ with Timothy in second grade! But maybe, just maybe, I sensed, even at that delicate age, the future allure those pieces of metal or plastic and glass would have on me.
So, to my darling Harold. To Timothy, Michael, Alex, Bill, Billy, and Tom—wherever you are, I salute you! May the women you meet make passes at you! May the women who cross your path see your hidden Clark Kent!
You already know yours truly thinks you’re a hunk!
February 19th, 2010 at 5:32 am
Ya know, I’ve never dated a man who wore glasses. I think contacts, maybe. Not sure. Now I can honestly say I don’t like some of the glasses of the past, but some of the glasses I see nowadays are very sexy. And I just got a mental picture of some guy ripping his glasses off to….TAKE ME!
Hmmm…think I’ll go hang out by the optical shop.
Just sayin’.
Cute blog, Carol. Nice!
Tess MacKall´s last blog ..Hello world!
February 19th, 2010 at 5:43 am
The optical shop! Now there’s one I hadn’t thought of! You’ll find me hanging out at the local Vision Center this weekend! Thanks, Tess! This could very well replace singles bars for those of us who love our bespectacled men! lol…
February 19th, 2010 at 7:48 am
I never really thought about it. Unless the glasses really stood out in some way, I don’t think I ever paid any attention. I had a crush or two in high school on boys who wore glasses. Never been with a guy who did. Although, Rott is now using those over the counter reading glasses to see fine print on things now. It doesn’t change his sexiness at all.And if you put a pair of horn rims on Julian Fantechi, he’d still have a gorgeous body, beautiful face, and a big dick. What’s not to love? *wink*
Lex´s last blog ..Hey, Moderator! Ban Me!
February 19th, 2010 at 8:14 am
You know, Carol, I never thought about it until I read a Jayne Ann Krentz book called Trust Me many years ago. I loved loved that book. The hero was a computer whiz who wore dark rimmed glasses. Siiiiigh. He was soooo intense, intelligent and damn, sexy! I love this post, Carol. Now, I think maybe I need to write a hero with glasses. oooooh.
Regina Carlysle´s last blog ..Love is in the Air
February 19th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Oh, you should do a bespectacled character, Regina! The hero in my m/m WIP wears glasses.
Thank you for stopping by!
Carol´s last blog ..Eat Your Heart Out, Carrie Bradshaw……
February 19th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby – very sexy with the glasses. My hubby wears contacts but when he puts on his glasses, I want to jump his bones – they give him a different look!
Julia Rachel Barrett´s last blog ..Down Time – a little trivia.
February 19th, 2010 at 10:09 am
In my current WIP I have a secondary character who falls in love and he wears round, John Lennon glasses. teehee
Okay…I have to admit. I never thought I was attracted to guys in glasses, but hubby had to get some reading glasses, and when he came home and put them on for me, I was surprised to find my self getting weak in the knees. Whew! Hot, hot, hot. Oh, and I make him leave them on…
February 19th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Oh,see, Laura? The spectacles bug got you, too! LOL…
The reading glasses reminded me of a boss I had years ago. Oh, he looked sort of like Anthony Quinn, and sometimes would look at me over the rims of the glasses, those brown eyes so sexy. Geez, I had forgotten all about him! Ay-ay-ay!
Carol´s last blog ..Eat Your Heart Out, Carrie Bradshaw……
February 19th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I agree, Harold Lloyd was a comedic genius. For me, that’s the key, I think – glasses signify intelligence, a lifetime reading (and who doesn’t love a reader?) In fact, in my latest release, Design for Life, the hero wears glasses (though my CP discouraged it!) for that reason. He’s sexy and intelligent!
My hubby hates having to wear glasses now, but I think he’s even more attractive with them!
February 19th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Men in glasses? Oh my!
Love this blog Carol. I remembering reading THE BROKEN H by JL Langley and I loved that Shane had a huge hard-on for Grayson when Gray wore his glasses. The last scene? Too funny.
Guess it’s an equal opportunity fetish.
And my husband? He’s a glasses wearer too… yum!
Kathy K´s last blog ..Poll on ebook pricing
February 19th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Thank you, Kathy, Cate and Julia! This has been so much fun, hearing how many other women find men in glasses sexy!
And, YES, to Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby! I’d forgotten him!
And Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird! Sexy, broody!
I love it!
Thanks, you all!
Carol´s last blog ..Eat Your Heart Out, Carrie Bradshaw……
February 20th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Ah, Dorothy Parker. My favorite quote of hers is still her reply her editor, who was bugging her about turning in some belated work while she was on her honeymoon. “I’m too fucking busy, and vice versa.”