View_From_Below: In a waiting-room today I leafed through the May issue of People magazine, in which they highlighted their "Fifty Most Beautiful People."
Steve Martin was one of the 50. When I read his perfect parody of being a Beautiful Person, I started laughing--somehow it made me think of many different postings on LPSG over the years in which a writer told of some personal experience -- and in the telling revealed his naked self-delight and desire to draw attention to himself, while at the same time claiming that he's not the kind of guy who would be interested in drawing attention to himself.
Martin's parody struck me as hilarious. (Man, it's easy to take ourselves too seriously). Here's the passage:
"It's very hard being one of the most beautiful people. Having this kind of beauty is actually a burden. Sometimes I go to a party and not one of the other 49 most beautiful people is there. That makes me feel very solitary and alone, because it means I am the most beautiful person in the room.
"If I'm going to a party where I know there will be 'less-beautiful people,' I try to 'dress down' in order to hide my beauty. But this seems to have a counter-effect of actually making me more beautiful. I guess me and dungarees are a pretty potent combination.
"I try not to lord my beauty over others. This is very hard. I try not to mention that I am one of the most beautiful people, but somehow it always comes out. I will usually only bring it up when I'm asked to do a task, like open a garage door. People seem to enjoy my beauty and are genuinely happy for me, because after I mention it they always say, 'How nice for you.' "
Enjoy. (BTW, no holier-than-thou here: I could easily see myself falling into this, if I had Flauntable Goods! :-/)
Steve Martin was one of the 50. When I read his perfect parody of being a Beautiful Person, I started laughing--somehow it made me think of many different postings on LPSG over the years in which a writer told of some personal experience -- and in the telling revealed his naked self-delight and desire to draw attention to himself, while at the same time claiming that he's not the kind of guy who would be interested in drawing attention to himself.
Martin's parody struck me as hilarious. (Man, it's easy to take ourselves too seriously). Here's the passage:
"It's very hard being one of the most beautiful people. Having this kind of beauty is actually a burden. Sometimes I go to a party and not one of the other 49 most beautiful people is there. That makes me feel very solitary and alone, because it means I am the most beautiful person in the room.
"If I'm going to a party where I know there will be 'less-beautiful people,' I try to 'dress down' in order to hide my beauty. But this seems to have a counter-effect of actually making me more beautiful. I guess me and dungarees are a pretty potent combination.
"I try not to lord my beauty over others. This is very hard. I try not to mention that I am one of the most beautiful people, but somehow it always comes out. I will usually only bring it up when I'm asked to do a task, like open a garage door. People seem to enjoy my beauty and are genuinely happy for me, because after I mention it they always say, 'How nice for you.' "
Enjoy. (BTW, no holier-than-thou here: I could easily see myself falling into this, if I had Flauntable Goods! :-/)
