The difference between "cute" and "sexy"

Anonus · 2011-02-04 02:07:03

Sort of continued from Miijhal's old "The Sexualization Of "Cute"" thread.

The pictures she linked looked more stylized than "cute", and I don't get how they were supposed to be that. They were supposed to be sexy, though.

DYRE · 2011-02-04 02:11:24

I don't actually make much of a difference in my head between the two.

Sometimes I say "sexy" if it makes sense in context but I always think of it as just "cute" which I use to mean things that are sexually appealing but also things like Hello Kitty or whatever that are just, well, cute.

Tnophelia · 2011-02-04 02:11:34

EverythingIsSexy usually applies here, and Rule 36.

So no matter what, cute can be sexy.

But 100% of the time this is the case with Anime. Due to cute girls being sexy.

Otherwise, Jumping Spiders.

glennmagusharvey · 2011-02-04 12:21:53

I thought "cute" meant "cuddling material" and "sexy" meant "fapping material".

ClockworkUniverse · 2011-02-04 12:30:27

^That's my distinction too. They can overlap sometimes, though.

Trash_Vortex · 2011-02-04 12:35:00

^^^ Laughing material

^^ The way people use the words seems to vary greatly. I know I've used "sexy" to jokingly refer to things that just look good in general, such as an awesome dalek I once saw. "One sexy Dalek"

Not necessarily "fapping material" if you find someone sexy, but maybe that's just me finding the word "fap" annoying. It sounds kind of like it's limiting "sexy" to a very small range of possibilities

glennmagusharvey · 2011-02-04 12:38:48

I think in that context "sexy" means aesthetically pleasing in a non-artistic and adult-cultural manner, whereas "cute" means aesthetically pleasing in a child-cultural manner, usually implying adorableness.

Tnophelia · 2011-02-04 14:16:22

Cute = awww

Sexy = ohhhh

ClockworkUniverse · 2011-02-04 16:59:39

^That sums it up about as well as two words and two vocalizations can.

snowbull · 2011-02-04 20:16:28

That spider is so cute I'm gonna die.

ClockworkUniverse · 2011-02-04 20:17:13

I'm arachnophobic, so I'll have to disagree.

Tnophelia · 2011-02-04 20:21:28

I am arachnophobic too yet I find spider people undeniably sexy, and find wittle jumping spiders adorable as hell.

ClockworkUniverse · 2011-02-04 20:23:27

Spider people can be pretty hot, depending on how they're done. Jumping spiders just scare me, though. I think it's the name. "Oh, so you wanted to admire it from a distance? Well now it's in your face before you can blink!"

snowbull · 2011-02-04 20:24:06

DAAWWW

glennmagusharvey · 2011-02-04 20:24:31

I can't understand people who use "sexy" to describe things that aren't actually sexually appealing.

ClockworkUniverse · 2011-02-04 20:26:52

Snowbull... Why...

It's staring at me...

I can't scroll past it because it's right at the bottom...

snowbull · 2011-02-04 20:27:07

Relevant.

EDIT: ^HAHAHAHHAHAHA

Anonus · 2011-02-04 20:29:13

snowbull you're a mean.

Tnophelia · 2011-02-04 20:31:17

@GMH

Your Mileage May Vary.

glennmagusharvey · 2011-02-04 20:33:53

snowbull wins with that comic.

Trash_Vortex · 2011-02-05 06:07:20

I love SMBC.

GardenGnome · 2011-02-05 22:20:30

Aww those spiders are cute in the adorable instinctive awww kind of way. I think using cute as sexy can be a) lack of vocabulary for an attractive-but-not in-an-entirely-sexua- way-person, b) Moe is sexy phenomenon (they find cute thing sexy) c) The word cute has many connotations and meanings like all common words and they get confused.

Hi, I'm from tvtropes.

snowbull · 2011-02-05 22:21:13

Welcome!

Trash_Vortex · 2011-02-05 22:22:16

Thought you was Inkblot for a sec.

GardenGnome · 2011-02-05 22:40:25

I'm not Inkblot. I didn't post on the old IJBM because the tone bothered me. So you probally don't reconize me.

ClockworkUniverse · 2011-02-05 22:41:24

Huh. Yet you came here? Odd.

Nice to meet you.

snowbull · 2011-02-05 22:41:24

I think I might've seen you once or twice.

GardenGnome · 2011-02-05 22:42:23

I was curious. I read the discussion and it was cool enough to join in.

snowbull · 2011-02-05 22:46:02

I hope you have fun here. c:

glennmagusharvey · 2011-02-05 23:33:09

Welcome.

Besides, inkblot already has an account here.

snowbull · 2011-02-05 23:35:11

You can never have enough accounts.

Howdy, Stranger!

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The difference between "cute" and "sexy"

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