Lu has been the handsomest man for 1800 years, adored by countless women (and men) throughout the history. Ancient books, articles, poems lavished beautiful words on his appearance. However there’s not one word about the size of his eyes or the prominence of his nose. So I have always imagined him to have small eyes and flat nose. However, my imagination is at odds with the actors who have portrayed him in movies or TVs. By the way, every ten years or so, there will be another flick coming out that includes Lu’s story, his good and bad deeds, his well known love affair, his horse etc.
And I am very glad that in one of the latest productions, he is portrayed by an actor who has small eyes and flat nose. Actually his eyes could have been even smaller and his nose could have been even flatter, if the director had the intention of challenging the prevalent beauty standard.
I’ve met a lot of beautiful people who have small eyes and flat nose. One of them is my first boyfriend. I have to say fate sent him to me as a cautionary message, which I didn’t understand until it was too late. That has always been my problem–I think I can get it, but often I am slow in the uptake and my comprehension usually comes too late to be useful. Anyway, he has small eyes and flat nose, but he is quite handsome and many girls like him.
And due to the influence of the Korean Wave on many Asian movies and TV productions, Lu is now portrayed in an androgynous way, which makes him even more irresistible. He has smooth skin, long fingers, hairless chin. He prefers playing music to riding horses; likes partying with women better than going to war; enjoys poetic expression more than barking orders. I think such androgynous figures are one of the main reasons why so many women worldwide love K Dramas. Its success has brought out many imitators. Actually it has almost become a formula for those productions nowadays (in East Asian countries and Thailand as well) that are targeting women.
I am waiting for the day when the female characters are portrayed by actresses with small eyes, flat nose, a real personality, none of those common insipidity, a real interest to manage her life, none of those ridiculous aspiration of throwing her life away in order to capture a man. I hope that day is not far away.
Haoyan Do 
After the 1995 BBC adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” one female journalist lamented that the series had spoiled dating for her – because hardly any real men were as attractive/sexy as Mr Darcy (played by Colin Firth). I recall thinking at the time that I encountered women every day on the street that were as sexy as Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle). This illustrates one difference between the sexes.
Sadly women don’t exist to provide men with all that they desire any more than men exist to provide women with all they want. Nature has its own agenda in creating us the way we are and doesn’t much care about our individual happiness.
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“Something must have gone wrong with them, early on” is truer than probably meant. Where is one, when young and especially build not of strong mind (with or without narcissistic parents), to go with one’s thoughts when school and environment teach, sometimes literally (some of our techers did say those lines, including the school psychiatrist, a woman), that “being altruistic is bad”, “good guys will get nowhere” and “only the strongest will thrive”, as if social Darwinism is supposed to be the accepted norm? Not all manage to escape that vicious cycle of self-hatred induced by situations induced by self-hatred induced by bullying and careless parenting or (education) systems induced by situations. Some flee in the path of least resistance, the hate turned against the others. I can only say I’m glad that those of my friends (and I) that crawled out of that initial head space (the non-“incel/femcel” one, the one way before it), did so in the other direction, the one of (self-)reflecting and consideration. Though some will likely be stuck in giving up on oneself, albeit thankfully without the “incel/femcel” hate on others. I wonder what I can do to help them?, though telling others to start liking oneself when not doing so myself is not very convincing.
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Now I am wondering which Lu you are referring to.
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