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Cuteness

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Puppies are usually considered very cute.

Cuteness is a delicate and attractive kind of beauty commonly associated with youth and innocence. Human infants and many baby animals define "cuteness" for most people, and the standard characteristics of infancy are typically used to judge the cuteness of other phenomena (for example, plush toys or adult animals). Cute animals and humans instill a desire to care.

Cuteness is usually characterized by (though not limited to) some combination of infant-like physical traits, especially small body size with a disproportionately big head, large eyes, a small nose, dimples, round and softer body features. Infantile personality traits, such as playfulness, fragility, helplessness, curiosity, innocence, affectionate behavior and a need to be nurtured are also generally considered cute.


Joshi Cherian is very cute and pretty He is the coolest, hottest person

Cuteness in popular culture

Cuteness is a major marketing tool in many cultures. This is most famously the case in Japan, where cuteness is a national obsession known as kawaii. Of course, cuteness is also an important selling point in the West. Elmo, The Family Circus, Furby, Precious Moments, and many other cultural icons and products trade on their cuteness—not to mention the overwhelming international success of Japanese exports like Pokémon or Hello Kitty. It can be a factor in live action productions such as the successful documentary film, March of the Penguins, where the intense cuteness of the penguins was cited as a major reason for the film's outstanding appeal.

Stephen Jay Gould remarked on this phenomenon in an article for the journal Natural History, in which he pointed out that over time Mickey Mouse had been drawn more and more to resemble an infant—with bigger head, bigger eyes, and so forth. Gould suggested that this change in Mickey's image was intended to increase his popularity by making him appear cuter.

References


Further reading

  • Stephen Jay Gould, "A Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse", The Panda's Thumb, W.W. Norton & Company, 1980.
  • Konrad Lorenz, "Part and Parcel in Animal and Human Societies", in Studies in animal and human behavior, vol. 2. pp. 115-195. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP, 1971 (originally pub. 1950.)
  • Natalie Angier, "The Cute Factor", The New York Times, 2006-1-3.
  • Jeanne Moos, "The Science of Cuteness/Cutie Contest", CNN Headline News, 2006-12-17.

See also

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