How come pianist are not "sexy" any more

[cuberdrift]

It is interesting to see some sort of reverse trend this days ... Because recently has been a surge of "sexy" female pianist, i think you know the names already.

But how come male pianist are not "sex symbol" anymore like in the golden age of piano?

There is a certain stereotype...that musicians are "the most laid guys on the planet."

For me I do not think it is musical skill that make a guy "get laid" it is their perceived fame. This is the key. Will the Beatles have groupie if they only stuck to pubs? And I know many musician that are very talented, even rockers, they aren't laid any more than other occupations, because they are not super popular (i think this is a industry thing) though they could give many icons a run for their money skill wise.

Because, something in the female brain is obsessed with this concept of male fame. We should know that men are visual - it is enough for a cute girl to show some skin while playing, it will already rake millions for Deutsche grammophon more than if they were unfemininely/conservatively dressed.

However, women attraction is more complex. You are a guy you have to be high status, because you have to be provider.

I think, that maybe in the East, this is a little how they perceive pianist. To some degree...Li Yundi for example, could be considered some type of celebrity and I hear he is popular with the girls there. Because the East is in its infatuation phase with classical music.

So anyway the main question is - how come male pianist are no longer deem to be sexy compared to past?

[ego0720]

Interesting question. This wasn’t even on the radar for me until you brought it up. Makes me self-conscious now.

Some of your premises don’t match my understanding. I never see pianist as sexy. Piano attracts certain personalities. It’s a hard gig. You don’t often see a pianist hitting the gym. Perhaps this will change in the future. I didn’t even think pianist of the past were sexy. Just classy.

People tend to desire fame. I don’t think that’s specific to women. Money, fame, and power have always been the cravings for life. Maybe ppl who have that can appear attractive to some. But it’s also a stage in life. At some point one realizes it doesn’t matter all that much.

[truecam]

Many people learn piano or guitar or whatever instrument for sexual attention. I can understand the reasoning behind it, but it is pathetic to learn an instrument just to get laid and is typically indicitive of low self worth. Do things you enjoy doing and that make you a better person, not because you think it will get you laid.

That being said, its the same reason reason why fedoras or jazz used to be cool, but now they aren't. Its inauthentic and is pretty obvious when done for attention. When not done for attention its like any other hobby. Also, I think that many people play instruments in public or let it (not so subtly) be known that they play an instrument. They do so indulgently to get praise or social status, which is again very obvious.

Regardless, playing music should be a private affair for most people, as its very easy to develop arrogance and pride over music, and is consumer entertainment so if not valueless probably a net negative to society. There is a reason why Muslims have banned most forms of music; Its almost always a gateway to deviancy. I can't judge however, since I have issues with music myself, even though I keep it mostly private. The truth is, music and be a joyful activity, but not if one is motivated by external factors besides the music itself.

TL;DR A lot of people playing piano now to get attention. Doing things for attention is unnattractive.

[perfect_pitch]

Some people try to make it look sexy...

...but they come off looking creepy as ***, and just desperate for views.

[joturner]

It is interesting to see some sort of reverse trend this days ... Because recently has been a surge of "sexy" female pianist, i think you know the names already.

But how come male pianist are not "sex symbol" anymore like in the golden age of piano?

There is a certain stereotype...that musicians are "the most laid guys on the planet."

For me I do not think it is musical skill that make a guy "get laid" it is their perceived fame. This is the key. Will the Beatles have groupie if they only stuck to pubs? And I know many musician that are very talented, even rockers, they aren't laid any more than other occupations, because they are not super popular (i think this is a industry thing) though they could give many icons a run for their money skill wise.

Because, something in the female brain is obsessed with this concept of male fame. We should know that men are visual - it is enough for a cute girl to show some skin while playing, it will already rake millions for Deutsche grammophon more than if they were unfemininely/conservatively dressed.

However, women attraction is more complex. You are a guy you have to be high status, because you have to be provider.

I think, that maybe in the East, this is a little how they perceive pianist. To some degree...Li Yundi for example, could be considered some type of celebrity and I hear he is popular with the girls there. Because the East is in its infatuation phase with classical music.

So anyway the main question is - how come male pianist are no longer deem to be sexy compared to past?

It's true that perceptions of sex appeal among pianists have shifted over time. Today, there's a noticeable focus on "sexy" female pianists  while male pianists aren't as commonly seen as sex symbols compared to the past.

Women have traditionally been regarded as symbols of attraction, which may contribute to the heightened attention on female pianists in today's context.