The Who – "I'm a Boy" (1966)

I'm a boy, I'm a boy

But my ma won't admit it

The most recent 2 or 3 lines celebrated the birthday of my daughters, Sarah and Caroline:

I e-mailed a link to that post to several of my family members to make sure they would see it.  (Believe it or not, not all of my children subscribe to 2 or 3 lines.)

My youngest son Peter sent this rather plaintive reply: 

Where was my blog post?

Peter had his 21st birthday earlier this month, but I didn't note that occasion in 2 or 3 lines.  That was an oversight on my part, and I'm going to try to make it up to him by featuring him today.

Peter was an exceptionally beautiful baby.  As my mother used to say every time we visited her, "He's too pretty to be a boy!"

Indeed he was . . . not to mention a snazzy dresser:

Here's Peter a few years later.  Look at that smile (not to mention that dimple)!

Most people don't realize how difficult pretty boys have it when they grow up.  This Huffington Post article by neuroscientist Billi Gordon discusses some of the problems faced by really good-looking guys.  

One big problem for such guys is that women are too damn easy.  From Dr. Gordon's article:

Noah, a young cardiac surgeon who looks like he walked into the O.R. off the cover of GQ, said, "Men like to hunt.  Chasing a chick is a chess match, and it is a big turn-on.  There is no fun in easy women."

(I second that emotion – Noah really hit the nail on the head.)

Bieber: too pretty to be a boy

According to Dr. Gordon, another problem faced by really handsome guys is that women resent their looks.  

"I am prettier than most of the women I date," said [a network TV star]. "They resent that. They always feel like they have to look their very best when they're with me, and they resent it after a while."

The fact that women presume good-looking men are players who aren't looking for a serious relationship is another real downer for hunky studs:

"I am not a player," said Parker, a powerful agent who packages TV shows and films. "I am a young dude, so, yeah, if I forget to turn my swag off, I wake up knee-deep in honeys.  That's a given with my job and my looks.  But just because that's what I can easily have does not mean that is what I want."

(I couldn't agree more.  Waking up knee-deep in honeys is not all that it's cracked up to be!  Remember, guys: turn your swag off when you're not using it!)

Pitt: also too pretty to be a boy

One other disadvantage of being a good-looking guy is that people think you should only date supermodel-quality babes.  If all you are looking for is a hookup, beauty may be all that matters.  But as one of the handsome men quoted by Dr. Gordon points out, a guy who is looking for a serious relationship couldn't care less what the woman looks like:

"Like my current girlfriend.  She is not technically beautiful, and she says she needs to lose a few pounds, and I guess she is right.  But I just do not see her like that.  She is brilliant, kind, strong, interesting and passionate woman. . . . But when people see us together, they do not get it."  

Dr. Gordon's article offers these words of wisdom to hot guys who have had to endure the problems discussed above:

Most men think they would welcome these problems. . . .  However, recreational sex is not a substitute for love.  Likewise, it does not matter if you can get a zillion people in your bed if you cannot find that one who gets in your heart and your head. . . . Yes, my handsome, successful, young Jacks of Heart, your problems are very real, just different. 

Brady: waaaaay too pretty to be a boy!

The article concludes with a sage observation and a positive affirmation that good-looking guys should take to heart:

It does not matter what people think about you.  What matters is what you think about yourself.  Remain fabulous and phenomenal!

Fortunately, my son outgrew his "too pretty to be a boy" phase years ago.  As his father, I'm thankful that he will never have to deal with the problems set forth in Dr. Gordon's article! 

"I'm a Boy," which was written by Pete Townshend, was released by the Who in the summer of 1966.

Townshend originally planned the song to be part of a rock opera set in a future world where parents could select the sex of their children.

Here's "I'm a Boy":

Click below to buy the song from Amazon: