Romantic comedies targeting 18-35 year-olds are invariably raunchy, sexy and overloaded with F-Bombs, but I find most of them hilarious and, more importantly, concluding with a important message that I hope isn’t lost in the muck of rudeness, incivility, and dysfunctional behavior. In “She’s Out of My League,” adorable Alice Eve develops a liking for Jay Baruchel who plays a scrawny quasi-nerd. His friends and annoying family reinforce his own belief that she is way too good for him. In the end, his cruelist friend becomes enlighted, discovering that a total babe like Alice can actually overcome Jay’s physical shortcomings and find him attractive because, well, he’s a really nice guy with a sense of humor and humanity.
It’s the ancient formula–boy wins girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back–but it’s refreshing to see his all his friends, family members and other uncouth clowns pleased that the two are meant for each other. I know that crassness of the movie is intentionally outrageous just to get a laugh, and much of it is funny, but if you try to duplicate it at home, you’re going to get smacked.
If you have teenage daughters, I recommend they read “My feet aren’t ugly” by Debra Beck, a book about building self-esteem, making friends, doing the right thing despite peer pressure, dealing with depression and sex and drugs, and other survival tips. It has been decades since I was a teenager, and I’ve never been a girl, but I could have benefited from reading a book like this. In fact, perusing several chapters was a refresher course in the importance of being nice to others and accepting them. Making people feel good about themselves makes you feel good about yourself.
Author Debra Beck points out that someone might not like your looks, but someone else will consider you attractive. In her case, a boy told her she had the ugliest feet he had ever seen. She didn’t start wearing boots to the beach, but she stopped wearing sandals–until another boy told her she had really pretty feet. That explains the book title.
“My feet aren’t ugly” was published in 2007, but it is timeless, easy to read, has illustrations, and pages for readers to journal. A helpful section on relationships presents hypotethical situations and lists optional actions to take. If the reader’s choice is not the recommended answer, she will reflect on her own behavior. 
Check out http://myfeetarentugly.com
If you are planning on writing a book, give it your best shot. By that I mean have a professional photo of yourself looking your best for the jacket cover and for publicity purposes.
The September issue of The Writer magazine says good writing is paramount, but good looks help sell books. Publishers considering an author are influenced by the writer’s appearance. So are book reviewers. Readers, too. When you check out the back of a book, aren’t you more intriqued if the author is a babe or a stud?
I went to a book signing for Sin in the Second City, a book about prostitution in early Chicago. Author Karen Abbott was not only beautiful, but dolled up for the ocassion with long hair and a low-cut dress. And yes, I bought her book, as did most of the men–and women–at her presentation.
If you are not knock-out gorgeous or handsome, a good photographer can capture your best angle and most charming or seductive expression. Jessa Crispin, editor of a literary website, says she has met many authors who look nothing like their promotional photo.
Jessa plays the game, too. I don’t know what she looks like, but her website is called Bookslut and has an illustration of a naked woman reading a book.
