In the photo is Jeremy Clarkson. He is the famous host of the TV show about cars called 'Top Gear' from the UK and recently has been voted as the Sexiest Man in the UK for the second year in a row.
Apparently, he does not fall into the general public's perception of what sexiness is. Especially if we refer to what the mainstream media has established as a standard.
And according to the online Cambridge dictionary, there are two meanings to the word "Sexy". First, it is "attractive in a physical way" and the second one is "interesting and exciting". Surely now Mr. Clarkson falls into the second-meaning category.
But I think physical attractiveness might not last long while the latter could cover any physical handicap and would last much longer. For example, one would attract you for being handsome and sexy yet he or she turned you off for not having a personality. And wit.
I can say that Jeremy Clarkson is one of the dying archetypes. Especially now, in the age where you have to be a literal clown to attract attention, mostly online.
(Well, I'm having a hard time understanding the K-pop standard of a sexy guy just sitting there and looking like a K-pop star without doing anything and saying very little.)
Recently, in 2022 he brewed a storm amongst Formula 1 fans when he posted on X.com saying, "If safety is this important in F1, it's probably best to not race at all." And the new generation of Formula 1 fans goes 'strawman' mode and puts the words in Jeremy's mouth saying that he's happy to see Formula 1 drivers get hurt and die.
THE 'STRAWMAN FALLACY'
For those who do not know what I mean by 'strawman' is that it occurs when someone distorts or exaggerates another person's argument, and then attacks the distorted version of the argument instead of refuting the original point. It is called the 'Strawman's Fallacy'.
In this case, some fans distort and exaggerate Jeremy's post on X.com, making him look bad for something he did not say or mean.
Even I understand what he meant. Being a fan of the sport for more than 30 years now. There is a movie called The Walk. It is the true story of Philippe Petit, who made a death-defying, unsanctioned high-wire walk atop and between New York's Twin Towers in 1974. Now, imagine if a huge safety net was installed to catch him in case of a fall. That would cancel the whole point of high-wire walking, which is about bravery, risk-taking and ultimately reaping the full meaning of the success in accomplishing the almost impossible feat.
Hence, I would say, like what Jeremy said about today's 'safe' Formula 1, "If safety is this important in high-wire walk, it's probably best to not high-wire walk at all."
Sure one could get hurt and die doing it. But one could die and get hurt sitting down doing nothing at all too. One can die like how Ayrton Senna died, inspire future generations to strive for success, and be remembered for a long, long time. Or to survive the sports and grow old without anyone giving a damn about you being alive. The harsh reality is that they will only see what you do in life when you're dead. Picasso and P. Ramlee in Kuala Lumpur. Oh, the irony.
And like the main protagonist in the classic epic film 'Lawrence of Arabia'. He survived the desert war campaign and overcame his fear and self-doubt to secure victory for the British Army. Yet he died in a motorcycle accident back in his hometown in England. Sometimes God and fate have created you just to do one thing and one thing only. That is why it is important to just follow your bliss.