Regarding cuteness...

[davidmc1158_v1legacy]

I can't say the original picture is cute, but I don't find arachnid/insectoid things cute.

Octopoid/Cthulhoid things? Cute
Reptilian things? Cute
Standard cute things (puppies, kittens, etc.)? Cute thanks to indoctrinated upbringing. (You can't throw off those cultural shackles that easily)

 

[SckizoBoy]

Actually the spider in the picture was a harmless, regular house spider, no bigger than about an inch in leg-span, but my friend (who took the picture) used a 180mm camera-lens he'd just bought to make it look humongous, and it worked.

A twist of irony about it is that my friend in question is one of the arachnophobes I mentioned earlier, and apparently sucked up a lot of courage to take that picture, even though the spider was dead when he took it.

Damn... that put a downer on my reaction to the pic... I thought it had the whole slightly bemused 'bwuh?!' look to it and I was rather amused by it...(!)

 

[TorqueConverter]

Spoiler: Have a look at this

Now, that pic was in a daily in the UK and I have to admit that when I turned over to that page I muttered 'how cute' with a rather silly grin, got stared at by the other commuters and realised the recoils/looks of mild to moderate revulsion upon turning to that page.

I am on record for liking insects and I think wetas are for all their bigness, rather endearing creatures. They're quite docile for the most part and while I've handled one before (not a giant weta, 'cos they're mostly in New Zealand), I'm tickled by the memory of it regarding me with sheer boredom!

Oh, and mind it doesn't bend its legs back...

Therefore, question: how skewed is your sense of 'cute'?!

My skewed sense of cute? I think jumping spiders are cute as hell. I also find the MLP:FiM animations to be grotesque despite everyone else loving that art style.

Here is something that is 'cute' but also horrifying: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxzUmD-BjBA

 

[moonlantern]

My reaction:

Aww, buggy eating a carrot... WTH!? That thing is huge! Oh, it's a weta, neat.

 

[Matt King]

when i saw this i actually went aww that's pretty cute

So did I as well.

I also love Spiders, especially big ones (except Brown recluse spiders, those dudes are bloody evil). Whenever I come across people who are arachnophobic, which turns out to be more men than women, I just tell them to think of their enormous hairy fangs as a big moustache, like this: (WARNING: BIIIIG Spider picture alert) http://i.imgur.com/BLl2p.jpg

now you see, no i don't like that, not one bit that is probably an example of, i will let you live but if you come anywhere near me i will purge you with fire,

but if that thing wasn't deadly (which i'm assuming it is) i would love to put it on my 6'6 (and also built like a monster truck) brother's head while he slept because he instantly becomes a girl when faced with spiders

i was thinking that looked a bit too big to be a real spider

 

[loc978]

Huh. Never heard of weta before. Just read up on 'em a bit. They're kinda cute, and kinda tragic.

 

[iLazy]

As far as the pic goes, as first I was "KILL IT WITH FIRE!" then I went "It's eating a carrot, that's kind of funny." then proceeded to go "awww, look at it's wittle arms holding the carrot, d'awww."

But if that came at me, I'd scream like the little girl I am and run for my life. I've seen enough movies and played enough games to know where that's going.

 

[DannyJBeckett]

My sense of "cute" is probably a bit skewed, seeing as how I did a minor "d'awwwwww" on seeing the picture. Then again, it might be because I used to go hunting for grasshoppers in the back yard with my dad when I was a kid (it was strictly catch-and-release). Having said that, I did get a bit creeped out a few seconds later when I realized how huge it was. I typically don't mind bugs as long as they're small.

I thinks lots of animals are "cute," even if they aren't commonly regarded as such. Frogs, toads, (non-poisonous) snakes, lizards, daddy long legs and jumping spiders all fall under the "cute" category for me.

Spoiler

Isn't it pwwwwwecious?

D'aaaaaawwwww. Yes he is vewy cyoot.

 

[DannyJBeckett]

You know what? You win. I don't know what you did, or why you did it but you win. That... that THING there. In your other post I mean... I don't know. You just win. Now go away with that hideous monstrosity.


You win.



*crys*

I think I broke him, guys.

Also, do I get bonus points for the fact that picture was my desktop background for a while?

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Apparently pretty skewed. My thought process upon clicking that spoiler went something like this:

"OH HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FU-Aw, it is kinda cute."

 

[RastaBadger]

Yeh I can kinda see how this is cute. I have more of a standard idea of cute (if a little over the top sometimes) but that was kinda cute in a weird alien "How the hell is that thing standing up?" kinda way.

 

[HeatproofShAdOw]

Living in New Zealand, I find giant wetas' cute, but being in a dark cave with them all around is still creepy. That's 'bout the only strange thing I find cute, as most other bugs need to be destroyed with fire.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Quoted the wrong one earlier...

My sense of "cute" is probably a bit skewed, seeing as how I did a minor "d'awwwwww" on seeing the picture. Then again, it might be because I used to go hunting for grasshoppers in the back yard with my dad when I was a kid (it was strictly catch-and-release). Having said that, I did get a bit creeped out a few seconds later when I realized how huge it was. I typically don't mind bugs as long as they're small.

I thinks lots of animals are "cute," even if they aren't commonly regarded as such. Frogs, toads, (non-poisonous) snakes, lizards, daddy long legs and jumping spiders all fall under the "cute" category for me.

Spoiler

Isn't it pwwwwwecious?

I like that pic... it looks a little bewildered with a slightly upturned head and a faint expression of childish obliviousness...!

 

[SckizoBoy]

Whenever I come across people who are arachnophobic, which turns out to be more men than women, I just tell them to think of their enormous hairy fangs as a big moustache, like this: (WARNING: BIIIIG Spider picture alert) http://i.imgur.com/BLl2p.jpg

Finally quoting you with the right picture in mind... I know it's dead and all, but don't you find it has a really grumpy expression?!?

 

[DannyJBeckett]

Whenever I come across people who are arachnophobic, which turns out to be more men than women, I just tell them to think of their enormous hairy fangs as a big moustache, like this: (WARNING: BIIIIG Spider picture alert) http://i.imgur.com/BLl2p.jpg

Finally quoting you with the right picture in mind... I know it's dead and all, but don't you find it has a really grumpy expression?!?

I do, as a matter of fact. I reckon it's last thoughts were "If I get reincarnated I'm going to find you and fuck you up!" Yeah, according to me, all spiders are Buddhist.

 

[kiwi_poo]

I believe in the formula I made up:

...(V + Ae)
-------------------- = C
(An + (I x V))

Cuteness
Vulnerability
Aestethics (shape and color)
Annoyingness (voice factors about 1/3, behaviour factors 2/3)
Importance (the object in question becomes less cute when they are necessary in the plot, and must thus be defended)

hey, this might actually work

 

[SckizoBoy]

I do, as a matter of fact. I reckon it's last thoughts were "If I get reincarnated I'm going to find you and fuck you up!" Yeah, according to me, all spiders are Buddhist.

Would you care to pass such sentiments to your photographer friend?! XD

 

[ABLb0y]

I think Snakes are quite cute. I like their little faces...

 

[DannyJBeckett]

I do, as a matter of fact. I reckon it's last thoughts were "If I get reincarnated I'm going to find you and fuck you up!" Yeah, according to me, all spiders are Buddhist.

Would you care to pass such sentiments to your photographer friend?! XD

I would, but as I said one of the previous posts he's an arachnophobe too, so it'd probably give him nightmares! XD

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

You know, now that I look at it, it doesn't seem all that disgusting either. I actually still find more smaller versions of this insect (i.e. grasshoppers and crickets) more repulsive than this seemingly gentle giant.

In a sense it's like a tarantula; we all fear/are disgusted by Daddy Longlegs and Black Widows, but we don't have the exact same reaction to it's larger, harrier cousin. We might be nervious about being around them, but we see other people handle them and we don't fear that the tarantula will jump out of the owner's palm and bite your face.

I guess seeing (or the inclusion of) a human element to the portrayal of these exotic creatures might soften them up a bit to the world perspective. I mean, people like lions, and tigers, and bears (Oh my! Sorry that was lame, but it fit in so I couldn't resist) and we often forget that they are wild animals that will rip your arm off if you were in their natural habitat.