According toBritishlexicographerEric Partridge, the phrase "tall, dark and handsome" originates from fiction novels produced in the early 20th century.[1] The term was commonly used in Hollywood during the 1920s to describeRudolph Valentino.[3] As anidiom it is both lexically and sequentially fixed.[4]Alan Axelrod writes that "tall, dark and handsome" is often assumed as a compliment, but notes that Eric Partridge wrote that it is actually a mild insult, given the term originates from cheap andcheesynovels from the 1910s; making it anironic phrase.[5][1]
David Puts is an associate professor ofanthropology atPennsylvania State University who has studied the evolutionary bases ofhuman sexuality. In 2017 he was asked if "tall, dark and handsome" is universally attractive in the human experience and he stated that not enough cross-cultural work had been conducted to be very confident in the concept'sscientific validity.[6]
In 2023, Don Doxsie wrote that "tall dark and handsome" is essentially a myth, and that the only attribute that is consistently desired is handsomeness.[7] InIndia, "darkness" is basically erased from the phrase, as only tall, light and handsome men are considered attractive.[8] According to Fluehr-Lobban, the phrase really emphasizes height, because a "short, dark and handsome" man would not be considered appealing.[9]
ModelDavid Gandy has often been called tall, dark and handsome in the media.[11][12][13]The New Zealand Herald described further that "At 191cm, he's taller than most models and up close - with his dark, almost black hair and bronzed olive complexion - he's like a live version ofMichelangelo'sStatue of David."[14]
