Cuteness
Encyclopedia
Cuteness is the appeal commonly associated with neoteny
.
Not only humans, but other "adult mammals" are hard-wired to have their "aggressive behavior" inhibited and exhibit "caring" and "nurturing" attitudes toward the appearance of "mammalian infants".
Human children have evolved to stay neotenized longer, so human adults will care for them longer due to their cuteness.
Humans have more neotenized skulls than Neanderthals, so anthropologist Björn Kurtén
believes humans may have achieved territorial dominance over Neanderthal
s by virtue of their cuter faces which enabled them to play off the Neanderthals nurturing instincts.
claims that over the past 50 years Mickey Mouse
has been drawn cuter to make him more appealing by increasing the size of his eyes, shortening his limbs and reducing the projection of his snout. Gould contrasts the neotenized Mickey Mouse with the Goofy
who portrays "exaggerated adult" features such as a proportionally "small head" and "prominent snout". Moreover, Gould adds, Disney villains and characters who exhibit bad behavior such as Donald
also tend to have a less cute appearance.
The importance of cute characters in Japan
can be seen in Hello Kitty
and Pokémon
.
Teddy bear
s are made cute today, but they originally had long snouts and small eyes that were not cute.
claims that animals with small snouts and large eyes like cats are considered cute by humans, while animals with long snouts and small eyes are not.
In the USA, the more neotenized an animal is the more "endearing" and "charming" it is considered to appear and the greater moral value ascribed to it.
, a baby triceratops lacked large protruding horns, a large snout, and large boney plate crown, but had huge eyes, suggesting that cuteness may be a very, very old survival strategy for young offspring.
Michel Gauthier-Clerc, a penguin researcher, claims humans perceive penguins to be cute due their waddle-walk which resembles a human baby and their upright posture.
Neoteny
Neoteny , also called juvenilization , is one of the two ways by which paedomorphism can arise. Paedomorphism is the retention by adults of traits previously seen only in juveniles, and is a subject studied in the field of developmental biology. In neoteny, the physiological development of an...
.
Cuteness effects
Humans respond favorably to a neotenized appearance A neotenized appearance elicits sympathy from humans as well as protective urges. People with cuter faces are perceived to be "warmer," more honest and more employable for jobs.Not only humans, but other "adult mammals" are hard-wired to have their "aggressive behavior" inhibited and exhibit "caring" and "nurturing" attitudes toward the appearance of "mammalian infants".
Role in evolution
Humans have more neotenized skulls than Neanderthals, so anthropologist Björn Kurtén
Björn Kurtén
Björn Olof Lennartson Kurtén was a distinguished vertebrate paleontologist. He belonged to the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. He was a professor in paleontology at the University of Helsinki from 1972 up to his death in 1988...
believes humans may have achieved territorial dominance over Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s by virtue of their cuter faces which enabled them to play off the Neanderthals nurturing instincts.
In cartoons, toys and advertising
Stephen Jay GouldStephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation....
claims that over the past 50 years Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
has been drawn cuter to make him more appealing by increasing the size of his eyes, shortening his limbs and reducing the projection of his snout. Gould contrasts the neotenized Mickey Mouse with the Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
who portrays "exaggerated adult" features such as a proportionally "small head" and "prominent snout". Moreover, Gould adds, Disney villains and characters who exhibit bad behavior such as Donald
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
also tend to have a less cute appearance.
The importance of cute characters in Japan
Cuteness in Japanese culture
Since the 1970s, cuteness, in Japanese the noun , has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms...
can be seen in Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
and Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
.
Teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
s are made cute today, but they originally had long snouts and small eyes that were not cute.
In other animals
Stephen Jay GouldStephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation....
claims that animals with small snouts and large eyes like cats are considered cute by humans, while animals with long snouts and small eyes are not.
In the USA, the more neotenized an animal is the more "endearing" and "charming" it is considered to appear and the greater moral value ascribed to it.
Specific animals
Unlike an adult triceratopsTriceratops
Triceratops is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur which lived during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, around 68 to 65 million years ago in what is now North America. It was one of the last dinosaur genera to appear before the great Cretaceous–Paleogene...
, a baby triceratops lacked large protruding horns, a large snout, and large boney plate crown, but had huge eyes, suggesting that cuteness may be a very, very old survival strategy for young offspring.
Michel Gauthier-Clerc, a penguin researcher, claims humans perceive penguins to be cute due their waddle-walk which resembles a human baby and their upright posture.