The most impossible aspect of this movie is.....

In response to tricksoftrade01's opinion about the supposedly superior desirability of Pamela Anderson relative to Meryl Streep, I just want to speak up to represent all the men who'd absolutely have chosen to marry Meryl Streep in her prime, and who wouldn't have wanted anything to do with Pamela Anderson in hers. Meryl, while not a top-tier beauty, has completely acceptable looks as far as I'm concerned, and she's a person of great intellect and talent and accomplishment, the kind of woman I could relate to and trust, the kind whose way of seeing and thinking about the world would be meaningful to me. Also, she has musical talent and a great ear for accents; and she's an atheist, which for me is a massive plus. People who aren't intellectual, who aren't musically talented, who aren't good with accents, and/or who aren't atheists all make me significantly uncomfortable or worse, and in an ideal world I'd prefer to reduce my association with them to the minimum amount necessary. Pamela Anderson would be like an alien to me, and I wouldn't feel I could trust her to behave in what I'd consider a fully rational or ethical way. I don't even find her physically attractive: the fake-blond hair, fake breasts, and fake drawn-on eyebrows just make her look like a clown in my eyes. (Let's not forget that, based on the photographic evidence, Meryl's natural hair color appears to be considerably lighter than Pamela's natural hair color is.) And children? I'm sure I could enjoy the company of children I'd have with Meryl, whereas ones I'd have with Pam might just make my skin crawl (even though of course I'd be too kind and polite to admit it).

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I am getting the feeling that I am not talking to a man. Beauty is sought after by men because it conveys health and fertility, thus ensuring healthy offspring. - tricksoftrade01

I am getting the feeling that you are not an adult.

First off, good for you that you were awake for your Intro to Anthropology and Human Sexuality 101 classes.

However, as Harper takes place in the mid-20th century and not in the Bronze Age, there are a few other items to consider.

One of them is--I have to come back to this: How old are you? Men would want to have sex with either of the Pamelas, Anderson or Tiffin, but to marry them? That's an entirely different kettle of fish. Did Taggert look like the marrying kind? Let alone the fathering kind? Yes, in the Victorian Era you often had to ask for her hand in marriage before you could deflower her in your earnest effort to produce progeny, but in 1960s Southern California, things may have been different, and so was Taggert.

Don't forget that while Miranda may have been luscious and desirable, she was also the boss's daughter, with the corresponding ramifications that could have. And even with the boss out of the picture, there is still Wicked Stepmother in the picture. Moreover, didn't Miranda strike you as being a little high-maintenance? Rich girl, used to getting her way? Taggert could get any woman he wanted; maybe he didn't want to go through all that with a kid who may turn out to be whiny and clingy after they'd done the deed.

And on that note, Harper tried to be hip and to subvert convention. Maybe Betty had the experience he was looking for; maybe she was willing to do things that many other women, particularly a princess like Miranda, would be reluctant to do? After all, she was a junkie, maybe she had to turn tricks, or perform some kind of service, for her fixes? That may have given her the kinds of experience he was looking for.

Finally, and on the note of subverting convention, you can never tell who will be attracted to whom. My sister used to see a good-looking guy with an average-looking woman and, perhaps out of envy, would say, "Why is he with her? He could do better than that!"

The bod has a mind of its own.

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History is hard to know, because of all the hired bull$hit. - Hunter S. Thompson

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