Was Mary considered more attractive than Rhoda?

because I always though Rhoda was the pretty one.

I ALWAYS thought Lou was the prettiest.

"I'M THE MARY, YOU'RE THE RHODA!" ...

Romy and Michelle already answered your question.

Rhoda was TV fat and TV ugly — therefore actually ridiculously attractive.

I never found Mary Tyler Moore attractive.

I thought Valerie Harper was more beautiful than Mary Tyler Moore.

Valerie was even featured. Mary had her big mouth which worked on her and made her look more unique.

MTM was one of those women whose looks work best in, and thus help define, a specific era. Laura Petrie was the epitome of second wave ideal suburban housewife - spunkier and a bit more overtly sexy / sexual than the 1950s iteration. (Brunette model / Samantha Stevens was the blonde)

Mary Richards drew heavily on that decade old cultural capital, so at the time she was considered and perceived as more attractive than she actually was. Valerie Harper had looks that were actually much more in sync with the tastes of the early / mid 70s.

I wonder where this painting is today...

Valerie Harper was very pretty. MTM was striking, almost offbeat, but she carried herself like a leading lady. Different strokes for different folks.

MTM was at her peak during TDVDS. By the time she got MTM she looked too thin and was already kind of haggard IMO plus the little Laura Petrie outfits flattered her more.

To say that Mary was the prettier one reeks of antisemitism.

MTM was "girl next door" pretty, not sexy or a bombshell.

She was more aligned with an "America's Sweetheart" who was smart, spunky, but NOT intimidating or threatening to men in the early 70s for whom Equal Rights and Roe v. Wade were causing a lot of angst.

Rhoda may or may not physically have been as attractive, but she was portayed as somewhat harsh and brittle - feminist lite. As a character she was intended to be a foil or mirror for Mary who was personally and professionally more "successful" than Rhoda. There was clearly a message that "nice" girls were better.

As a kid, I remember my parents commenting how old MTM looked for her age when doing her own TV show in the '70s.

Let's see....which one won a beauty contest?

Oh that's right, Phyllis was also a pageant winner.

Only a gay site would suggest Rhoda was more attractive than Mary. The one guy who went for Rhoda over Mary was Phyllis' gay brother and that was totally believable.

To be honest, no one on MTM was really very attractive. MTM was the best of the bunch, and for men, Ted Knight was an attractive man. The rest were pretty average looking.

Valerie was grating with her voice, and weird gangly movements. The rest of the crew were pretty average American looking. Betty White was pretty when she was younger.

Which one landed hairy, hung-like-a-horse Joe Gerard?

[quote]Was Mary considered more attractive than Rhoda?

Yes. For exactly the period two days after Mary died and up to one day before Val finally did.

R26 = Gay WASP circa 1955.

[quote]Which one landed hairy, hung-like-a-horse Joe Gerard?

Which one *lost* hairy, hung-like-a-horse Joe Gerard?

R30, there always seemed the undercurrent that Joe could become violent towards Rhoda.

Early on, they dressed and presented Rhoda in an unflattering light. As the series progressed, she definitely became more attractive than Mary.

My dad and his brothers had this conversation when my mom and aunts actually watched the show. They would be in garage smoking cigarettes, Rhoda was the unanimous favorite.

Buck would never ask this question.

My dad, who loved MTM on THE DVD SHOW, thought she looked beat up and weathered by the time she did her own sitcom.

[quote] Betty White was pretty when she was younger.

Betty was hot.

MTM did not age well. She looked worn down and out by the final season of the MTM Show. Rhoda/Valerie really came into her own the last couple of seasons. She was a very attractive woman. We used to hang out at Joe Allen on the west side (LA). She was fun to be with and a knock-out in real time. Everyone loved and gravitated to her. It was sad to lose her.

^ Why is that wedding dress green?

Betty White was never younger.

r39 because a hooker Mary met in prison designed it