Beauty compels us; reason merely cajoles (Mason Cooley)

Why did the Argentino run outside during the lightning storm?
He saw the flashes of light and assumed God wanted to take his
picture.

Argentinos have a reputation in Latin America for being arrogant but perhaps there's some justification for it. They are indeed a strikingly handsome people. When I first visited Buenos Aires in 2005, people might have thought Linda Blair had grown older, taller, and had a sex change. My head was constantly spinning as I turned to look at yet another drop-dead gorgeous guy walking down the street. Beauty compelled me to look, it was irresistable.

Remember, presumably 90% or more of these are straight guys, who typically are not self-absorbed about their appearance. They're not the WeHo pretty boys who spend 2 hours every day plucking, exfoliating, depilating, bronzing, firming, and otherwise primping before they even step outside to pick up the morning paper. No, these are regular guys who jump in the shower and then throw on whatever clothes they spot in the closet. They don't need to do anything else because they have a natural beauty. Anywhere else they'd be cover models but here they just blend into the urban landscape.

In time, one gets used to it. After a couple of weeks of re-enacting The Exorcist, I'm much more self-controlled about my gaucho-gawking. I literally can't walk one block, go into a café, or enter a subway car without spotting one or more guys who are simply stunning. I still notice them but I certainly don't gape at most of them anymore. After all, another one will come along within a minute or two. As I stroll through the city, my mental chorus goes something like "model ... model ... model ... ah, a supermodel, let's get a better look!"

As time goes on, I'll try to snap some candid shots of Argentinos in the street and you'll see why they just might believe God would love to have their pictures.