I agree with OP. Suvari has always been promoted as the hot chick that everybody is supposed to want, from American Pie to American Beauty, as he mentioned, yet she is average at best.
Hall on the other hand is quite hot, an unconventional beauty i would say, but very attractive.
I also agree that an attractive lead makes things much easier when starting a new series and let's not pretend we don't know that sex is the number one selling argument for... everything.
Obviously, if a series is solid and compelling, the lack of an attractive lead will never deter me from watching it (House of Cards, The Killing, The Knick, The Americans, Black Mirror, Utopia, Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders, Narco, Oz, Deadwood etc), but if the delivery leaves a lot to be desired, then an attractive lead is an undeniable advantage towards keeping or increasing viewership and on-screen beauty has indeed enticed me several times to finish at least one whole season in spite of it being underwhelming (Jessica Jones, Scandal, Orphan Black, Hunted, Continuum, Dark Angel, The Vampire Diaries etc.)
Special mention to shows such as Game of Thrones, Shameless, Black Sails or Outlander, Rome, Vikings and Suits which manage to combine beauty and compelling stories at the same time, at least in my view.
So all in all, investing in an attractive lead is a safe bet, since there are tons of people out there who just like me might tune in just because of the lead's beauty.
That's psychology 101, there's a reason as to why we appreciate beauty and there's nothing to be ashamed of. Beauty -- may it be feminine or masculine -- will always attract gazes, that's what beauty is for.
People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefsī²
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