I did not want to do this thread. I made this other, nicer thread where I did this nice, constructive dissection on how you can behave in a less creepy way and the comments were just full of people calling it worthless because creepiness was all about your appearance.

Naturally, nobody provided any evidence, so I had to do the looking for us all. Here's the strongest evidence I could find for physical appearance being perceived as creepy:

Another study conducted by Watt et al. also found that participants associated the ectomorphic body type (more linear) with creepiness, more than the other two body types (51% vs mesomorphic, 24% and endomorphic, 23%). Other cues of creepiness included low hygiene, especially according to female participants, and a disheveled appearance. Participants also identified the face as an area with potentially creepy features: in particular the eyes and the teeth. Both of those physical features were deemed creepy not only for their unpleasant appearance (ex. squinty eyes or crooked teeth) but also for the movements and expressions they engaged it (ex. darting eye movements and odd smiles).

There we go. Best I could do. Here's why none of this is a big deal.

The body type thing: sucks to be an endomorph sure, but look at those numbers. There's still 2 billion women on earth who are unlikely to perceive you as creepy because of your body type. 1/2. And remember, this does not mean 51% definitely find endomorph's creepy, it's just the body type they associate with creepiness when forced to think about it.

Low hygiene is the big one, according to women. If this is a big hurdle for you, you should not be playing.

Participants also identified the face as an area with potentially creepy features: in particular the eyes and the teeth.

Again, massive emphasis on

potentially creepy features.

So if your eyes are a bit sunken or your teeth are crooked, avoid

the movements and expressions they engaged it (ex. darting eye movements and odd smiles)

That's it. Some traits might be considered creepy sometimes. Doesn't sound like the end of the world.

Did you ever think about the differences between ugly and creepy? Because they aren't the same at all are they? Ugliness is a judgement. Creepiness is a vibe. In an essay featuring ugliness and creepiness, Zizek describes ugliness as something forceful, confrontational, and in a way, powerful.

the ugly is the force of life against the death imposed by the aesthetic form.

Creepiness however he described somewhat differently.

What makes the sleazy guy creepy, then, is not that he is simply asking too many women out, but that his constant failure seems to indicate that he doesn't care that his methods are ineffective.

Well. That's something to think about.

TL;DR: Ugliness is not necessarily great for dating. Neither is looking creepy. But you should stop associating them.

E: Sources:

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fcbs0000066

https://nosubject.com/Articles/Slavoj_Zizek/ugly-creepy-disgusting-and-other-modes-of-abjection.html

E2:

And if you're wondering who Zizek is and why he's probably right when he says things, I'd like to draw your attention to this photo of him with his third wife. https://system-of-knowledge.fandom.com/wiki/Slavoj_Zizek