It’s official — the “trophy wife” is out. The trophy husband, however, is very in.
For both men and women, it has always been important to feel physically attracted to the person you are dating. However, in our patriarchal society, it has often been the woman who is first to sacrifice aesthetically-pleasing characteristics in her mate for a man who is powerful, wealthy or of a high social standing.
Of course, it has never been true that women don’t care about looks in the opposite sex — they do, and probably just as much as men. Until modern times, though, they have been unable to prioritize them the way that men have.
A study reported in the British newspaper The Sunday Times in December 2002 revealed that the average 21st-century female prefers a man who has “softer, more feminized” features.
Simply stated, she likes pretty guys.
A St. Andrew’s University study confirmed that when women were shown a male face which was smooth and clear-skinned, symmetrical, with wide eyes, minimal facial hair and a soft rounded jawline, they responded positively and found it attractive.
When the same women were then shown a more “aggressive” male face (i.e. one with a squarer jawline, more unkempt facial hair, etc), they were much less impressed.
That’s right, the women went for the girly-men.
The results from this experiment are not necessarily what is shocking. You see a woman’s reaction to Jude Law, Johnny Depp or Leonardo DiCaprio, and there is little misunderstanding. Women like those types of guys — the pretty guys. It’s just how it is.
What’s interesting is why they like these types. It wasn’t so long ago that women strictly adhered to the “tall, dark and handsome,” mantra.
Research conducted on primates like gorillas and baboons indicates that female apes prefer to mate with male apes with large canine teeth — a trait which is distinctly and exclusively masculine in these species.
Now, though, a modern woman’s penchant for the full-lipped, flaxen-haired set (studies show women are finally starting to warm up to blondes), can mean only one thing.
She is tired of being controlled and led by males. She is prepared to be more dominant in her relationship.
To a woman, femininity in a male face means that she can expect him to be a good parent, someone she can trust and most importantly, someone who will cooperate with her.
Think about it: If girl is so quick to embrace a “little boy” face , then it is the youthfulness of that face which stimulates her interest.
Meaning, she likes to have an almost maternal feeling towards that male, making her feel the desire to “mother” him, look after him, etc.
If women no longer feel the need to choose partners who are aggressive or threatening-looking, it must mean that they no longer expect that their partner’s main duty is to protect them. In a modern, civilized society, it is no longer a main concern.
Additionally, women accept themselves as their own providers and money-makers, so they need not rely on a spouse for financial security. So they need not base a romantic interest on that, either.
Instead, women feel comfortable selecting a significant other based on additional characteristics, such as physical attributes.
They feel comfortable choosing beauty over brawn.
For once, they feel comfortable just being shallow.
As a result, men have taken to the idea that it is in their interest to look good for women. Between 1998 and 2003, the sales of male cosmetics and toiletries increased by 37.3 percent.
The industry made more than $3.8 billion in 2003 alone. And must I even mention the popularity of programs like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy?”
But just because “metrosexual” is now a household term, does not mean that guys should think they can ride their looks alone.
“Some men who look completely gorgeous are doomed from the time they open their mouths,” said former Cosmopolitan editor Marcelle D’Argy Smith. “Men can be thrilled to bits by a lap dancer with an IQ of 43 and even marry them. A woman could never do that.”
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