Posted on November 20, 2017

Muscular, Well-To-Do Men Most Attractive to Women, Study Finds

Daniel Steingold, Study Finds, November 19, 2017

Macho men, particularly ones in suits, still reign supreme on the totem pole of sexual attraction, a new study finds.

Researchers at Coventry and Aberystwyth universities in the United Kingdom looked at three years of data from TubeCrush, a British hot-or-not-type site where users upload photos of male London Underground passengers, to evaluate the male archetypes straight women and gay men found most attractive.

A new study finds that physically fit men who appear to be well-to-do are most attractive to straight women and gay men in culturally diverse London.

One striking initial observation by the researchers was that most men uploaded were white, despite London being a fairly diverse city. Popular images also often made sure to focus on a man’s biceps, pectorals, and chest, particularly if he was muscular in those areas.

Many accompanying comments also emphasized a man’s physique and supposed sexual prowess, the researchers note.

Another frequent theme in popular images was displays of wealth, whether it was through jewelry, fancy attire, or expensive technology.

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The researchers believe that their findings uncover a reversal in traditional gender roles, in which women have begun to objectify unsuspecting men, instead of vice versa. The findings “suggest that white, male privilege is still an attractive quality in men for many straight women and gay men,” according to a university news release.

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“It’s a problem because although it appears as though we have moved forward, our desires are still mostly about money and strength,” [lead researcher Adrienne Evans] concludes.

The researchers’ findings were published in the journal Feminist Media Studies.