Image courtesy of Morgue File
Here at the LSA we are fascinated with, and intimately involved in, the mechanics of attraction. It’s our goal to answer the question: what do women want?
We devote all our time to studying not only what masculine factors build attraction with women, but WHY these factors build attraction. Here are some of these attractive factors:
Health. Some can be explained with reference to biology and anthropology. The following traits promise healthy genes and, thus, healthy offspring: clear skin; symmetrical facial features; full, thick hair; bright eyes.
Manliness. The following are uniquely masculine and indicate increased testosterone: a hairy, stubbly face; a deep voice; broad shoulders; above average height; a chiselled jaw.
Protection. The following demonstrate that the man can protect and provide for his women: wealth; aggression; dominance over other men; high social status.
Fame – The Female Perspective
So far so good. But what of one of the strongest factors that builds attraction? What of fame? Where does fame fit in? It is no indicator of health (often, quite the opposite). It isn’t especially masculine. It doesn’t promise protection or support (often, again, quite the opposite). It is usually correlated with wealth, but a poor famous guy will still attract more women than a rich nobody.
I think it’s worth examining the attraction of fame. Not because it’s something that we can aspire too (and not that there are any short cuts, short of embarrassing yourself on youtube). But because we might be able isolate and utilise exactly what it is about fame that is attractive. As I often do in these situations, I turned to Rachel, one of my dearest and shrewdest friends.
Alex: Why do girls want to sleep with celebrities?
Rachel: I guess it’s like why guys want to get autographs of them. Sleeping with a famous person is like the ultimate autograph- it’s proof that you met him and spoke to him and managed to attract him.
Alex: Ok I can see that, but what exactly would you get out of it? Would you want to run off and tell all your friends?
Rachel: I probably wouldn’t tell anyone. The most fun thing would be if his name came up in conversation. Maybe I overheard some girls talking about him in a bar. And I’d know that I’d had him.
Alex: So it’s something to do with getting one over these other girls?
Rachel: Oh absolutely. I saw this documentary about Russell Brand and how every time he goes back to his hotel room there are fifty girls in the lobby waiting for him. He chooses the prettiest one and takes her up to his room. It’s not something I’d ever do, but imagine being chosen out of fifty girls!
Alex: So because he can have anyone, he can have anyone?
Rachel: Yeah that’s exactly it. It really doesn’t matter who he is. If there are fifty women after him, I’d want to win.
Do Other Women Want You?
I go into much more detail on this topic in a post on what René Girard called triangular desire. But for now, this is what the huge attractiveness of fame can teach us. When attracting a woman, it often matters less who you are than who else is attracted to you. More formally, the object of desire is less important that the rival.
Never underestimate a woman’s need to “defeat” other women. If you can set yourself up as a prize over which more than one woman is fighting, you can often attract any of them- even those with whom you’d have no chance if the desire were “linear” rather than “triangular”.
What do women want? They want to be wanted. By a guy whom the other women want.
