Romance Heroes in General

Sometimes I see men on tv shows and think, wow -- now that's a man romance stories talk about - even though they may not be six feet tall, or work out to keep a stellar body hard and sleek like. Which brings me to the questions -

Why in romance stories do we require the perfect male body? Do women really fantasize about men like that? This one doesn't. There are too many other important factors. An over worked-out body doesn't make a man a great person, or a great lover.

Don't most women think Harrison Ford is sexy? I know I do. What about Martin Sheen? Thomas Gibson? OMG! This is a man I thought was perfect in Dharma & Greg and more so now in Criminal Minds. He's dark and brooding and if you happen to catch a rare espisode where he almost gives a full-blown smile, you want to freeze-frame the moment -- it's heart melting. What about Mel Gibson? He was all the craze back when -- I think he's more handsome today than he was then. Same for Tom Cruise and Pierce Bronsnan.

It's not just about what the body looks like, though I do like a man with chest hair. If that was the case, none of us would ever get married. My husband was slim and toned thirty-three years ago, but not what we write about. Goodness, if I had wanted what we wrote about, I still wouldn't be married - the men I know with bods like that are self-absorbed.

Recently, I came across photos of my husband taken at the end of his military career -- wow - he was hot, but still not the buff man with a six pack. I look at him now with his overweight body and beard, and think - wow -- he's hotter than ever. It's not his body, it's the whole package.

I've always been hooked on expressive eyes, smiles, attitude, how a guy smells, and even how they walk. And don't faint, but I think men look sexier clothed than unclothed.

So, how does one go about changing the world of writing to include the normal male with all the other romantic attributes? Will be they be accepted?

These are questions I've been asking myself since high school -- all my earlier works are written with men I find sexy - characters that make sense to me. I'm not changing them. They will be put before the reader.

What about you - are your ready to read about characters whose core is more important than looks? Whose character jumps off the page and outshines his less than perfect attributes?

So you say you read to escape reality -- don't you think normal women fantasize about a man who's normal, but willing to give that extra hump they're not getting from their current man? Most women I know don't fantasize about the hunky dork in the corner of the weight room constantly checking his biceps and wish they were the muscle he was squeezing - most women I know are turned off by that. They just want a man to give them more than they are getting and if that man turns out to be the nerd who comes into the coffee shop -- why shouldn't we cater to their needs as writers. We cater to every other woman's need.

Besides, looks and all is in the eye of the beholder - who are we to judge?

Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net/