From rugged to softies, how the Pill has helped change women's taste in men
By Mike O'Brien
Daily News Staff Writer
Thursday, October 8th 2009, 12:33 AM

It gave women control over their own sex life, their fertility, their everything, it seems.

But now the Pill, the modern miracle of the 1960s, is being blamed in part on women's changing taste in men.

London's dailymail.co.uk reports that scientists have discovered in a new study how the hormones in the oral contraceptive suppress a woman's interest in masculine men and make boyish men more attractive.

The change may only occur for a handful of days each month but, given that the pill has been around for 40 years, it has more than likely been highly influential.

Consider the shift in tastes from rugged, manly stars of the 1950s and 1960s such as a young Sean Connery, Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen to the heartthrobs of recent years. The 1990s brought you good-looking men with great, well proportioned facial features such stars such as Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

Now, pretty boys such as Zac Efron and Chace Crawford are the sex symbols du jour.

It could be argued that the rise in popularity of the floppy-haired, smooth-skinned brigade could be explained by moves to market films and merchandise to an ever younger age group.

But Dr. Alexandra Alvergne, of the University of Sheffield, tells the Daily Mail, "There are many obvious benefits of the Pill for women, but there is also the possibility that the Pill has psychological side-effects that we are only just discovering.

"We need further studies to find out what these are."

The relationship between the Pill and sexual preferences are detailed in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

It is not new that scientists have known that a woman's taste in men changes over her menstrual cycle.

During the few days each month when women are fertile - the time of ovulation - they tend to prefer masculine features and men who are more assertive.

But research has shown that on days when women are not fertile, their tastes swing towards more feminine, boyish faces and more caring personalities.

If women are taking the Pill, however, they no longer have fertile days, which means they do not experience the hormonal changes that make them more attracted to masculine men.

Although the effect is subtle, Dr. Alvergne said it could alter women's view of male attractiveness. 'It is a possibility," she said. "We need a lot more research in this area."

In her paper, Dr. Alvergne reviewed seven studies showing how the Pill can change women's behavior.

She also found evidence from three studies that the Pill can affect the way women are looked at by men.

http://www.nydailynews.co...z0TNi6DMHc

So, you're saying Bria is on the pill?

So, you're saying Bria is on the pill?

I don't want them dressing better than me or spending more time in the mirror than me.

I like men that are sensitive to my needs, but I want them a bit manly...I don't want them dressing better than me or spending more time in the mirror than me.

Hell I don't.

peacenlovealways said:

I would get on your last nerve ...haha

I love the org's armchair scientists calling bullshit.

not true...imo

visible Adam's Apples

NDRU said:

It is bullshit. First, because none of their examples are actually femme in any way. Second, if it held true, the shift in what male sex symbols look like would have happened decades ago when The Pill was first introduced and the hormone dosages stronger. Third, not enough women in the general population take hormonal birth control to account for a shift in overall attitudes regarding male attractiveness even if it were true that The Pill plays a role. I suspect that the shift in male attractiveness is not unlike the shift in female attractiveness. The "ideal" female body type now is considerably less curvy than the ideal in the 50's and early 60's, and yet no one is bemoaning whatever is causing men to lust after more masculine women. And yet a more boyish body shape is popular.

They're not even describing effeminacy, or women who genuinely find elements of girliness attractive. And many, many women do with no help from their PapaStopper pills. What they're in fact describing is the shift some women on The Pill experience in what they look for in a mate during certain times of their cycle. This is a shift that also happens in women not on hormonal birth control, and has been documented for years.

It's a shock tactic headline for a flawed study. Next!
[Edited 10/8/09 16:48pm]