# Things MEN do to make themselves attractive to WOMEN that don't make them attractive to women **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279 "2012-10-10T03:35:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/21 "2012-10-10T12:56:55Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Really? Because I see Abercrombie and Fitch’s live model advertising campaigns are doing quite well. AF models are strong and well built; not veiny, obsessive monsters with a limited range of motion. Muscles in a wide range of sizes are yummy; but guys who spend 8 hours in the gym are as tedious and full of themselves as Kardashians. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/22 "2012-10-10T12:58:36Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Really? Because I see Abercrombie and Fitch’s live model advertising campaigns are doing quite well. [Target audience](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/27/abercrombie-and-fitch-gay-kiss-bruce-weber-_n_1383950.html) may not be women. > [@](#): > > Abercrombie & Fitch is globally renowned for using homoerotic imagery to promote its sporty apparel – but in its latest round of advertisements, the clothing retailer is going an extra step by featuring a kiss between two shirtless hunks. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/23 "2012-10-10T12:59:35Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Really? Because I see Abercrombie and Fitch’s live model advertising campaigns are doing quite well. There’s a pretty big difference between [this](http://media.photobucket.com/image/Community+Jeff+/thesnowgirl/Community-jeff-table-final.jpg) and [_this_](http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2006/2006colpro_interv6a.jpg). The former is (at least for me) straight up, fan-myself-because-it’s-getting-warm-in-here sexy. The latter is . . . euw. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/24 "2012-10-10T13:00:23Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > What’s a PUA? Pickup Artist. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/25 "2012-10-10T13:06:47Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > What’s a PUA? As said above, pick up artist. Remember the Rules Girls in the 90s with the recipe of mind tricks to manipulate men by playing hot & cold, treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen? It’s the male version of that. Casanova in a can. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/26 "2012-10-10T13:10:47Z")
A question for the ladies in this regard- if you can see a guy’s bulge, is it a turn-on or a turn-off? The reason I ask- a GF years ago convinced me that when I wore boxers and tucked my package to the right, it was more visible when I had my pants on than when it hung to the left, the side it naturally goes to. She enjoyed seeing me walk toward her with a visible bulge. I felt a little self conscious about it at first, but her enjoyment of it and resulting enthusiasm over it helped me get over it. Years later, I find I still do it out of habit. My wife has also commented favorably about looking at me from across the room and seeing it. I’m just wondering if you generally consider the guy vulgar, or if it’s appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/27 "2012-10-10T13:29:28Z")
The only time I’ve been perturbed by a man’s equipage being was when my waiter at the Magic Time Machine was wearing a Robin costume a couple of sizes too small. Since he was just below eye level, squirming because he was uncomfortable, and the fabric was a bit thin . . . it was distracting, and not in a sexy way. Other than that, so long as the man in question isn’t pointing his crotch at me, I actually find it to be a visually intruiging and enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/28 "2012-10-10T13:31:03Z")
Axe My wife, Pepper Mill, works as a substitute teacher. She says the boys all smell as if they _bathe_ in the stuff. Apparently they believe the hype from the commercials, at least subliminally. The girls invariably hate the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/29 "2012-10-10T13:43:09Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Bodybuilding, past a certain point. I think the key here is that “certain point” is different for different people. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/30 "2012-10-10T13:45:03Z")
Every time I see the thread title, I think, “Men do things to make themselves attractive?” In this college town, the girls are all obviously putting work into their appearance and all the boys look like they just fell out of bed and put on yesterday’s cargo shorts. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/31 "2012-10-10T13:50:19Z")
yesterdays? They came from a day? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/32 "2012-10-10T13:51:26Z")
Same answer as the other thread: piercings and tattoos. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/33 "2012-10-10T13:57:37Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > yesterdays? They came from a day? Well, possibly last week’s cargo shorts. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/34 "2012-10-10T14:05:26Z")
Excessive muscleage or cologne, combovers and other fakey hair games, piercings and/or tats, expensive or customized cars, macho swaggering, trying to impress me with how smart they are… :rolleyes: I’m totally oblivious when it comes to fashion and fancy name brands, so a pricy Rolex or designer shoes probably won’t have the desired effect on me. In fact, the desperation of trying too hard is pretty obvious and not at all attractive. Thankfully, I’m an old married woman, and if something happens to my husband, I’ll live out my days as a widowed cat lady. Sorry guys… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/35 "2012-10-10T14:27:22Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > I think the key here is that “certain point” is different for different people. Yes, it is, and not just bodybuilding, either. I kind of like seeing tattoos and piercings on a guy, but not if he’s covered with them. One or two interesting ink jobs, and one or two ear piercings are attractive to me. Usually, though, a man (or woman) who looks like s/he’s been used as a pincushion has tipped over to the side of unattractiveness. I find odd facial piercings such as snakebites or pierced eyebrows to be repulsive on either sex. Genital piercings make me wince and shudder. And yes, I’m aware that many women prefer NO piercings or tattoos on men. And if I can tell that someone has had plastic surgery, that’s usually a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/36 "2012-10-10T14:30:14Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > I’m just wondering if you generally consider the guy vulgar, or if it’s appreciated. On a good-looking guy, it is mildly titillating. Maybe like seeing cleavage is for men. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/37 "2012-10-10T15:16:26Z")
Back in the day I used to spend a lot of time in the gym (for some reason I’d decided that I was going to compete in Olympic-style weightlifting (full disclosure I never got very good at it)). When I was lifting a lot I got pretty big, and I noticed that a lot of men would eye me out of the corner of their eyes. Even presumably heterosexual men would give me that look–not like they were attracted to me, but like I was a potentially dangerous person that their subconscious felt they should keep an eye on (and yeah, I enjoyed it; I noticed the looks and they fed into my ego). On the other hand, women never spent too much time looking my way. I eventually cut way back on my lifting, lost a lot of the muscle mass, and things changed; I stopped getting the “out of the corner of the eye” looks from men and started getting the occasional once-overs from women. Anyway, a lot of men don’t know it, but if they’re lifting weights to look good, they’re going to hit the point of diminishing marginal returns pretty quickly, and the point of negative marginal returns much sooner than they realize (at least, if they 're interested in women). ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/38 "2012-10-10T15:23:06Z")
comb-over. **bald and balding looks just fine** : please don’t try to hide it with a dumb trick like this. ---
**Author:** ![Virgil\_Tibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Virgil\_Tibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Virgil_Tibbs)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/39 "2012-10-10T15:27:26Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > A question for the ladies in this regard- if you can see a guy’s bulge, is it a turn-on or a turn-off? … Eugh. Well, whatever the ladies think, the men you meet are certainly judging you. Are you really saying that you wedge all your stuff over to one side to make it noticeable? Why not just put a couple of socks down there? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279/40 "2012-10-10T15:31:17Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > A question for the ladies in this regard- if you can see a guy’s bulge, is it a turn-on or a turn-off? The reason I ask- a GF years ago convinced me that when I wore boxers and tucked my package to the right, it was more visible when I had my pants on than when it hung to the left, the side it naturally goes to. She enjoyed seeing me walk toward her with a visible bulge. I felt a little self conscious about it at first, but her enjoyment of it and resulting enthusiasm over it helped me get over it. > > Years later, I find I still do it out of habit. My wife has also commented favorably about looking at me from across the room and seeing it. I’m just wondering if you generally consider the guy vulgar, or if it’s appreciated. Its not sexy or vulgar, it’s hilarious. Personally I find nothing sexy about seeing a penis. It’s quite the ridiculous organ. Flaunting it is equally ridiculous. \*Dude, I get it, you have a penis, I’m sure that was a big accomplishment for you. \* My friends who are still in the dating world have all experienced some guy they’ve dated casually sending them a photo of their penis. I assure you that, far from being titilated and/or amazed, we laugh about it for hours. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-men-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-women-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-women/637279.md?page=3)