# Women--what % of men are drop-dead-gorgeous hunks of beefcake? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2019, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367 "2019-01-25T04:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/21 "2019-01-25T19:48:38Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I have noticed that many Olympic athletes are way better looking that average, e.g. gymnasts. Of course there are exceptions. I’ve noticed this too. Obviously you expect an elite athlete to have a great body, but a lot of them have the faces of models too. My personal assumption is that since an attractive face is a signifiers to physical health, maybe it’s just a side effect of the healthiest people around since sickly people can’t be athletes. But then again, I don’t think pro athletes in fields like basketball are any more attractive than average. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/22 "2019-01-25T20:37:45Z")
I have met like three of that kind of guy in my entire life. The kind where it is hard to look at them and remember to finish your sentence. One was an Australian model but also funny, bright, self-effacing, and straight. Unbelievable. Like some women, some men only have a year or two of incandescent hotness, around 17 to 20, and then it’s over and they are just ordinarily handsome. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/23 "2019-01-25T22:05:24Z")
Eye candy - maybe 1/2 a percent at most. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/24 "2019-01-25T22:12:05Z")
> [@bump](#): > > You’re on to something here; while youth is pretty much inextricably tied into the perception of female beauty, it’s not with men. I’ve heard quite a few times that seveal male actors have become more handsome as they aged- Mark Harmon, James Franco and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are three that my wife has commented on recently for this phenomenon. > > But yeah, overall I think both sexes have a normal distribution- most people are more or less “plain” looking, and only a smaller number are “attractive”, of which a very tiny number is actually “beautiful” or however you categorize it. Same thing on the ugly side of things- how often do you see someone who is actually truly ugly? Not too often- about as often as you see really beautiful people. Most people fall in the plain category- probably within one standard deviation from the mean. The area between one and two standard deviations is attractive/good looking or unattractive/not good looking, and outside of two standard deviations you get beautiful and ugly. > > More or less; I doubt someone’s going to quibble about the difference whether someone in the 4th percentile is beautiful or not, just because they’re out of that 2.4% of people outside of 2 standard deviations on the good looking side. > > [Here’s a image showing what I’m talking about.](http://cfcc.edu/faculty/cmoore/Empirical_Rule_files/image001.jpg) Ah, but you are talking about drop dead gorgeous. That is as was said, incandescently brief and rare - just as it is with women. None of those men are drop dead gorgeous. Older men can be attractive, older women can be as well - the typical example held up is Helen Mirren, but there are a ton of older attractive women - but none who are jaw dropping. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/25 "2019-01-26T01:35:29Z")
A funny thing I’ve noticed is that when I have a crush on someone, I often believe that the man is drop dead gorgeous. Then, once the temporary insanity of the crush goes away (it’s like having a bad flu virus, it eventually clears up on its own), I realize that the man isn’t particularly handsome at all. Outside of the halo effect of a crush, I’ve only seen two, maybe three, incandescently, jaw-droppingly gorgeous men in real life. And I have a lot of decades of looking at men And yes, it seems a bit unfair, women can use make-up to enhance their looks, and, if they are skillful with it, men won’t know they are wearing it. However, even though I noticed make-up counters with more space devoted to products for men, I can’t help but feel just a touch of distate for a man who spends too much time on his looks. Fortunately, other qualities are more important components of attraction than looks. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/26 "2019-01-26T05:33:13Z")
I refuse to be stereotyped by the Fourth Estate. This is why men are leaving this board. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/27 "2019-01-26T07:28:32Z")
I never found any man (seriously) THAT kind of attractive till I met my spouse, when I was just shy of 30. There were ok or not so ok looking guys, is the best way I could put it. I had much stronger opinions about women. I never categorized myself as being purely hetero or not, but I figured a lot of that had to do with media blaring. This hot chick, that hot chick, etc. Not a strong aesthetic for males. The very first time I saw my (soon to be) husband I said, “Oh, shit, here comes trouble…” 😃 So, in my 3rd to 4th decade, with a bit more testosterone flowing, I guess, I’ve recognized a bare handful of guys as being “drop-dead.” They tend to be the dark Irish/Italian/Middle Eastern brooding type, like Colin Farrell or young Al Pacino. That’s it. Everyone else is in a vague passable state, and a few that I would completely disregard. But most guys look to me like, well, guys. Generic and unremarkable. Personality goes much farther. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/28 "2019-01-26T15:20:58Z")
It is much more true for women than men, that physical attractiveness is not at the very top of the list of what makes a person attractive enough to want to have sex with. It might not even be super important, in many cases. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/29 "2019-01-26T15:33:15Z")
I find _all_ men drop-dead gorgeous which makes going outside extremely perilous for me. Also, _all_ men have above-average musculature. Is this the correct answer for this ridiculous OP? What do I win? ---
**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:** [January 26, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/30 "2019-01-26T16:56:04Z")
I remember sitting with a high school friend in Baltimore’s Harbor Place in the early 70s, people watching and talking. She would comment on the attractiveness of a guy passing by, and I just didn’t see it. What she found gorgeous, I found _meh_. And, of course, vice-versa… I would think that would make this question meaningless. But I will admit that Mark Harmon is some serious eye candy for me. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/31 "2019-01-26T18:16:15Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I’ve had crushes on guys that that look like geeks at first glance. How are \*you \*doing > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Geeks with good hygiene, mind you. Nevermind ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/32 "2019-01-28T19:39:54Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Ah, but you are talking about drop dead gorgeous. That is as was said, incandescently brief and rare - just as it is with women. None of those men are drop dead gorgeous. Older men can be attractive, older women can be as well - the typical example held up is Helen Mirren, but there are a ton of older attractive women - but none who are jaw dropping. What men ARE drop-dead gorgeous, which we’re assuming to be the male equivalent of “beautiful”? Chris Hemsworth? Mel Gibson in his 30s? Matt Bomer? Younger Mark Harmon? Idris Elba? Chris Pine? It seems to me that in some ways, the ideal female beauty is very linked to youth in a way that male beauty isn’t, or maybe the band is wider or something. Also, there seems to be a lot more variation in what women find hot vs. men- if a woman’s particularly hot, it’s the rare man who disagrees, while choose a hot man, and you can probably find 20% of women who don’t agree. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/33 "2019-01-28T20:36:04Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I have noticed that many Olympic athletes are way better looking that average, e.g. gymnasts. Of course there are exceptions. I notice sort of the opposite - incredibly athletic bodies topped with ordinary faces. Of course most of them are young, but I notice it a lot with swimmers. Big shoulders, abs, that look of powerful athleticism, and a face out of a high school yearbook. As far as the question in the OP, I don’t think “drop dead gorgeous” is the same as “beautiful”. So my answer would be different from the other thread. Maybe 1%. It might be higher, if for no other reason than I’m probably not paying much attention. Cis, het male, if that matters. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/34 "2019-01-30T01:20:30Z")
There’s a huge asymmetry between what attracts men and what attracts women. In general men focus on hot bodies, while for women it’s much more nuanced. Yes, women say they find a particular person hot on sight, but if there’s any explainable rhyme or reason to what makes that person hot to them, I’ve yet to hear it. Some men are women magnets for absolutely no discernible reason. Frank Sinatra was a prime example. This explains a lot of the pain of the dating game. Look at how gay porn fetishizes bodily appearance. Het men wish that worked on women but it doesn’t, or at least not automatically. They wish there was something- a look, style or method- that would automatically guarantee women would be attracted to them in a mirror image way of how men are attracted to women. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/35 "2019-01-30T02:13:34Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Yes, women say they find a particular person hot on sight, but if there’s any explainable rhyme or reason to what makes that person hot to them, I’ve yet to hear it. Some men are women magnets for absolutely no discernible reason. Frank Sinatra was a prime example. Theres a pretty universal string running along it. Height, facial symmetry, health, fitness, high socioeconomic status, personality attributes that imply dominance, good parenting, good partnership, etc. People are generally attracted to those who can provide high quality offspring. There are universals that run through this. Granted thats a rule of thumb, not set in stone. Also Frank Sinatra was rich and famous, which tends to help out quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/36 "2019-01-30T14:22:58Z")
I’d just like to comment that I think the “drop-dead-gorgeous” level is significantly more rare than the “beautiful” level in the woman thread. Comparing “pickiness” across threads wouldn’t be fruitful. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/37 "2019-01-30T17:58:44Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I’d just like to comment that I think the “drop-dead-gorgeous” level is significantly more rare than the “beautiful” level in the woman thread. Comparing “pickiness” across threads wouldn’t be fruitful. This is a perfect example of why the terminology is half of what’s confusing the threads… I’d have said that “drop dead gorgeous” is something else entirely from “beautiful”- not along the same line, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/38 "2019-01-30T18:29:40Z")
Not sure of an overall percentage, but I, a **man** myself, have been told to **drop dead** by **gorgeous** people and have had **hunk** s of various **beef** -free **cake** thrown at me. Based on that, I am one. I cover all the words, at least. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/39 "2019-01-30T23:44:45Z")
Less than 1%, and I’m glad it’s not more. It’s distracting and hard to treat them normally. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367/40 "2019-01-31T05:04:15Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > There’s a huge asymmetry between what attracts men and what attracts women. In general men focus on hot bodies, while for women it’s much more nuanced. Yes, women say they find a particular person hot on sight, but if there’s any explainable rhyme or reason to what makes that person hot to them, I’ve yet to hear it. Some men are women magnets for absolutely no discernible reason. Frank Sinatra was a prime example. > > This explains a lot of the pain of the dating game. Look at how gay porn fetishizes bodily appearance. Het men wish that worked on women but it doesn’t, or at least not automatically. They wish there was something- a look, style or method- that would automatically guarantee women would be attracted to them in a mirror image way of how men are attracted to women. When women are asked to rate men on a 0-10 scale and even cycle through some pictures of the same exact guy thrown in the mix unbeknownst to them, but researchers changed things like clothing, eye color, hairstyle, height, whether he was smiling or made slight alterations to facial features. There was in fact one thing that would consistently raise a man’s score by at least two points. A 300k salary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-what-of-men-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-hunks-of-beefcake/828367.md?page=3)