Media Mating

(Photo: Bebe Apparel)

        We like to think today that we have evolved beyond the desires of our prehistoric ancestors. We tell our children that "true beauty is on the inside," and ourselves that having a great personality is more important than a pretty face. However, there is still a shallow part of all of us that will pass quick judgment on someone based on their appearance. This is especially true with the faces that we encounter in the media. 
In every branch of media, the models chosen to advertise products are thought to represent what members of the opposite sex find the most attractive. Even in advertisements targeting women, the female models embody what is believed to be the ideal women in a male's eyes. In this advertisement for Bebe clothing, the woman displays several traits to which males are typically attracted.

Males look for symmetry and neoteny in the faces of their mates. Younger women are the most likely to be fertile and healthy, and have a longer period of time in which they are able to produce offspring. This Bebe model wears makeup to create the appearance of symmetry in her facial features, and to accentuate certain traits that make her look younger, just as many women do in their day to day lives. Eye liner makes eyes appear larger, lipstick makes lips seem fuller, and makeup can be used to cover up blemishes, wrinkles, and other imperfections. To males, the sum of  all of these facial features equates a young, healthy potential mate.

Males also look to a woman’s body for signs of reproductive fitness. The model in this advertisement possesses the body type males are most likely to find appealing; large breasts, a small waist, and wide hips are all signs of fertility. Low-cut necklines, tight fitting material, high heeled shoes, and short hemlines all emphasize a woman’s curves, and therefore announce that she is young, in good health, and getting enough nutrition to produce offspring.

(Photo: Marcus Schenkenberg)

        The same can also be said when dealing with male models. Bulging biceps, chiseled abs, narrow waists, and square jawlines denote health in these cases. Large muscle mass, low body fat, and defined jawlines are the results of high testosterone levels; the "V" in the so-desired V-shape is for virility, and virile males are more likely to give way to a fertile bloodline. Women are attracted to different types of men during different points in their menstrual cycle; women are attracted to more masculine men while they are ovulating, and more feminine-looking men during the rest of the month. This is believed to be due to the fact that masculine men have better genes to pass on to potential offspring during this fertile period. More feminine men would be better care-givers, even if the children were not their own, a trait that is more important during times when procreation is not likely. 
        It may be somewhat reassuring to learn that the physical traits to which we are traditionally attracted actually have a biological and evolutionary purpose. Males can defend their preference for dating young women with pretty faces and curvy bodies based on their age-old search for youthful, healthy, fertile females with whom to successfully mate and reproduce. The same can be said for women who prefer the lean, muscular men who grace the covers of romance novels and Calvin Klein billboards worldwide. The media takes advantage of the fact that “sex sells,” and fills advertisements on billboards, television screens, and magazine pages with models whose physical appearance will catch the eye of the target audience, in the hopes that this will better sell their product.