Fighting For Reality
There are some unwritten rules in erotic romance that I’m okay with following. The heroes are always well-hung, for example. TOTALLY okay with that rule.
But there are other “rules” that don’t sit so well with me. Hair, for example. Real men have hair. They have it on their faces, backs, chests, and bellies. I don’t go out of my way to describe a hairy back, mind you, although I personally like it (there, I said it) but all of my heroes have chest hair – crisp, curly chest hair that holds the scent of soap and warm skin – and that hair gives my heroines tactile pleasure.
I was just reading a study where women’s preferences can be correlated to local health. In areas where the overall community health is bad, women dig men with lots of hair, thicker bones, visible musculature. In areas where community health is good, women go for thinner bodies, more delicate features, and less to no hair. The conclusion is that the heavily apparent secondary sexual characteristics are survival markers – denoting men whose genetic health gives them an advantage in an environment without a lot of available interventions.
I wouldn’t want any man who couldn’t defend me during the zombie apocalypse. Some of my heroes are gentle, kind of nerdy men, but they’re still men capable of kicking ass, taking names, and lifting heavy things. My guys don’t just act like alpha men – they look like alpha men. That means hair. Down with waxing! Up with surviving the apocalypse!
LMAO, I think most of my heroes have some chest hair but do you know, I’ve never consciously thought of putting it there. To me it’s a given that most men have ‘some’ hair, and some more than others. (Though it can be cultural) But I’m like you, in writing love scenes the hair can add some extra tactile sensation. Then again I’m writing a paranormal where the guy may have instead of hair. But that’s a whole different discussion
rats .. make that “where the guy may have SCALES instead of hair…”
A) We need more scales on heroes.
B) You would NEVER catch an alien removing his scales, now would you?! Waxing makes even less sense than scale removal, IMO!
Since you were so brave to come out about it, I thought the least I could do was support you, Kathleen! I’m actually a sucker for hairy, BALD men. J is bald and I’ve told him (although he doesn’t believe me) that I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him if he had a full head of hair! LOL He also frowns. So give me a hairy, bald man with a frown on his face and I immediately swoon.
Laugh, Kaz – doesn’t it feel vaguely subversive to admit to liking hairy guys? My mate refuses to believe I like it, which goes to show you that media messages get absorbed by men, too.