Because I'm a romance writer, and a friend of many other romance writers, my Facebook news feed is filled with photos of naked men day after day. I have no idea if regular people share these pictures at the same rate, but if you're a romance writer you know what I mean. These men are young and lovely, smooth of skin and firm of muscle. How could I possibly get bored looking at them?
The answer is I don't find them interesting, and to be sexy to me a man has to be interesting. These men are so much alike they're virtually interchangeable. If you've seen one waxed, steroid-pumped male model, you've seen them all. It doesn't matter if they're stark naked on the beach or dressed like firemen with their pants barely hanging off their gentleman's parts. One set of perfectly sculpted and unnaturally over-developed abs looks very much like any other.
I was an art history major in college, and I've spent plenty of time studying nude classical and Renaissance sculptures. Believe me, I understand and appreciate the beauty of the male form. But most of these models' photos have no more warmth and life than Michelangelo's "David". They are beautiful in a detached sort of way, but certainly not sexy.
What they scream to me is narcissism, and narcissism is the antithesis of sexy. Those bodies do not happen naturally. They require countless hours of hard work and concentration - concentration on one's own appearance. Not sexy. Give me flashing eyes and a wicked smile any day. A man who looks like he knows.
There are few things sexier than a man who knows what a woman wants, even (or especially) if she doesn't know herself. I never mind postings of photos of interesting men like Colin Firth, Gerard Butler, Johnny Depp, or Hugh Jackman (clothed or unclothed), because it's not their bodies that draw me. I gaze into their eyes and hear their voices in my head, and I'm a goner.
I realize that men have been ogling pictures of naked women forever. Now we have the freedom to do the same, and perhaps a lot of the current trend is a tongue-in-cheek reaction to that. It's fun to be a little naughty. I'm just getting a bit tired of it. Like I'm getting tired of naked male torsos on book covers. I'm glad I've never had one, and now that I design my own covers I never will. There's nothing wrong with them. They signal to the reader that the book is a romance. They just look so much the same. B. O. R. I. N. G.
Go ahead, tell me I'm a dried up, old fogey. I'm a big girl. I can take it.
I'm right there with you, Alison, and if that says boring, so be it. Loved the post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liz. I really don't think it's just a symptom of my age. When I was a teenager, I was in love with Paul Newman because of his eyes and smile.
DeleteYou all are tired, to be sure. You need revitalization. Book a week at Desire Resort in Cancun or Hedo III in Jamaica. An old wise man once said, boys, when or if you get tired at looking at women you might as well get in the ground and cover yourself over. THE SAME APPLIES TO WOMEN. So, get with it ! Capt Mitch, aboard the Cruising Yacht Private Dancer.
DeleteI have to admit, I'm tired of the half naked man romance novel covers as well, for the same exact reason. There are so many that all the covers look alike and your beautiful cover now isn't unique anymore. In fact, I recall someone telling me that once, about one of my covers.
ReplyDeleteNow, give me a hunky guy with a sassy smile... ;)
The smile gets me every time, Joanne!
DeleteGreat post, Alison and I'm so with you! I deliberately had my cover designer do covers that had no people on them at all because I wanted to avoid the half-naked people thrusting against each other thing. Sooooo tired of it. Honestly, give me a guy over 50 with some grey and a tiny paunch and laugh lines around his eyes.Cuddly and kind? Now that's sexy!
ReplyDeleteNan, unless the story is YA or Romeo and Juliet, I like a man with experience (and who shows it) too.
DeleteI so totally agree! It's certainly not titillating or sexy to see a guy so self-absorbed that he spends hours "grooming" himself for sexy porn poses. (Are they trying to impress me, or other guys?). When I look at a man (or woman), I see a story in their faces, their eyes, their hands. The story I see in these photos is "I'm too sexy for my clothes." Please...put them back on so I can see your face, not a hairless Ken doll. (OK. I know I'm showing my age. But really...)
ReplyDeleteWe are absolutely on the same page, Kaki! I often wonder if what I'm looking at is actually supposed to be gay soft porn (how would I know?).
DeleteGreat post, Alison. I couldn't agree more. It really bugs me when we get only a male torso and they cut off his face. ugh
ReplyDeleteI realize that they usually don't show the face because it's too hard to match the models to the characters, and readers like to use their own imaginations, but after a while it just serves to depersonalize the covers.
DeleteI admit, I was relieved when they started not showing faces, because it gave the looks of the protagonists to the reader, but I like'em clothed and age appropriate. Great discussion, Alison!
DeleteAbsolutely agree, Alison. The moment I stopped the DVD of Pride and Prejudice wasn't that infamous wet shirt scene. but the scene where Darcy is gazing at Elizabeth when she's playing the piano. Eyes and smiles appeal to me far more than naked over-muscled chests. The books with those bare chests on the front cover make me think that sex is the be-all and end-all of the books, so I don't buy them.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of the wet shirt scene, but it's the look in his eyes and on his face that give it its strength.
DeleteLove your post. I agree wholeheartedly with you. And I so agree with Joanne. All the romance covers are beginning to look the same. Some are even using the same stock photos. How does that happen?
ReplyDeleteJudy, it's so much cheaper for cover artists to use non-exclusive images that we're bound to see the same ones over and over. Maybe that's the upside of all those abs looking the same - we can't really tell if it's an over-used image! LOL
DeleteI agree with you completely! I have naked torso burnout! It's interesting that we find the same men uber-sexy, Alison. I'm I goner for Gerard Butler. I just think he's so sexy—even more so with his clothes on. Let me use my imagination, dang it!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's our age, Barb. I prefer to think we have a deeper understanding of exactly what makes a man sexy. LOL
DeleteI've always preferred scenery only covers. But after a couple of those I realized they weren't selling books. I caved and asked for people--but not naked people. LOL One other thought--the new promo thing seems to be FB release parties. But most release parties consist of posting naked men. I just don't get it. I'd be afraid to invite anyone BUT authors to attend since they know the drill. My real life friends would think I'd turned into a sex maniac or something!
ReplyDeleteBook covers are a tough balancing act, as we both know. I think a great cover demands more creativity and hard work. Most cover artists probably aren't paid enough to spend the extra time. However, editors make it easy by asking for naked torsos. As for the FB release parties, I have a hard time imagining many regular readers attending unless there are lots of giveaways.
DeleteThis is so funny! The last thing I wanted on a book cover was a bare-chested man. I was like telling all my pals, I think those covers are so overdone and I hope I never have one. Blah Blah. Blah. Then my publisher sent me my cover and guess what! You could've heard me wailing a mile away. LOL!
ReplyDeletePatricia, since you didn't get what you wanted, I hope that cover at least brought great sales! Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDelete