A NEW POLL REVEALS WHAT TURNS YOU ON
Fake breasts are a turnoff, men say, and wrinkles beat Botox. Lumberjacks are hot, women believe, but men who cry at the movies are not. Cooking, meanwhile, is sexier than fixing a transmission. These are among the findings of a new poll by Zogby International, which asked 1,000 men and an equal number of women what they find sexy. The poll was commissioned by NBC’s “Today” show, which will air the results tomorrow and Friday.
The news is bad for plastic surgeons – while Botox and silicone get pumped into female bodies by the tanker-load, it seems men prefer the natural look. Only 6 percent of men said they preferred Botox to wrinkles, while 69 percent deemed breast implants not sexy.
And only 30 percent of men prefer makeup on their mates; 50 percent would rather they ditch the lipstick and go unadorned.
The message for women: “From wearing makeup to Botox, it ain’t what you think it is,” said John Zogby, president of the polling firm.
Younger men are much more likely to find cosmetics a turn-off, and women who ask them out a turn-on – among a number of signs that definitions of what’s sexy are steadily changing, said Zogby.
“What we see is a slow and steady redefinition” of what’s sexy, he says. “The old stereotypes seem to be breaking down, and the definition of what guys look for is changing.”
Women are clinging a little more tightly to stereotype, however. For instance, the new paradigm of the sensitive man aside, breaking down during “The English Patient” is more likely to do you harm than good – women find men who cry at the movies unsexy by a two-to-one margin.
And when it comes to lumberjacks vs. metrosexuals, the message is: Put down the hair gel and pick up a chainsaw. Forty-four percent of women find the former sexier; only 21 percent disagreed.
On the other hand, facial hair is out – 51 percent of women judge it a turnoff, so the Paul Bunyan look should be approached with caution.
Speaking of hair, while bald may not necessarily be beautiful, it beats a toupee by a landslide. Only 2 percent of women deem fake hair an improvement over no hair at all. By a similar margin women agree that pec implants, liposuction and other surgical procedures are as hot as an ice-water bath.
Again, there’s an age divide among women that reveals a gradual shift in what’s perceived as sexy, Zogby notes. For example, younger women are much less likely than their forebears to take a dim view of cinematic sobbing. And while overall women agree that fixing a meal is sexier than fixing a car by more than two to one, older women are more inclined to be impressed by a man who’s handy with a spark-plug wrench.
Zogby’s conclusion: “Guys, if you want to appeal to women under 30, cry like a baby at a movie, and learn to cook.”
What is sexier … a size 2 or size 10?
* 43 percent of Asian men prefer size 2 while 29 percent of African-American do.
* 44 percent of libertarians like little ladies versus 26 percent of progressives.
* 42 percent of single men skew small.
What is sexier on a woman … great looks or a great personality?
* Asians were the group placing the most value on looks over personality, 34 percent.
* 26 percent of weekly Wal-Mart shoppers prefer a pretty face to personality.
* 67 percent of men who own a gun place a premium on personality, compared to 61 percent of gun-free men.
Do you find facial hair sexy?
* 41 percent of women under 30 liked a man with facial hair, while only 13 percent of 65-plus did.
* African-American women had the most facial hair fans, 50 percent.
* 39 percent of liberals like whiskers compared to 26 percent of conservatives.
Which outfit is sexier, a suit, a barely-there dress or jeans and a T-shirt?
* Asian men are most likely to prefer a barely there dress.
* Jeans and a T-shirt are sexiest among men who don’t hold a passport, 48 percent.
* Suits are sexiest among African-American men, 19 percent of whom prefer an ensemble.
Which is sexier … long hair or short hair?
* 53 percent of men over 65 like long locks compared to 66 percent of men under 30.
* 63 percent of men in the armed forces prefer long hair, while 60 percent of civilians do.
* 25 percent of Liberals say short hair is sexier, compared to 18 percent of Republicans.
Is wearing cologne sexy?
* 66 percent of mothers like a man to wear cologne, compared to 52 percent of childless women.
* 66 percent of women who shop at Wal-Mart are sweet on men with scent, versus 47 percent who never shop there.
* 67 percent of women NASCAR fans like perfumed men.
What is sexier on a man, a business suit, jeans and a T-shirt, or sweats and tank top?
* 33 percent of the highest and lowest earners think a suit is sexiest.
* 64 percent of women who never attend services prefer jeans and T-shirt, while just 40 percent of weekly worshipers do.
* The group with the greatest percentage rocking the sweat-and-tank outfit was NASCAR fans, 3.6 percent.
Which is sexier … a metrosexual or a lumberjack?
* 31 percent of single women liked a metrosexual; only 18 percent of wives did.
* Women earning less than $15,000 preferred metrosexuals to lumberjacks, 38 to 30 percent.
* Only 23 percent of women earning $75,000 preferred metrosexuals, while 43 percent liked lumberjacks.
“What’s Sexy Now” poll “Today,” NBC, Thursday and Friday, 7-10 a.m.
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