Pajiba

Spambot, always with the timing.

TK --

Can you name three female bad-asses in comics who do not have a bra size smaller than "baseball cap"?

You can't, right? Because they are all impossibly tittified for the sake of readers like you and me. They may be badass. They may be the Queen of badass. But they have tits like cataloupes because it sells.

Just sayin'.

From Dust Til Dawn

Really? Although I think that almost qualifies as a Freudian slip.

a mentor named Deuce

I laughed at that, because I'm 12.

One of the things that I like about Resident Evil is that Milla isn't all boob. Not that we should discriminate against the big-boobied, mind, but it's just nice that she can kick ass without needing a sports bra from hell.

I'm all for Ship Equality, but wouldn't you say most male action-movie heroes are also sex symbols? The only time you get a schleppy or overweight male "hero" is in a comedy.

why am I writing in exclamation points?!

Their last hope is an expert in the supernatural (Tom Felton)

Tom Felton? As in, Draco Malfoy? That should be interesting, I kind of thought he would fade off into obscurity after HP.

But--and I mean, this is a totally sexist stance in and of itself--isn't it wit, charm and uber confidence that attracts women to men, whereas men tend to be more visual?

Hence, witty one-liners and an almost psychotic disregard for personal safety = sexy to women; boobs = sexy to men.

Well, I'm a) speaking in generalities--there are people who are attracted to others because they're dressed up as furry animals or because they are missing limbs or have a unibrow or whatever and b) speaking only about heterosexuals.

I realize that plenty of men are genuinely attracted to women for who they are in addition to (or in spite of) their cup size and overall attractiveness, and that plenty of women are completely shallow. But we're talking about carnal attraction sex-symbol stuff here, and generally speaking, a woman's idea of what makes a man a "sex symbol" is more based on "charm" and a man's is more based on what he sees.

i also find it interesting that in your comments you insinuate that women who are attracted to mens appearence are completely shallow but do not afford men the same slur.

I agree with Lindsay. I was walking past a storefront with my sister one time and we saw a little figurine of a buff guy wearing a speedo and a fireman's hat. My sister said something to the effect that it would be appealing to gay men. I asked her why that was, why it wouldn't be appealing to women, and she said that women usually aren't as visually oriented when it comes to sexual stimulation.

Like Lindsay says, it's just a generality. But if it weren't true to some extent, I'm betting James Bond would spend a whole lot more time shirtless.

"if your purely going from a scientific angle you analysis is wrong, as scientists would say women look for broad shoulders and masculine faces as opposed to interlect and personality for attractiveness."

Right, and look at the men who star as action stars--most have broad shoulders and masculine faces (Gibson, Cruise, Damon, Worthington, Bale). It's just that they don't have to wear low-cut pleather to show that off.

Finding someone sexy based purely on physical appearance is shallow, whether you're a man or a woman. But there are other things to take into account when you're looking at the laws of attraction. Also, there's a difference between "Hey, I find him sexy" and "Hey I want an actual relationship with this person."

If you want to look at the laws of attraction from a more scientific perspective, look at our evolution as a species (if you believe in it, which, if you're on this site, I assume you do). There's a biological reason men produce 80 bajillion sperm* every time they have sex and women have 200-300 eggs for a lifetime, most of which will never leave their ovaries. And that plays into what attracts us. It's all related.

There's a reason that women generally seek out personality types over physical appearance. Back in the caveman days, females needed a male who could provide for and protect their young, who spend a statistically large amount of their lifespan (compared to other animals) immobile and helpless. Some physicality plays into that--again generally speaking, a man with more muscle mass is more attractive because he will be better able to bicycle-kick any attacking flying piranhas that threaten. But they also needed someone who could hunt and hopefully lead, which required a measure of intelligence and charm.

It also ties into why men are attracted to women with larger breasts and a wider hip-to-waist ratio: i.e. a female who stands a good chance of producing a healthy offspring and survive the birthing process.

Again...I am speaking purely of attraction, not long-term relationships, which is more what goes into play with "sex symbols." We don't want to date Jason Bourne--he would make an absolutely terrible boyfriend/husband/father. But we might be up for a roll in the sack.

* not an accurate number.

I’d like to see a flick about a group of kick-ass tough women who get to just go all Jason Bourne on people. Deadly. Methodical. Skilled.

You mean Kill Bill?

I'm pretty sure Statham is contractually required to have his shirt RIPPED (not removed)off his body in at least 2 out of every 3 movies he's in. Also the Bourne Supremacy opens with the titular character running along the beach in a shot there merest breath removed from Baywatch.

On a not entirely random note, no one talks about Bond being reduced to his sex appeal when he sleeps, seduces, or otherwise implies romance to SCADS of women in order to get information/leverage/into the lair of the Evil Mastermind. Is he not, in these cases using his sexuality as a weapon every bit as much as the Badass Women of Cinema?

Anyway, if sexuality weren't a useful tactic, the KGB wouldn't have trained and had tradecraft codes for both men and women in the art of seduction. If you think Hollywood is going to stop using sex and violence with either gender as a method to spackle over the lack of an actual plot and nuance, well then, have I mentioned that I'm a recently deposed Nigerian Princess who just needs your bank account number in order to keep my money from being seized by a military junta. I'll give you half, promise!

edit: I realize it may read as if I'm arguing against evolution.
I'm not. Just the way gender plays into analysis of sexual selection.