Charlton Heston v. Zac Efron: Is ‘The Pill’ Making Masculinity a Thing of the Past?
Charlton Heston as Ben Hur
Zac Efron as ... the guy lounging on the stadium seats
I saw this story from UK’s Daily Mail floating around Facebook this morning and almost choked on my “Jamaican Me Crazy” coffee.
So I admit it – my preteen years included a bedroom wall covered with Leonardo DiCaprio pictures. But I’m all grown up now. If a hoard of barbarian invaders were threatening, I don’t want “Leo” guarding my cave. Girly men need not apply.
Well Dr. Alexandra Alvergne at the University of Sheffied just did.
It ushered in the 1960s sexual revolution and gave women control over their own fertility.
But the Pill may also have changed women’s taste in men, according to a study.
Scientists say the hormones in the oral contraceptive suppress a woman’s interest in masculine men and make boyish men more attractive. Although the change occurs for just a few days each month, it may have been highly influential since use of the Pill began more than 40 years ago.
If the theory is right, it could partly explain the shifting in tastes from macho 1950s and 1960s stars such as Kirk Douglas and Sean Connery to the more wimpy, androgynous stars of today, such as Johnny Depp and Russell Brand.
Dr Alexandra Alvergne, of the University of Sheffield, says the Pill could also be altering the way women pick their mates and could have long-term implications for society.
