Quiz: Are You Hot or Not?
A NEW STUDY FOUND THAT MEN TYPICALLY OVERRATE THEIR SEX APPEAL WHILE WOMEN UNDERESTIMATE THEIRS. TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK(LIST).
The Checklist (Column A: Check off any characteristic that relates to you in a general sense, e.g., you may not drive a hybrid car, but if you’re eco-conscious enough to use compact fluorescents and recycle, give yourself a check. Column B: Check off any characteristic that is usually descriptive of you, e.g., if you had only one late car payment, leave that box blank.)
FOR MEN ONLY FOR WOMEN ONLY
ARE YOU A BABE magnet or a romance repellant? University of Texas at Austin researchers asked men and women to rate their own attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 7. Then after a series of brief meetings with members of the opposite sex, subjects were asked to rate how attractive these people were and how sexually interested each subject thought them to be. The findings: Guys rated themselves as a lot more attractive than the women they met did. Women consistently underrated their appeal. Interestingly, the hotter the woman was rated, the better a man thought his chances were with her. Men reporting high interest in casual hookups also expressed confidence that ladies liked ’em. “Our study doesn’t address [this] directly, but if his thinking he’s a stud causes him to approach more women . . . he will probably be more successful!” notes author Carin Perilloux. Threes and fours of the world, take note: Confidence counts in the numbers game that is modern dating.
The verdict Fewer than 3 in column A or more than 10 in column B If you were any colder, you’d be a cadaver 4 to 6 in column A or 8 to 10 in column B Turn up the heat; your sizzle has fizzled 7 to 11 in column A or 5 to 7 in column B Pretty darn hot 12 or more in column A or fewer than 5 in column B Smokin’!
Column A
Designer suit
Self-confident
Morning sex
Stretch denim
Six-pack
Hybrid car
Flashy white teeth
Brazilian wax
Pays Mom a visit
Late-model car
Low body fat
Kitten heel
Hint of cologne/perfume
Natural hair
Smoky eye
Facial hair
Trendy tat
Animal lover
Growing a business
Prada bag
Buys expensive wine
Pajama top
“I’m driving you to a weekend getaway.”
Invested in property
Sexual tension
Mentors a teen
Arrives on time
Collecting tithes at Sunday service
Droppin’ it on the dance floor
Left the baggage at home
Veggies, yogurt and flax
Dozens of stamps on the passport
Oversized designer watch
Runs 5 miles every morning
Makes direct eye contact
Column B
Paternity suit
Self-medicated
Morning breath
Stretch marks
Six kids
High in the car
Ashy white feet
Ear wax
Pays Mom rent
Late car payments
Low self-esteem
Camel toe
Hint of desperation
Nostril hair
Smoky car
Facial tics
Prison tat
Animal hoarder
Growing a beer gut
Saddle bag
Whines that it’s expensive
Muffin top
“I’m driving the getaway car this weekend.”
Infested property
Menstrual tension
Dresses like a teen
Comes early
Collecting trash during community service
Passing out on the restroom floor
Left the wallet at home
Laxatives, antacids and fatty snacks
Dozens of notches on the bedpost
Ankle bracelet monitor
Has the runs every morning
Wears colored contacts
Read more in the May 2012 issue of EBONY Magazine.
