As you’ve probably noticed, while I’m actually not averse to basic research into genetic behaviors I take a pretty dim view of almost any evolutionary psychology “interesting” enough to make it into circulation in the popular press. Or if you haven’t noticed an anonymous friend noticed my aversion and forwarded me news about a “report” that… being anonymous is pretty much as well-sourced and credible as the average pop-ev-psych press release. :-)

Subject: A Study

A study conducted by UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle. For example: If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. However, if she is menstruating, or
menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his chest while he is on fire. No further studies are expected.

A little bit of Googling suggests the joke’s been around for a while. And that it’s (not surprisingly) more popular on sites that lean anti-feminist. (Unlike real sociobiology/ev-psych reports… Oh wait!) Whatever the ultimate source I’m guessing it came from something like a SNL weekend-update quip responding to yet another the ev-psych study “proving” that with women are haplessly hostage to their hormonal changes… unlike men, of course, who, since our hormones never get us impeached get us fired affect us, needn’t have our hormones studied at all.

When I next talk to her in person I’ll have to ask my source (a former student of Stephanie Coontz) where she got it. Full disclosure: I laughed myself into stitches at the punctuating violence of “while he is on fire.” It’s not the violence per se so much as the idea that without that over the top conclusion the story might still be circulating as straight news.