Monday, May 11, 2009

Sexy?

Lois Greiman

I went to my first horse show of the season yesterday and was promptly reintroduced to the epitome of sexy…men in chaps.

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m old enough to realize that not everyone has the same idea of ‘hubba hubba.’ But I come from a place where farm boys were admired and cowboys were revered with open-mouthed admiration. Where everyone and her aunt Sue had a thing about a guy with bowed legs and a Skoal ring in the back pocket of his jeans.

This concept was so ingrained in me that I believed everyone drooled when a guy with a Stetson walked by, but I’m beginning to see things differently because a couple of days ago, I went to a farm store with an old friend of mine. We were waited on by a guy in overalls. He was sixty-five years old if he was a day, had a bit of a belly and a hairline that had admitted defeat some years ago. But, after four decades on the farm, Tamara had just wintered in Florida for the first time. I’m not sure, but I think Fort Lauderdale is somewhat short on its share of farmers, because Tami actually gave a dreamy little sigh and said, “Ahhh, a man in Carthartts.”

Which got me remembering the time I took my daughter to see the Canadian Mounties ride drills a while back. Tara had just spent her first full year away from the horse show circuit, and at the end of the Mounties’ performance, went to the rail to speak with one of the riders. Afterwards, I noticed she was looking a little dewy eyed. I asked what had happened and she promptly replayed the conversation. “Well, he said, ’I have to go take care of my mare,’ and I said, ‘tee hee hee.’”

Now, generally speaking my daughter is not a ‘tee hee hee’ type of girl, but apparently there is something about a man in high boots and spurs that brought out the twitter in her.

So what’s it all about, Alfie? Is it how we were raised? Is it something very personal? Or is it something inherent in all women to admire the alpha male? And which is your favorite brand?

The fireman? The rock star?

The guy in (or out of) uniform? Do you have a story about somebody who just did it for you even though it made no logical sense? Or even better, do you remember a time when you were silly over a man who offended all your feminist sensibilities? Do tell.

www.loisgreiman.com

25 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

I was born and raised in the South and I have to tell ya there's not much that's sexy about a redneck. But I can remember taking a trip out west and seeing real, honest-to-goodness cowboys who were rough and tough and tanned from working outdoors and they were pretty darned sexy.

What's that song lyric by ZZ Top? "Coz every girl crazy bout a sharp dressed man." I guess we all have a different definition of "sharp dressed."

Marilyn

GunDiva said...

The fireman, any male in uniform (though the Marine's dress blues really set me off), and -of course- "real" cowboys. There is no gym in the world that can sculpt a man's body like ranch work. There's just something about a Wrangler butt that sets my heart all aflutter. Maybe it is how we were raised - all of the men who really trip my trigger are ones who do an honest day's work.

I agree with Marilyn, there's not a thing sexy about a Redneck, but bring on a working cowboy (rodeo or ranch - doesn't matter to me) and I break a sweat.

What a great post to start the day - thanks!

Michele Hauf said...

strangely, I'm still attracted to the rockstar look. Long, lean and dark haired. I'm not much for muscle-bound.

As for someone doing it for me for no logical reason, I think I mentioned the commercial for the credit card that features a pizza guy dusting and throwing a pizza dough up and down and along his arm and man! Does that guy do it for me! I don't know what it is. Is it the bald head? THe flying flour dust? The promise of a warm gooey pizza? I need to know, because I've seriously considered flying to Italy to find out!

Unknown said...

Amen, Marilyn.

Have you seen the bumper stickers: Cowboy butts drive me nuts? There on about every horse trailer that doesn't say, 'save a horse, ride a cowboy.'

KylieBrant said...

Lois I think that cowboy thrall hearkens back to a time that seems more romantic--the taming of the west. A cowboy is sexy--a cowboy wannabe is not, LOL. (all hat-no cowboy.) And chewing tobacco is a HUGE turnoff.

My shame-faced admission of sexy--Bruce Willis, back when he had hair. There was something about that banter on Moonlighting that really did it for me. Now...Mark Harmon, NCIS. He's hot!

Kathleen O said...

Funny you should bring this topic up. I saw an old re-run of "Magnum" yesterday and let's face it Tom Seleck in Navy dress whites, oh be sitll my lil ole heart. But Tom Seleck in a cowboy chaps and hat, get my horse and lets ride'em. Of course there was always "Heath" from the days on "The Big Valley" and please let us not forget "Rowdy Yates " of from the "Rawhide" days.

Cowboys, firemen, military men, Mounties, lets face it, a guy in a uniform can just make me melt on the spot.

Cindy Gerard said...

Yeah - what they all said :o)
But Lois, I'm shocked - shocked I tell you - nary a MENTION of a man in a kilt. an unforgivable omission from a wee bonnie lass who has written some very intriguing Highlander heroes :o)

Keri Ford said...

Yeah, I'm seconding Cindy's Highlander statement! Not a highlander in sight!

I have to say, when hubs puts on his welding cap and he's all dressed in his oily nasty construction worker clothes, me heart starts fluttering.

I'm not much into the bodybuilder look like the fireman and military guy there. The rocker isn't at all for me either.

Cowboys and rednecks can be hot, but there is a thin line in there--especially for rednecks.

Kathleen Eagle said...

Diva, maximum ditto on the Wrangler butt!

The guy with the pecs on steroids has no appeal for me. Like Diva, I'll take the body sculpted by ranch work, the saddle-hardened butt. (In fact, I did.)

I love a man in uniform, too. Love a good Armed Forces Day parade. A girl's first hero is her daddy.

Dear daughter laughs at her adolescent self when she remembers swooning over the 80's glam rockers. "Poison" was her poison. She sees a picture of Brett Michaels with lipstick and eye stuff and says, "What was I thinking?" But she still sees the cowboy attraction. Her first hero was the real thing.

Kathleen Eagle said...

I second Keri's working man. There's nothing sexier than a man wearing a tool belt, especially when his demeanor says he knows how to use the equipment.

GunDiva said...

Kylie - as a "cowboy connesiour" I can tell the real thing from the wanna be in about half a second. Bet you can too. I completely agree; the real thing wins hands down - the wanna be is just laughable. The worst though? The wanna bes who believe they are the real thing. Worked for a few of those in my days taking out trail rides. Not only are they a turn-off, but they're dangerous to work with and for.

Can't say as any of the rockers, even as a teenager, did it for me. One male, surprisingly, has recently rocked my world - Adam Lambert from American Idol. Hubba hubba! I never had any idea that "glam rock" would - WOW! It's gotta be those amazing eyes, even if he does wear more make-up than I own.

Unknown said...

My apologies to all Scots. I wrote the blog at 3 in the morning and I was still in horse mode. It's hard (take that figuratively if you like) to imagine a guy in a kilt on a horse. Bare skin, wet wool, horse hair up the... It's no mystery why Scottish history is so nasty. They probably spent their days in dire discomfort and had to take it out on someone.

Unknown said...

I'm with you, Diva, rockers...just don't get it. I just added them cuz I was thinking of Hauf's obsession. :)

ForestJane said...

For me, it's not the looks - I can admire 6-pack abs on a guy, but realize they're out of this tubby librarian's reach - but smells.

Nothing turns me on more than shiny, healthy hair with a shampoo scent, and the faint odor of just washed "Aren't you glad you used Dial?" clean. Leave off the fancy aftershaves or musks. Add in a little Crest minty scent, if you wish. ;) Mmmm.

*embarassed grin*
ForestJane
www.forestjane.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Forest Jane, :) Thanks for the new perception. My nose is practically worthless, so I don't think about scents much. Except the smell of tobacco smoke...gotta say if a man smokes I do tend to think....ickkkk. No matter what he's packing on his abs.

Deborah Grace Staley said...

Oh yes. I too love a guy in a toolbelt who's handy (wink). I have lived my life in the south, and there's nothing wrong with a good ol' boy redneck. They'll do anything for you and are good at many, many things (see the toolbelt remark above), and they are hard workers. They also know how to play hard! As for rockers, can anyone say Rick Springfield??? He had it when I was in college and, ladies, he's still got it! Saw him in concert a few years back, and holy cow! He has it in spades!!!

DGS

Deborah Grace Staley said...

Oh yes! And doctors. We can't forget doctors! There's just something about a man with healing in his hands...

DGS

GunDiva said...

Lois - good point about the Scots. Explains a lot *grin*

Unknown said...

I don't really get the doctors thing. They're so...clean.

Debra Dixon said...

I'd like to order two of the guy in chaps in that first picture?

Don't you always hate it when you wear something out and you wish you'd bought a spare?

or is that just me?

Texas cowboys are on my list.

Unknown said...

Deb, cowboys don't wear out. Or so I'm told. :)

Anyway, even if the saddle guy did peter out, you could just sit there and stare at him.

Anonymous said...

Did you hear about the New York secretary who went to Texas and all she wanted to do was have sex with a rodeo cowboy? When she returned home, her friends asked her if she'd gotten her wish and she said, "Hell no! You should see the size of their condoms!"

Michele Hauf said...

what kills me is that the first pic Lois posted is from gaytwogether.com.

It seems lately on the Internet the best places for we women to find men to drool over is the gay sites. Is that a good thing, or just very strange?

:-)

Unknown said...

Was kinda thinking no one would notice the gay think. But yeah, it's a little strange maybe.

Playground Monitor said...

Google "Gilles Marini" and you can drool all over the sexiest hunk of hetero male on the planet. And boy can he dance!

Marilyn