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the science of attraction
May 8, 2013

Guys With Guitars Are Sexier, But Why?

By Maureen O'Connor

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When a man picks up a guitar, his sexiness increases, two studies on “the mating advantage of male musicians” have concluded. (The Cut’s slideshow of hotties with guitars, above, confirms.) Pacific Standard reports that a study at France’s Universate de Bretagne-Sud sent a 20-year-old man with “a high level of physical attractiveness” to hit on 300 women using the same script every time. When he was holding a guitar case, 31 percent of the women gave him their phone numbers. Carrying nothing, 14 percent. Carrying a gym bag, 9 percent.

Meanwhile, an Israeli study sent identical Facebook friend requests reading, “Hey, what’s up? I like your photo,” to college-aged single women. Three times as many women accepted the friend request when the man’s profile picture showed him strumming a guitar. When the study was performed in reverse — with women sending friend requests to men — guitars made no difference.

Why are male musicians so hot? Pacific Standard surveys literature on this topic, too: The “sexual selection theory of music” holds that “music grew out of early courtship rituals.” A biological theory points to “a link between musical prowess and testosterone,” due to connections between the hormone and development of the right brain. Sociological theories point to cultural associations between musical talent and celebrity, intelligence, athleticism, and success.

Click on to see a gallery of guitar-playing hotties whom you will be biologically incapable of resisting.

Sources

Pacific Standard
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1 / 19 Photos
Sting, 1979  Photo: George Rose/1979 George Rose
Bruce Springsteen, 1970  Photo: Richard McCaffrey
Elvis Presley, 1956  Photo: Michael Ochs Archives
Lenny Kravitz, 2004  Photo: Dave Hogan/2004 Getty Images
Kurt Cobain, 1991  Photo: Michel Linssen
Devendra Barnhart, 2005  Photo: Sebastian Mlynarski/2005 Getty Images
Prince, 1986  Photo: Michael Putland/2010 Getty Images
Jon Bon Jovi, 1986  Photo: Paul Natkin/2010 Paul Natkin
Elvis Costello, 1979  Photo: Estate Of Keith Morris/2010 Getty Images
Adam Levine, 2010 (Levine actually tends to be hotter when he's not holding a guitar, because he's more likely to be naked.) Photo: Rick Smee/2... Adam Levine, 2010 (Levine actually tends to be hotter when he's not holding a guitar, because he's more likely to be naked.) Photo: Rick Smee/2010 Rick Smee
David Gilmour, 1971  Photo: Jorgen Angel/1971 Jorgen Angel
Billy Idol, 1984  Photo: Richard E. Aaron
Jimi Hendrix, 1967  Photo: Petra Niemeier - K & K/REDFERNS MUSIC PICTURE LIBRARY LTD
Gavin Rossdale, 1996  Photo: Jeff Kravitz
David Byrne, 1976  Photo: Michael Putland/2010 Getty Images
Jared Leto, 2002  Photo: R. Diamond
Jeff Buckley, 1990  Photo: Photoshot/2012 Photoshot
Jimmy Page, 1977  Photo: Ed Perlstein
David Bowie, 1990  Photo: Donna Santisi
1 / 19

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  • the science of attraction
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