10 Most Popular Professions For Romance Novel Heroes

GalleyCat:

In the upcoming book A Billion Wicked Thoughts, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam studied thousands of romance novels looking for clues about social expectations.

Read the whole story: GalleyCat

Comments

[3fingerbrown]

08:17 AM on 05/04/2011

Thanks. I was wondering why Harlequin wasn't returning my calls regarding my novel "The Harlot and the Proctologist."

[JonBFertippton]

01:41 PM on 05/03/2011

What's number 11 - Woody Allen?

[GeeBee]

12:57 PM on 05/03/2011

WTF! No pirates?

No.1 person playing the hero on the cover - Fabio!

[Woods-shade]

11:09 PM on 05/03/2011

Exactly!!! The "Bodice Rippers" (as we called them at the library) were chock full of manly exposed chest muscles rippling beneath so-casually-opened pirate shirts flapping in the wind! (with the ever present well-bosomed blushing, yet saucy,maiden thrust up against it ) : ))

[lisalovesamelie]

11:27 AM on 05/04/2011

LOL! That's exactly what I thought. That or shipping company owner/pirate combo. ;}

[Sai Gaddam]

11:27 AM on 05/03/2011

Hi,

This is Sai, co-author of A Billion Wicked Thoughts.

This particular analysis of common professions was actually conducted by Anthony Cox and Maryanne Fisher from Saint Mary's University, and published in a paper titled “The Texas Billionaire's Pregnant Bride”

Cox and Fisher analyzed the titles of 15,000 Harlequin romance novels. We analyzed the content of more than 10,000 romance novels (not just Harlequin) and looked at, among other things, the most commonly described masculine features and adjectives used to describe them. Here's the relevant excerpt from our book (you can read a longer version on our website: http://www.bilionwickedthoughts.com/excerpt.html).

"""
...Here are the seven most frequent masculine features:

cheekbones

jaw

brows

shoulders

forehead

waist

hips

And the seven most common adjectives used to describe masculine features?

lean

handsome

blond

tanned

muscular

masculine

chiseled
"""

[DomainDiva]

08:12 AM on 05/04/2011

Time for someone to write about a skinny bespectacled uber-intelligent geek. Romance novels are stupid thanks for the confirmation.

[Citizen Kandide]

10:39 AM on 05/03/2011

As an avid reader of 19th century novels I cannot be but greatly disappointed by the fact they forgot the profession of Gentleman, which they have instead replaced with that of rancher.

Such ridiculousness and censure can only be attributed to the increase of democratic ideas and public education, horrid ideas that continue to pollute the minds of our youngsters to this day.

[naschkatze]

10:26 AM on 05/03/2011

What? They have time for work? I thought all they did was make love 24/7.

[Woods-shade]

11:14 PM on 05/03/2011

When they're not striking a breathtaking masculine pose on a Highland peak.

[MISTERUNCONVENTIONAL]

10:15 AM on 05/03/2011

Where's Huffpost commenter on the list?