You would have to be living under a rock to not be aware of the hype surrounding the “dad bod”. As writers of an article discussing the exact opposite of the “dad bod”, “Dating Mr. Body” (published on this blog) we would like to add our two cents on this trend.
After spending countless hours reading arguments for and against the “dad bod”, our opinion is officially in. We are ANTI the “dad bod”. If you read our previous article, you would know we are anti the gym-rat, body conscious dudes, and now we are also anti the “dad bod”. Where the hell is our happy medium? It is right smack dab in the middle of these two. We are sure a lot of girls happy medium lies here as well. To make it clean cut and simple, here is what we actually do want:
1. We want health, not laziness: No, we absolutely do not want a guy that counts calories, and criticizes certain food choices. But, we also don’t want a guy who is so IDGAF that he can set his Budweiser on his beer belly to where it stays comfortably nuzzled enough for him to sip out of when he moves his head up and down. We want a guy who is active and healthy, but will be the first one to support us in an ice cream run every now and then!
2. We want effort, not overkill: We put a lot of work into our appearances, and like most girls, we feel a whole lot of pressure to do so. It is frustrating and not even fair when guys give 0 shits on their appearance. Sure, we don’t want a guy that spends longer getting ready than we do and is spray tanned a bright orange. However, basics like brushing teeth, having a clean shave, and putting together a decent looking outfit should not be overly ambitious expectations. (no hairy bare midriffs please, why does this even keep happening?!)
3. We want a gym buddy, not a gym nazi, not a gym-a-phobe: There is a happy medium on this one for sure. We do not want a guy who spends his life at the gym, and we definitely do not want a guy who hasn’t stepped foot on a cardio machine since high school. Hell, gym dates can be fun! We want a guy who will go to the gym, but won’t sweat it if he skips a trip for a night out!
4. We want sexy: It is commonly said that guys do not like girls who are rail thin, they think curves are sexy. Let’s relate this to guys here. We think we speak for the vast majority of girls here that we don’t necessarily want to snuggle up with a Lou Ferrigno at night, but we also do not want to snuggle up to some flab that hangs over the bed. Guys love taking pride in their girlfriends looks, and hot bodies, girls want the same thing.
5. We want to be secure in our relationships, but with a catch: A huge argument for loving the dad bod is that he will never leave you for someone hotter, because you are already as hot as he can get. COME ON?! Is this even a real justification? Sure, knowing your boyfriend won’t leave you is reassuring, but do you really want that reassurance to solely be based on the fact that he is unkempt? It’s a million times better to know you snagged an actual catch, and he won’t leave you because he actually likes you for you.
The “dad bod” is more than skin deep, it speaks volumes of character. Physical looks only carry some weight when choosing a mate, so, the character traits of the “dad bod” should not be overlooked. And we as women should not choose to be with anyone just because they won’t leave us for someone hotter.
What girls want is pretty simple; we want someone we can relate to, which is probably someone right between a “Mr. Body” and the “dad bod”. We want a sexy, motivated, well put together guy who is laid back, and fun to hang out with. We absolutely believe this rarely written about demographic of man is out there somewhere!
