I’m looking for stock photos and copyright free images that I can possibly use to create a banner for my blog. I’m getting tired of this banner and am wanting something a little more representative of what I write. So that equals sexy.

I have no trouble finding sexy females in erotic poses that are still website friendly. None. Women have a natural eroticism that photographs well. Not to toot our own horns or anything, but we don’t have to try. And maybe that’s why it works.

On the other hand, when we cross the stream to male models first we have to weed out the “pretty boys.” Then there are mountains of photos of men “trying to look sexy.” Why has no one told these men…stop trying. Just please take your shirt off and look all dark and brooding and dangerous. That’s all it takes. Then we’ll all swoon and call it a day.

Instead I’m faced with ridiculous poses, and men wearing odd outfits, and gloves…seriously? Like Phantom of the Opera. Some people aren’t clear that what made the Phantom sexy was his character, his personality. It wasn’t the mask and opera gloves. It was the attitude and danger and brooding. Why is it so hard to find men who aren’t too skinny but aren’t too buff, who exude the kind of dominance that most women find erotic? Where are the rugged men? Why are they all so damn pretty?

Maybe I should back away slowly from the stock photos before I have some kind of meltdown. I swear I’m this close to singing “Where have all the cowboys gone.” Where is my John Wayne, dammit?

There seems to be no confusion on what men find sexy in women, and it’s delivered on a daily basis in movies and photographs everywhere. Yet advertisers seem to be confused on what women want to see. Half the time it’s so close, but no cigar. Not that we all want to see the exact same thing, but I digress.