It makes complete sense. Why did it take so long to find out what females really find attractive in a mate?

Consider the bower bird. This enterprising fellow attracts females by clearing an area in the woods. He gathers twigs, berries, leaves, branches and any other objects d’art he can find to transform the space into the nest of her dreams. Then he hides and waits for his handiwork to seduce a female.

Let’s just say the bower bird is not an endangered species.

A recent report, summarized on the website of the Council of Contemporary Families, suggests that when men do more of the housework, women’s perceptions of fairness and marital satisfaction rise.

“The more men do around the house, the happier women are,” said sociologist Scott Coltrane of the University of California, Riverside, a co-author of a report summarized on the website of the Council of Contemporary Families .

San Francisco psychologist Joshua Coleman, a senior fellow at the CCF, agreed that sharing household chores is associated with higher levels of marital satisfaction. “Wives report greater feelings of sexual interest and affection for husbands who participate in housework,” he posted to the site.

Apparently, men globally are getting the message too. “Even Italian men and Spanish men are doing more … not huge amounts but more than they used to,” Coltrane said. “Men are still only doing half as much as women do, but we see the bar inching up and we think the process is irreversible.”

I think a great way to hasten the transformation is to feature men in television ads spraying cleaner on kitchen counters and guiding Swiffers across the hardwood floor while their mate relaxes on the sofa holding a glass of wine.

Now that’s sexy!

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pm. Visit the archives for all blog posts.