What Do Attractive Women See In So-So Men?
The images are everywhere --a gorgeous woman in love with a geeky guy.
As CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker observes, we've seen it in the movies, in sitcoms such as "Sex in the City" and "The King of Queens," and even in reality shows such as "Beauty and the Geek."
There are endless onscreen love scenes in which the couples seem mismatched, but pop culture may have gotten it right, according to a new study.
The research, published in the "Journal of Family Psychology," found that, among 82 newlywed couples, wedded bliss belonged to those in which the bride, not the groom, was good-looking.
James McNulty of the University of Tennessee says, "Physical attractiveness is very important to men, and it tends to be a little bit more important to men than women. ... What we were surprised about, though, is that the importance of physical attractiveness carried into these marriages. We all know that it matters when we first get to know somebody, but these were established relationships."
Photos: Celebrity Couples
That is, Whitaker notes, good news too for countless celebrity couples: Howard Stern has a beautiful mate; Donald Trump has had a few. Since the days of Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller, there's been a fascination with odd couples. Rhys Ifans of "Notting Hill," in another example, is engaged to Sienna Miller.
Photos: Legendary Couples
Being a leader, having money, music, and laughter, can all ignite a spark of love for women, Whitaker points out.
But what makes a marriage last?
"You look five years down the road," remarks Dr. David Swanson, a clinical psychologist, "and the looks are taken for granted. Looks quickly fade. What really becomes much more important is how you communicate with each other."
But, concludes Whitaker, it seems that how you look is what gets the conversation started.