10 Least Popular Romance Novel Hero Professions
Monday, May 2 By Andrew Shaffer From 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. After analyzing 15,000 Harlequin books, they came up with the 10 most popular professions for heroes in romance novels. Follow this link to read an excerpt from the book.
That got me thinking... What are the 10 least popular professions for romance novel heroes? Here's a starter list, compiled with help from the Twitterverse:
1. Dentist
2. Political Lobbyist
3. Assistant to the Regional Manager
4. Lawyer (via @QQwill)
5. Business Mogul/Reality TV Host (via @RichelleMead)
6. Accountant (via @Sheropatra)
7. Olive Garden Line Cook (@zeitlingeist)
8. Urologist (via @ajaelectricc)
9. Comcast Cable Man
10. Carny
Here's my sample line for a dentist romance: "Jeffrey Summers, DDS, was her dentist...and now, as he drilled her mouth, also her lover."
Add your suggestions for the least sexy hero occupations in the comments!
Reader Comments (15)
Freelance Mortician
OB/GYN didn't make the list?
Nobody wants their partner to bring work home from the office.
Oh, Evil Wylie, you are hilarious. I'd have to say that Carny and Olive Garden Line cook are pretty hideous, as is a gyno. But I'm going to have to go with garbage collector (who wants to smell that in bed?) or mortician to be the least romantic.
Sewage Treatment Plant Operator. Yup, rockin' the stank.
Cannot believe Pathologist didn't make it to the top ten least romantic professions. Having dated one recently, I can assure you that they should make it to at least number one.
*snork* @ Carny. :)
I'm gonna go with Fluffer. Doesn't matter how good they are at the job, I bet that'd be a bit of a turnoff.
I'm SO glad librarian didn't make the list. Because that sh*t is HOT.
No way, ladies - cable guy is definitely hot!!
Walmart cashier? Night janitor? The best part is that for every unlikely profession my mind INSISTS there's a romance out there for them....
Shoe salesman, undertaker, phlebotomist (unless they're a vampire...which would be hilarious, actually. The Vampire Phlebotomist's Missing Vein...Er, Bride).
Here's my sample line for a dentist romance: "Jeffrey Summers, DDS, was her dentist...and now, as he drilled her mouth, also her lover."
My take:
Busty McLegs had no idea her new dentist wanted to drill more than her teeth.
I wouldn't want to date a plumber. Just sayin.'
Proctologist. Enough said.
Out of work actor.
I said this on twitter, but: "The man who has to get semen from a horse for artificial insemination purposes. Wouldn't want him as a romance hero."
And lawyers are hot as all get out. They can letigate me any day.
I change my answer, I change my answer!
(Clears throat)
Self-published science fiction writer/actor/playwright/poet/visual artist.
http://bit.ly/kkKBFh - Thanks to you/Devourer of Books for passing this gem along, it's true there are things you just can't make up.