In
relationships, it’s common for couples to talk about the celebrities they
fancy; since an encounter is incredibly unlikely, it’s a fun exercise and
interesting to see who they pick. Fortunately, the good news is that we’re more
likely to spend time thinking about existing or previous partners than
celebrities.
This summary
came from Justin
Lehmiller,
who works as a social scientist at The Kinsey Institute. Thanks to his work in
this field, we can also see who we tend to fantasize about most. As part of his
book, Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help
You Improve Your Sex Life, 4,000 people were asked about their fantasies.
Real
Life vs Celebrity
First and
foremost, it’s important to note that only 66% of people admitted to fantasizing
over a celebrity…compared to 90% who had fantasized over a partner. In total,
just 7% said they fantasized about celebrities more often than a partner.
Female
Celebrities
With this in
mind, who came out on top? For men, the top five were as follows;
- Scarlett
Johansson
- Jennifer
Aniston
- Jennifer
Lawrence
- Kate
Upton
- Sofia
Vergara
As well as some
new names to the industry, Jennifer
Aniston is
still relevant today and apparently appeals to lots of men just as in the 1990s.
Interestingly, Lehmiller’s research also highlighted the female tastes of
women. When it comes to women fantasizing about female celebs, Johansson and
Lawrence remained and were joined by Angelina Jolie, Mila Kunis, and Megan Fox.
Male
Celebrities
What about male
celebrities? Well, women in the study chose the following as their favorites;
- Channing Tatum
- Ryan Gosling
- Adam Levine
- George Clooney
- Brad Pitt
Again, there’s
a blend of old and new with George
Clooney
holding a place he’s probably had for the past 20 years. For men interested in
male celebrities, Tatum and Gosling keep their place but the new names include
Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Zac Efron.
With two names
appearing in both lists for male and female celebrities, it seems both genders
have similar interests in their celebrities. Are there any names that surprise
you or that you think should be included?
Is
Fantasizing Healthy?
Especially for
those in a relationship, does Lehmiller think that fantasizing about
celebrities is particularly unhealthy? On the one hand, fantasizing could
suggest a lack of satisfaction in a relationship. However, it could also be a
sign of an active imagination. If the latter, you’re likely to have more
fantasies about every area of life and not just sexually.
As long as the fantasizing
isn’t replacing something that’s missing in the relationship, it can be a
healthy part of life; especially when both parties partake in the activity and
don’t feel the need to keep it a secret. Have you ever had this conversation
with your own partner? Do you allow each other a celebrity crush?
