Supernormal Releasers

Misconception vs. Truth

Misconception: Men who have sex with RealDolls are insane, and women who marry eighty-year-old billionaires are gold diggers.

Truth: The RealDoll and rich old sugar daddies are both supernormal releasers.

Supernormal Releasers in Nature

  • Australian Jewel Beetle: Male beetles are attracted to beer bottles that are bigger, browner, and shinier than female beetles, leading them to mate with the bottles instead.
  • Animal Kingdom: Various species are affected by superstimuli. Examples include:
    • Birds breeding with oversized, parasitic eggs.
    • Orchids mimicking the scents of female insects.
  • Human Ancestors: Evolved to crave high-calorie foods due to scarcity, leading to modern indulgence in fast food.

Human Response to Supernormal Releasers

  • Evolutionary Psychology: Superstimuli exaggerate traits linked to survival, leading to overstimulation.
  • Gender Differences:
    • Men: Attracted to physical features like symmetry, big breasts, wide hips, and small waists.
    • Women: Attracted to status and resources, such as wealth and success.

David Buss and Mate Preferences

  • Key Finding: Men unconsciously prefer a hip-to-waist ratio of around .70, linked to health and fertility.
  • Cultural Consistency: Studies and historical records (e.g., Playboy centerfolds) show consistent preference for this ratio.

Exaggeration of Physical Traits

  • Kerri Johnson's Research: Men and women use hip-to-waist ratios to determine attractiveness and gender.
  • Heuristics: Men's brains favor small waists and big hips, with exaggerated features (like a .50 ratio) being even more appealing despite impracticality.

Advertising and Superstimuli

  • Manipulation: Advertisers exploit male attraction to physical superstimuli and female attraction to status.
  • Examples:
    • Men: Products marketed with images of genetically enhanced, digitally altered females.
    • Women: Products marketed to help achieve impossible beauty standards.

Economic and Social Status

  • Complex Metrics for Women: Beyond physical attraction, women value economic capacity, social status, ambition, and stability.
  • Supernormal Releasers for Women: Men who exhibit multiple desirable traits become superstimuli.

Practical Implications of Superstimuli

  • Daily Influence: Modern portions of food have increased, affecting perceptions of what is normal.
  • Mental Shortcuts: Both men and women use shortcuts to determine what is attractive, but these can be manipulated by exaggerated features.

Conclusion

  • Recognize that quite ordinary stimuli can become overwhelmingly desirable when exaggerated.
  • Superstimuli influence behavior unconsciously, but awareness can help mitigate their effects. Humans, unlike Australian jewel beetles, have the capacity to overcome these programmed desires.