The Lady and the Country Boy

I love lots of things – food, music, boxes, chocolate, American Idol, youtube, myspace, my newest fascination – "america’s best dance crew", blah blah, yes yes. And yet, when it comes right down to it, one of my most favorite "guilty pleasures"? Country music.
I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC. A little Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks (still the man!), Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Craig Morgan...

Now I’m not saying I love ALL country music, but still – most of it is pretty damn good. Take the other day, for instance. I was driving home and heard the song, "Ladies Love Country Boys" by Trace Adkins. LOVE that song. After the first 20 seconds, I was car dancing and I swear if I didn’t need both hands to drive my stick shift Honda, I would have been clapping along, too (because you know you can’t really enjoy a country song without clapping ). So there I was alternately singing, car dancing, and laughing over how true the lyrics are. Because simply put – ladies DO love country boys.

But why is that true? Why IS IT that ladies love country boys? Like Trace Adkins, for instance. I mean, he’s not insanely attractive, nor does he have the best voice, and yet he’s just so very cool. Like Viggo Mortensen, you know? (I know Viggo isn’t exactly a "country boy", but he’s still uber cool. Plus, I read he’s a great horseman, but I digress…)

But just WHY are country boys so cool? Is it the farmer’s tan? The slow southern drawl? The tight jeans and 10 gallon Stetsons? The big ass pick-up truck with trailer hitch that just makes you want to ride shotgun, wherever the hell that might take you, despite the fact that you dont’ know the guy and he might be a serial killer, but at least he looks good, could live off the land for freakin’ days with nothing but a box of chewing sticks and some beef jerkey, and drives a Dodge which means he must have a job and fairly good taste? (wow, that was revealing...)
Is it the smirk and confident swagger that pretty much says, "yea, you know you want some of this" that intrigues most women? Is it because they play rough and aren’t afraid to get dirty, which makes them seem kinda dangerous? (grrrr )
And for all that is rodeo-licious, will somebody please explain to me why a plaid collared long-sleeve with shiny shiny buttons is so damn hot on a cowboy?? Because that shit is just plain fug on anybody else.
Yes. It. Is.

But my point is that for some reason or other, there is some massive appeal to the country music scene. Maybe because it’s not just teens or older fans that are buying this stuff up, but a pretty much straight across the board demographic fan base. If that weren’t true, country music wouldn’t be as incredibly popular as it is today. I mean seriously – if an American Idol turned country diva (Carrie Underwood) can sell 14 million CDs in a few years, something big is goin’ down….(go, Carrie!!)

Personally, I am quite happy to be on the band wagon because country pretty much rocks. And even though I will pass on the boots (too damn hot here), and wearing plaid (see above reference), I could be one of those women "riding in the middle of his pick up truck, blaring Hank Jr., yelling "turn it up!"
Yes. I. Could.
Because for whatever reason, ladies love country boys, baby…ladies luuurvee them country boys