Why the Manning Men Married Their Mother

Super Bowl 50 taught me two things. Defense wins games and men marry women who look like their mothers. Big shout out to Von Miller and the Broncos defense, but their skill made for a boring game. My daughter and I, to entertain ourselves, were looking up players online. Boys want the player’s career stats, girls want the personal stats. We root much harder for the guy with the cute kids or the interesting background. As we looked at the Manning boys, all three of them, this stood out. All of their wives are strikingly similar in appearance, and they all resemble their mom, Olivia Manning. In this case, one could argue, “Who doesn’t like tall, blond and bodacious?” but it got me thinking. If my boys marry a woman like this, will it mean they don’t love me enough?! Will I be happier if they marry an average height brunette with small boobs and short legs?

Evidence shows men tend to be attracted to women who resemble their mom. It sounds creepy at first, especially since it is called “positive sexual imprinting,” but it makes sense. We are naturally drawn to that which is familiar and which makes us comfortable. Once a mama’s boy, always a mama’s boy. Interestingly though, a woman is not more prone to marrying a man who resembles her father. I wonder if this will change in generations to come as men take a larger role in early childhood caregiving.

Daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law, you may want to sit down. The evidence tells us men are also more likely to marry women who share their mothers’ personality traits. For example, a man with an over-involved mom, may marry a woman who is also controlling. So, if you aren’t fond of the woman your son married, or you aren’t fond of your husband’s mother, you may want to take a long look in the mirror. Even if you do not see the physical resemblance the Manning women share, the similarities may be more than skin deep.