An Unconventional Sex Symbol

Above (after about 20 seconds), Daniel Radcliffe comments to an Associated Press reporter about what it is like to be seen as an "unconventional" romantic lead and sex symbol. He makes these comments after being asked multiple times by reporters how it feels to be seen as a romantic lead and sex symbol after he had such innocent roots as Harry Potter, a young, teen wizard. His response, thankfully, is very insightful on how men and women are treated so differently in the entertainment industry:

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What Daniel recognizes here is that men and women are valued differently in the entertainment industry and in media, whether that be film or magazines. Women are often easily sexualized, as is the case with Emma Watson, while men are not always as readily objectified, like Radcliffe. This double standard is undoubtedly alarming when we consider what message this sends to viewers about men and women's sexuality and their roles in relationships.

Researcher Jana Kim and colleagues found support for the fact that men and women learn sexuality from television in their study about sex scripts and gender roles on television. For example, Kim found that men are portrayed as "preoccupied with women's bodies" and women are "primarily valued for their physical appearance" in network television shows. This illustrates how women are often objectified and told to sexualize their bodies in order to attract men, while men are taught to sexualize women, but not themselves. I think this is very similar to what Daniel observed happening to Emma Watson, but not to himself. Emma was almost immediately sexualized and objectified after/during "Harry Potter," whereas Daniel is met with resistance when he becomes a sex symbol.

While Kim's findings support and somewhat explain why Emma Watson is readily sexualized and Daniel Radcliffe is not, I think another study about the framing of men in women's lifestyle magazines done by Laramie Taylor can help illustrate even further why Radcliffe is not as easily sexualized. Taylor found in the study that men are framed in two different ways in Cosmopolitan in regard to relationships. They are either framed as "cads," which are men used primarily for recreational sex in short-term relationships, who are attractive, but not necessarily intelligent or desired for lasting partnerships. Or they are framed as "dads," which are men desired for long-term relationships, who are caring, intelligent, and romantic. Taylor also notes in the study that "women are encouraged to be sexy and sexual to attract and retain a male romantic partner" whether that be for a lasting relationship or for a fun, short-term sexual encounter (2008). 

What this study ultimately illustrated is that media framing can affect what women find attractive in male partners. For example, they found that "reading an article that framed sex in relational terms also led to greater interest in a long-term relationship with the Dad" (2008). So, reading and viewing media does influence the traits people find attractive in potential partners. This possibly explains why Daniel Radcliffe has not been viewed as a sex symbol in the past, but has been viewed as more of a "dad" type. But it more importantly highlights that women are told they have to be sexy and sexualized in order to attract a man, whether they want a short-term or a long-term relationship. This addresses even further why Emma Watson is so easily sexualized while Radcliffe is not. Men and women are clearly valued and treated differently in media today, which is quite troubling when considering the message it is sending home to media consumers. Thank goodness there are celebrities like Daniel Radcliffe who are addressing the problem, though! 

References: 

Kim, J. L., Sorsoli, C. L., Collins, K., Zylbergold, B. A., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. L. (2007). From sex to sexuality: Exposing the heterosexual script on primetime network television. Journal of Sex Research, 44(2), 145-157. doi: 10.1080/00224490701263660 

Taylor, L. D. (2008). Cads, dads, and magazines: Women's sexual preferences and articles about sex and relationships. Communication Monographs, 75(3), 270-289. doi: 10.1080/037750802282710