Are women really looking for Mr. Big?

Most women, at one time or another, have dreamed of finding that perfect person with whom they might spend the rest of their lives. They base their ideas of "perfect" on a number of influences, but those ideas are reshaped and remolded as they mature into adulthood. In essence, young girls swept away by fairy tales of Prince Charming, grow into women who would love to fall under the charms of "Mr. Big".

The concept of "Mr. Big" works wonderfully in a fictionalized dramatization. The man who has it all, and is willing to share it all with that one special woman is the stuff that dreams are made of. But in reality, there are not that many "Mr. Bigs" to go around, and most women find themselves involved with men who they hope is more than just average. At some point, they come to realize that what's really more important than searching aimlessly for the fairy tale of "Mr. Big", is to find the man who can realistically fill the role of "Mr. Right".

With that said, I must admit that there are times when I'm absolutely confused about the fascination with "Mr. Big". Though I'm not an avid follower of "Sex and the City", my assumption would be that the name "Big" refers to a man who completes the total package. Someone who is wealthy, very good looking, honest, generous, and fulfills the anatomical pipe dream that most women believe guarantees sexual fulfillment.
But the reference to "Big" goes even farther.

On "Sex and the City", "Big" just so happens to be big in every way. He's the guy who really does have it all. He's handsome, he's filthy rich, he's got a big house, big car, smokes big cigars, and to top it all off, I' assuming he has a big... well you know.

But, if this is the standard that the media projects to women, how can average guys in the real world even compete? When the media sets the standard so high and gives women the perception that they shouldn't settle for anything less in a man than they can dream about, what chance does the average guy have? What reasonably sane woman wouldn't want a "Mr. Big"?

Most guys invest a lot of time and energy into personal improvement. But with all of their efforts in striving to be the best man that they're capable of being, they may still fall short of the media hyped "Mr. Big". I sincerely wish the best for the "Sex and the City" franchise, but I also hope that women don't walk away with unrealistic expectations about what they should be looking for in a man.

There's nothing wrong with a woman wanting a rich, handsome hunk who just happens to be the complete package. It's just that average, hard working guys need love too.