Back in the swinging Eighties and into the Nineties, an “Italian stallion” by the name of Fabio graced the covers of hundreds of schmaltzy romance novels that hit the paperback racks and sold like the proverbial hotcakes.
Untold millions swooned over the 6’3” 225 pounds of mucho macho hotness.
His flowing locks, chiseled chest, incredibly ripped abs, muscular arms, and deep brown, mesmerizing eyes, were irresistible to female romance novel readers — and even some males.
Sometimes alone, sometimes tightly gripping a swooning beauty, Fabio could be found on throbbing titles like “Savage Promises,” “Golden Temptation,” and “Hearts Aflame,” always leaving readers wanting more.
Fabio and the publishers were happy to oblige – and many millions of the books flew off the shelves.
But that was then and this is now: welcome to the era of sensitive woke men, and the women who desire them.
A slew of the new generation of romance books are transitioning to “soft masculinity”: lovers who give readers “the warm fuzzies,” according to trade magazine, Publishers Weekly.
Kaitlin Olson, a senior editor at Atria, a division of Simon & Schuster, told PW, “More readers are asking for ‘cinnamon rolls’ – described as sweet, supportive and kind types of dudes, and ‘golden retrievers’ – men sporting floppy energy and positive attitude.”
In romance novel publisher-speak, that means male lovers who are more, well, puppy-like, soft and cuddly, and less toxic – certainly not the hard-bodied, fiery Fabio type.
“We’re seeing changing views on identity and masculinity and consent in the larger population,” asserted Olson, “and readers are looking for romance novels to reflect what they see in the culture.”
According to PW, “squishy-centered men” in the soon-to-be-released books “typify the changing face of attraction.”
Instead of the Fabio-esque, hard-bodied, virile lover, the male protagonist in Atria’s September title, “The Long Game,” described as a “slow-burn romance,” is a children’s soccer team coach — a “deceptively kind” guy who has two cats, and takes care of his girlfriend.
Other covers feature men carrying lattes (presumably soy); pet goats; flowers; and even candles.
“That’s something we’re seeing more of in romance,” notes PW. “Men as emotional and physical caretakers.”
“Hogwash!” declares Fabio Lanzoni, the multimillionaire retired cover boy star of romance novels, who turned 64 last March, and still looks as hunky as ever.
The Italian stallion left Milan at 19 and thanked this country for his success; he is now a citizen.
In an exclusive interview with The Post, he scoffed at romance publishing’s “soft masculinity” concept, and blames it on the “progressive woke movement” that he feels is being promulgated by “the political far left and the Biden administration.”
“In life, there are trends, and this is nothing more than a trend. It’s ridiculous, like all the rest of the woke movement.”
“I talk to many people, I talk to many women and the women say, ‘We can’t find real men anymore,’ and they say, ‘We want a real man, not a metrosexual,’ so what they say is happening in the new romance novels is detached from reality. It’s La-La Land.”
And the new breed of romance novels also will include trans men, which is not mentioned in the PW story.
A top romance novel editor told The Post, “Don’t be shocked when the romance reading public will see jacket covers and storylines featuring sexy trans men as the ‘male’ lover protagonist.”
She requested that her name not be used for fear of retribution, noting the “blowback” from the recent Bud Light controversy involving trans spokeswoman and influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
“The romance novel is being updated to take advantage of this new age. Already in the works are such books, and we expect them to do well,” the editor, a millennial Wellesley College grad with an advanced literary degree, revealed.
“We’re finding that the romance novel readership is a lot younger and more liberal and more open to the trans revolution that’s happening in society. Still, the plan is to subtly introduce him-her in the books and on the covers, and see if it flies.”
Asked what she thought Fabio would think about all that, the 30-something editor was puzzled.
“Fabio, who?”
Fabio himself has an answer to that: Since his retirement from modeling, Fabio has appeared in movies, “The Exorcist III”; “Dude, Where’s My Car?”, and “Zoolander” – and enjoyed being a multi-millionaire.
He became the first bestselling romance author using his real name – producing such titles as “Viking,” “Pirate,” “Rogue,” “Comanche,” and “Champion,” in collaboration with the prominent romance writer Eugenia Riley.
He’s had a bestselling pin-up calendar and released a partial spoken word album, “Fabio After Dark,” about love, inner beauty, and humor, with the singing being handled by Dionne Warwick and Billy Ocean.
He’s been on a number of TV shows, including playing himself on one episode of America’s Next Top Model in 2006, and he appeared in the music video, “I Kissed a Girl.”
One of his managers produced a biography in the early 1990s, “Fabio,” and over 55 million Fabio romance covers had been sold.
He’s been a spokesman for “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!”; Best Buy’s The Geek Squad; one of Oral-B’s toothbrushes, and Nationwide Insurance, and has had a clothing line at a division of Walmart, and launched a skincare line for men.
With exercise and diet, he’s been able to stay as fit at 64 as he was decades ago when he appeared on those romance novel covers.
While he says he doesn’t believe in plastic surgery to look more youthful, he acknowledges sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which he believes “reverses the aging process.”
When The Post interviewed him he was leaving his estate near Los Angeles for his 500-acre ranch in Washington state where he spends as much as six months of the year “chilling and relaxing. It’s the most beautiful place, and it’s great to get out of L.A.”
As for beta men taking their place on the cover of romance novels?
Fabio is confident his look – not the “golden retrievers” – is what women really want.
“This is just a trend and masculinity in those books is eventually going to come back,” he said.