Last Saturday night, I was snuggled up on my couch watching Sleepless in Seattle (I still have no love life) when it suddenly dawned on me that that damned Prince Charming really messed up as a leading man and in turn royally screwed things up for us females.

Think about it. Cinderella faced off against an evil step-mother and two nasty step-sisters, and then lost a fabulous shoe (which I guarantee pissed her off) while battling a ticking clock using a bunch of mice and a pumpkin as her only weapons (you go girl!). She's one tough chick and what did she get for it ... a castle and Mr. Perfect. Yawn.

I can just see the sequel. She moves into the castle with singing birds fluttering overhead only to discover that Mr. Perfect never does anything wrong. He doesn't have it in him to be sarcastic or devious; his clothes never smell a little funky because he pulled them out of the dirty clothes hamper; he never snorts milk from his nose from laughing too hard; and he definitely doesn't make a fool of himself in any way, shape or form over a woman ... his woman. Cinderella naturally starts to wonder if she's measuring up. Does he think she's unattractive because she likes to sleep in on Saturday morning or isn't pleasant until she has her morning coffee or has stretch marks after giving birth to his children? What if she wants a cold beer once in a while instead of tea? So what if she leaves a dish or two in the sink; if he doesn't like it he can put it away himself and probably will right after he irons his socks. If he would just slouch occasionally ... ahhhhhh!!!

No, I haven't lost my ever-loving mind. Tell me; was Prince Charming a blond or brunette? Don't cheat and look it up because if you can't answer off the cuff, then it's safe to say he was one-dimensional and forgettable. Yet, Mr. Perfectly Bland ... star of the classic chick flick ... still managed to set the bar so high that to this day men curse this romantic film genre and miscalculate women's expectations. Men think women only want a Prince Charming, and it's been hell trying to convince them otherwise. But, a glutton for punishment, I'll try again nonetheless.

With the exception of Cinderella's Prince Charming, leading men in chick flicks are flawed. Women love flawed men (not in the psycho-stalker-hears voices-jobless-lives in his mother's basement sort of way), but in a way that makes them likeable and human. Check it out:

Sleepless in Seattle: Tom Hank's character is seriously lost as a single father/widower who wonders if he'll ever find love again. Deciding to date again, he turns to his goofy friend who informs him that all women want are great pecks and a cute butt (true enough). The two then check his butt to determine its cuteness factor (high marks). Hope runs eternal that he, a charming dufus of a leading man, will find love again. And, although we've all seen the movie, and Tom Hank's cute butt, a gazillion times, our hearts palpitate in anticipation of the sharp inhale moment when he takes Meg Ryan's hand and flesh burns with desire.

While You Were Sleeping: An imperfect Bill Pullman is the dopey, bumbling leading man in love with his slick and debonair (yet comatose) brother's fiancé, and he can't do a damned thing about it. That moment we all want is when he leans into Sandra Bullock to explain leaning making her feel like the only woman in the world at that very second. We all want a man to lean. Please gentlemen, lean away.

An Officer and a Gentleman: Yummy! Richard Gere as a broken loner Navy Aviation Officer Candidate-in-training unwilling to succumb to any woman because no woman is to be trusted especially with his emotions ... now, there's a challenge! Every woman in the world covets that moment when this Iceman melts bursting into the paper factory wearing his formal whites and sweeping Debra Winger into his arms carrying her off into the sunset. We all know their life won't be perfect, but who cares!

Pretty Woman: Who can't relate to the hooker and the millionaire scenario? Richard Gere (I repeat, yummy!) is the relationship-stunted workaholic. Enter the hooker to show him how to live again. Of course, there's that moment when he rides up on his white horse (or limo as the case may be) and in spite of being deathly afraid of heights, scales the fire escape to save this modern day Repunzel. What woman doesn't want to be claimed by a man facing his fears just to get to her?

Detecting a pattern? Chick flicks end with the less-than-perfect leading man realizing that there isn't anyone else he'd rather be with than that one special woman. Gentlemen, all we want is our leading man ... the real you with the promise of occasional chick flick moments that steal our breath away. So, choose your Princess; be yourself, sprinkle life with moments, and if she's worth anything, she'll give you moments right back.

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Note to Cinderella: Honey, do us ladies a huge favor and kick that boring milk-toast Prince Charming to the curb and find yourself a dopey charming dufus with a cute butt. Enough is enough already.