Oh, umm, well, that does make a case for reversal.
On the serious side, out in the wilds, all that male strutting, bellowing, honking, horn and antler growing, feathering displays, rutting and fighting, are NOT intended to attract females. These male displays are done to ward off male competitors (and decide who gets first chance at that year's semen planting). For the male of a species, the first round of breeding is all about males.
Out in the wilds, when males of any species start their competitions, the females are peacefully doing their thing and preserving their energy for the next round of the mating ritual.
By the time the males are done fighting it out, they are so weak, females easily reject them - no fight is required to say no, females just walk away or refuse to turn around and the exhausted male continues his search of a cooperative female somewhere in the herd.
That the natural behaviour continues in humans does not surprise me. Like other animals, the human male - aka men - do their male posturing things for other men - not women. And my oh my, do modern men put on big displays. For example, those professional wrestling matches are hilarious. The whole X- formerly twitter thing is another hilarious adaptation of male posturing. I can barely look at a picture of wussy Musk or little Zuckerberg without grinning.
However, let it be remembered, that male posturing is a seasonal routine. If males were required to posture all year round, they would die of sheer exhaustion or kill off the entire male side of their own species.
Unfortunately, humans acquired medicine and trade systems that defied the natural order and inadvertently elevated the weak men above the strong. As a result, men who can't compete naturally, have acquired the capacity to drag millions of innocents into their male posturing routines. Men's wars are so dangerous, its not surprising, that women are attempting to protect the herd, by putting stupid males (meaning the ones who can't control themselves) out to pasture.
Let it also be remembered, that males, of all species, that fail in the posturing arena, mate quietly and privately when exhaustion puts the big winner down to sleep. My goodness, just look at the enormous herds of buffalo, wildebeests or cattle. Anyone who thinks one bull had the energy to impregnate that many females all by himself is seriously deluded. Besides, adaptation requires as many genetic transfers as possible.
Ooops I got carried away again. Thanks for the clarification.
