I totally support the idea that people should get to be attracted to who they are actually attracted to. And the narrative that women are too picky and aren't allowed the same preferences as men really needs to go. At the same time, I also see how patriarchy does influence those preferences, for both men and women. And, if we're going to call men on that, we've got to call ourselves on it too - which I think all the stories you mentioned did in fact do.

A big part of the problem is things like dating apps where it's hard to get past the initial impression made by a photo and stats in order to actually get to know the other person. My strong preference is for guys who don't have a lot of body hair, and yet, my partner Nat is a really hairy guy. I was attracted to him anyhow for other reasons.

So, my point is, that yes, people should be allowed to be attracted to who they are attracted to. And, since the vast majority of what we think of as thought actually comes from subconscious places which are filled with cultural narratives, social programming, childhood training, media exposure, etc., it's good to question those preferences from time to time to make sure they are actually one's own, and not mostly that other stuff that comes from external sources.