On Nov. 10, the Charlatan hosted a no-holds barred panel discussion that allowed guys and girls to ask the opposite sex anything they’ve ever wanted to ask. Dating, one-night stands, appearance: no question was off limits.
A wiser man than myself once said: “A nuclear reactor is a lot like a woman: you just have to read the manual and press the right buttons.”
Of course, this is another nugget of wisdom from one Homer J. Simpson and it speaks volumes about the male perspective (or lack thereof?) of women.
As a guy, I’ll be the first to admit that there are a lot of things I don’t understand about girls. Sometimes I really wish it were simply a matter of reading a Darwinist field guide on women.
Alas, I don’t know of any such manual. This led me to participating in a no-holds-barred panel discussion where men and women asked each other their deepest, darkest questions about the opposite sex. I hoped I could come away with a more learned knowledge about women.
And learn I did.
First off, let me answer one of the most burning questions that men might have: yes, when you are involved with a girl, her friends will know everything about you. No detail, no matter how embarrassing or mundane it may be, is not shared. “The cruel truth is that girls share everything with each other,” said one female participant.
Other topics of discussion that came up were: sex on the first date (frowned upon), threesomes (generally, not going to happen) and height (“I wouldn’t date a guy shorter than me”).
But perhaps one thing that all men want to know is the eternal question: what are women looking for in a guy? Disclaimer: “It’s different for all girls, but there are some trends.”
“It’s critically important that a guy learns to cook, I love it when a guy can cook for me,” one participant said. “Even if they’re bad it’s still cute.”
While physical appearance is important (it is impossible to overstate the need for good hygiene), looks aren’t everything. “My impression of how good looking a guy changes once I get to know them better,” said another single girl. “Being funny is more important than looks,” said one participant about personality. “I like it when a guy has charisma.” That isn’t to say that a man has to be a regular Don Juan to woo a girl and indeed, trying too hard has its disadvantages. At the end of the day, I think what men and women are looking for isn’t that different.
“I’ve talked to a lot of my friends, and I feel like girls just want a cool guy, that’s not too clingy, to just hang out on their couch and spend time with, and actually talk to,” said one participant.
A wiser man than myself once said: “A nuclear reactor is a lot like a woman: you just have to read the manual and press the right buttons.” Of course, this is another nugget of wisdom from one Homer J. Simpson and it speaks volumes about the male perspective (or lack thereof?) of women. As a guy, I’ll be the first to admit that there are a lot of things I don’t understand about girls. Sometimes I really wish it were simply a matter of reading a Darwinist field guide on women. Alas, I don’t know of any such manual. This led me to participating in a no-holds-barred panel discussion where men and women asked each other their deepest, darkest questions about the opposite sex. I hoped I could come away with a more learned knowledge about women. And learn I did. First off, let me answer one of the most burning questions that men might have: yes, when you are involved with a girl, her friends will know everything about you. No detail, no matter how embarrassing or mundane it may be, is not shared.
“The cruel truth is that girls share everything with each other,” said one female participant. Other topics of discussion that came up were: sex on the first date (frowned upon), threesomes (generally, not going to happen) and height (“I wouldn’t date a guy shorter than me”). But perhaps one thing that all men want to know is the eternal question: what are women looking for in a guy? Disclaimer: “It’s different for all girls, but there are some trends.” “It’s critically important that a guy learns to cook, I love it when a guy can cook for me,” one participant said. “Even if they’re bad it’s still cute.”
While physical appearance is important (it is impossible to overstate the need for good hygiene), looks aren’t everything. “My impression of how good looking a guy changes once I get to know them better,” said another single girl. “Being funny is more important than looks,” said one participant about personality. “I like it when a guy has charisma.” That isn’t to say that a man has to be a regular Don Juan to woo a girl and indeed, trying too hard has its disadvantages. At the end of the day, I think what men and women are looking for isn’t that different. “I’ve talked to a lot of my friends, and I feel like girls just want a cool guy, that’s not too clingy, to just hang out on their couch and spend time with, and actually talk to,” said one participant.