SWM 29 seeks F, someone who's read one

October 19, 2003 4:17 PM

"A ninth-grader in a denim miniskirt exchanges conversational barbs with a boy leaning against a post, then fakes a little scream as the young man steps toward her and pulls up her skirt, putting her panties on display." Kids these days, right? Nope, it's Modern Flirting. [via dangerousmeta.]
posted by emelenjr (12 comments total)

Why not look at this from a David Attenborough point of view?

"First we see the adolescent female trying to learn how to attract a partner, even though she is not yet ready to mate. She does this by selectively exposing parts of her body and making blundering attempts to solicit the attention of males. With any success, she withdraws, not wishing a more lasting relationship."

"The more mature female, now ready to mate, has two prerogatives. The first is to obtain sperm from whatever male some part of her unconscious mind tells her is a desirable donor. The second is to get a partner, often not the sperm donor male, but one who, to her conscious mind demonstrates the ability to help her support her offspring."

"After her first offspring, she may choose monogamy with her support partner male or may seek additional sperm donor males to procreate further, though no definitive pattern seems to exist here."
posted by kablam at 4:54 PM on October 19, 2003

[blink blink] Oh David Attenborough, you say the darndest things! [blink blink]
posted by JanetLand at 5:01 PM on October 19, 2003

mmm....sperm.
posted by mcsweetie at 5:03 PM on October 19, 2003

Evolutionary psychology once again giving dating advice. Will anthropologists ever learn that no one cares what you think?

As for the article, did any one else notice an unexplained, abrupt break between the first half of the article about women losing power to a new male-centered sexual culture and the second half about how law students in a bar wanted to fulfill the traditional gender roles advocated by the members of a sorority.
posted by rschram at 5:27 PM on October 19, 2003

rschram: I also noticed that the article was all over the place, and used several unnamed "scientific studies" to draw some conclusions that definitely could have used solid references. It was like a sociology assignment without footnotes.

Now I'm wondering why everyone I know is getting married. How does that fit into the "relationship without rings"? Am I in some kind of "left behind" gene pool? How could that even be, since my kind is presumably the one having the babies?

Answer that, Attenborough!
posted by hammurderer at 5:43 PM on October 19, 2003

mmm....sperm.
posted by mcsweetie

Dude. Seriously, I'm eating a sandwich with mayo. Way to fuck up dinner.
posted by jonmc at 6:12 PM on October 19, 2003

WaPo published another article along this same line with the same message.. discussed here before on MeFi but cant find it.
posted by stbalbach at 6:52 PM on October 19, 2003

Why all these reports about teen sexuality? Every week, it seems. How oral sex is the latest fad. How "hooking up" is the nowest thing. How Japanese teens whore for clothes. Every week I read this stuff. I like salacious news as much as the next guy, but, still...
posted by kozad at 7:02 PM on October 19, 2003

Kozad, don't forget about all the South American and Indian girls who take it up the butt so they don't have to give up their virginity until their wedding day.

Now that's dedication!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:56 PM on October 19, 2003

"I see that aggressiveness all the time," says Helen Brown, a senior at Stanford University. "Girls say I'm just as casual in this relationship as the guy, but deep down they're hoping for something more real and longer lasting."

Helen Brown?!
posted by dhartung at 9:42 PM on October 19, 2003

what a weird article. It's really poorly organized and unfocused, as others have pointed out.

Young women risk more than their self-esteem by charging after a guy -- they also risk losing the possibility of being cherished. Why should a man tell a woman how gorgeous she looks in turquoise if she's already stroking his back? Why should he even ask her out on a date?

Um, because she's a great girl worthy of his respect (and worthy of being cherished) and he's a great guy who respects women? Because they're a well-matched couple and will express their emotions to each other once they are comfortable doing so? Because he wants to date her?

A better question is why does this article suggest that women should have to almost hypnotize men in order to be treated well and kindly in a relationship?

also, kozad: Why all these reports about teen sexuality? Every week, it seems. How oral sex is the latest fad.

oral sex has been the "latest thing" among teens and pre-teens for as long as I can remember. A few years ago Oprah devoted several programs to this SHOCKING information.
posted by palegirl at 9:57 PM on October 19, 2003

bogus trendspotting
posted by 4easypayments at 11:23 PM on October 19, 2003