In one of our Friday night Happy Hour chats at Chez Leahy, my husband and I calculated that we knew six single and available women for every one single available man. By available we meant actively going through the sometimes painful task of trying to find Mr. or Ms. Wonderful and make a love match.
My husband gave the standard answer that men have a broader range of ages to choose from. A man in his forties, he continued, can date a woman in her twenties and nobody would bat an eye. I reminded him of an animal called the Cougar, that can be found at trendy restaurants instead of zoos, and that woman have caught up with men in that department a long time ago, thank you Cher. He then reminded me with a wink that I’m the older woman in our relationship. Eleven months, but it still pissed me off.
I think the answer can be found in men and women’s shopping habits. Most men don’t like to shop- insert disclaimer for metrosexuals, interior decorators, dandies, and comic book aficionados. Men go to a store grab what they need and get out. Their motto is: “ I know what I like, and don’t make it difficult to get.
Women on the other hand, spend countless frustrating hours trying to find the perfect pair of whatever, or spend a fortune buy stuff that’s too uncomfortable or inappropriate to wear with any frequency. Their motto: “Comfortable, sexy shoes are an oxymoron”.
This quick session on the couch of Retail Therapy clearly explains the discrepancy. Because men only focus on getting the thing that has worked for them in the past, (no mystery why 501 jeans have been around so long) they have a higher success rate at finding their other half. While women are left behind as they cruise the malls (or bars), passing the shops with the sensible shoes or practical tops searching for the elusive, comfortable five-inch stiletto.
