'old Maids' Take Creative Measures

[Coss]

The latest in my tradition, of what some consider, misogynist posts. Comments in italics are mine.

 

Relationships & Sex

 

A new book says single women are tackling the problem of a lack of men in different ways, with mixed results.

 

 

The Herald asked (left to right) Denise Lockhart, 26, Michael Sweeney, 25, Alvin Jung, 22, Eimear O'Neil, 25

and Lorna, 26, if they thought there was a man drought. Photo / Nick Reed

 

None of these ladies are ugly, it must be something else, like attitude. Or that the men are metro, not paleo.

 

Single and educated Kiwi women are confronting the New Zealand "man drought" in a variety of ways - including using mobile dating apps like Tinder - with mixed results, new research has found.

 

Author Hannah August spoke to 22 single, heterosexual women with tertiary qualifications, most of whom were in their 30s, for research for her new book No Country for Old Maids, out tomorrow.

 

According to the 2013 Census data, there were more than 60,000 more women between the ages of 25-49 living in the country than men.

 

A number of the women spoken to by Wellington-based Dr August told her they were unconcerned about whether they had children.

 

Several also said they would not change the way they dressed or presented themselves to "enhance their erotic capital".

 

Really?

 

When asked for a response if someone told her that unless she dressed or acted in a certain way, she would remain single, one respondent replied with: "I'd tell them to f*** off."

 

So there it is, try to be agreeable, "f*** off."

 

Almost all the women had used one or more online dating site, and many had also used Tinder. But their description of the experience included "awkward as hell" and "embarrassed".

 

One respondent said: "It's so trashy, I just hate it. Part of me is absolutely mortified that it has come to this, that I am having to shop for men on the internet."

 

Although some had had affairs with married men, many were strongly dismissive of the idea.

 

Like many interviewees, Diane, a 36-year-old Auckland property manager, said she had no need or desire for a man, and had stopped seeking one. She had a good income, owned her own home, and had a child from a previous relationship.

 

"The book arose from a conviction that we need to hear different voices talk about the New Zealand man drought, and that those voices must belong to a range of people in the demographic supposedly most affected by it," Dr August said.

 

"The voices ... belong to educated heterosexual women because the data implies that - in a country where educational 'assortative mating', like matching with like, still prevails - they are the group of women most likely to be affected by the man drought."

 

 

 

Given the sex ratio imbalance, age-gap couples are increasing, with more women partnering with younger men.

 

In 1986, the number of partnered 40- and 45-year-old men who had a female partner five years or more older was 3 per cent, but that more than doubled to 7 per cent in 2013.

 

The book will be sold online at $14.99 as part of the BWB Texts series, which are "short books on big subjects" by New Zealand writers.

 

"Much of the existing characterisation of the man drought overlooks the diversity of women's responses to it, and the way some of these responses challenge the cultural norms," Dr August says in her book.

 

Dr August has a PhD from King's College London and has been a Commonwealth Scholar - awarded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK - and a fellow of the New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women. She has written for publications such as the Times Literary Supplement and New Zealand's Metro magazine.

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11492621

[My Penis is hungry]

I don't think women need to dress sexy to be sexy, or attractive, at least not to me, at that table, I'd do them all (except the blokes, why are they there?)

 

how they are dressed at the table is fine also.

 

My thinking, is as women get educated better, get better jobs, they work out they don't really need men, and the "commodity" is in their favour.

 

So if you want the honey, man, you need to change, don't think she is as she has the biological bits we want to play with, she has a good job and income, so moral - she calls the shots.

 

Nothing really change - they just got richer (BUGGER!)

[baa99]

... and China has a surplus of males.

[cavanami]

...and China can keep them!

[Coss]

I don't think women need to dress sexy to be sexy, or attractive, at least not to me, at that table, I'd do them all (except the blokes, why are they there?)

 

how they are dressed at the table is fine also.

 

My thinking, is as women get educated better, get better jobs, they work out they don't really need men, and the "commodity" is in their favour.

 

So if you want the honey, man, you need to change, don't think she is as she has the biological bits we want to play with, she has a good job and income, so moral - she calls the shots.

 

Nothing really change - they just got richer (BUGGER!)

 

I agree with you - but the story is by, for and about women, and their perceived 'man drought' and their attitudes.

 

The situation that they find themselves in? I have no wish to change it for them.

 

The question as to why?

 

Well my opinion is as valid as theirs, or has suffrage gone out the window?

[Flashermac]

The more educated a Thai woman is, the more likely she is to become an "old maid". The reason in part is that Thai men apparently feel they have to be better educated than their spouse. That means a woman PhD is limited to men who also have doctorates. The Bangkok Post did a survey on this years ago. Of women with a BA or BS, about 75% would eventually marry. With an MA or MS, it dropped to 50%, and with a doctorate only 25% would wed. It's by no means a Kiwi "problem".

 

BTW the guys in one of my advanced speaking classes were shocked at the answer when I asked how many of the gals would like to marry a Farang. Every single one of ladies raised her hand. Many of them also said that they would remain single, if they didn't find someone they liked. They felt no need to marry just anyone to keep from being an old maid. They would rather live alone.

[Coss]

"BTW the guys in one of my advanced speaking classes were shocked at the answer when I asked how many of the gals would like to marry a Farang. Every single one of ladies raised her hand."

 

​but that could just be bigger Johnsons on the Farang guys...

[Flashermac]

For most of them, I'd say they have no idea there is a difference.

[Coss]

Which after their wedding night, could save them a fortune, in eye widening surgery

[jitagawn]

I just came back from Luang Prabang ( which even now is like a wayyyy back time machine-very charming)

And there were many euros travelers and couples. The men were almost without exception COMPLETE SNAGS

ie Sensitive New Age Guys_ little beards etc This fellows is a world wide trend. Not sure if this pertains to the topic at hand

But seems relevant.Everyone is so FUCKING PC that The USA COMEDIANS DON'T WANT TO PLAY THE UNIVERSITIES ANY.MORE

CAUSE NO ON CAN TAKE A JOKE(the students. Complain to admin) ETC???

:dunno: :hmmm:

 

 

Thanks for listening