Sex & Vulnerability: How Much Is Too Much And What Are The Risks?

So, this article went up on The Frisky today and my head exploded.

 

We were fucking, he pulled out of me, and I saw his sperm on my pubic hair. ”You just came inside me?” I said, panicked. “Why didn’t you tell me first?” I hadn’t consented to him doing that. And I wouldn’t have consented to it had he announced he was going to come instead of just silently going ahead and doing it.

“Aren’t you on the pill?” he replied by way of response.

“No, I’m not on the pill,” I said.

He looked at me pained. “I just came inside a girl who is not on the pill?”

“Yeah, you did. Why didn’t you ask me if I was on it if you were going to come inside me? I thought you were going to pull out.”

“I just assumed you would be on it.”

Okay. What is this fuckery?

I’ll only briefly touch on the kink aspect to this story. Whether two people are engaging in kink or good o’ missionary vanilla sex, there are always risks involved with going home with someone you don’t know very well. Hell, there’s risks all around at various stages of a relationship. I have a friend who went home with a guy she met on Match. They were having sex and – out of nowhere – he slapped her across the face. It wasn’t as harsh as it sounds. He was obviously testing the waters since they had discussed their mutual interest in kink. Her initial reaction was shock and then anger. The guy quickly apologized and said he thought she had said she had experience with that and liked it. There was not another date.

Since I’ve made my opinions of first date sex quite clear, it should come as no surprise to any of you that I’ve had sex on a first date. I have been lucky that I have never experienced anything like what my friend or Jessica experienced. I could go on about my insight and intuition and all that, but nothing is ever fail-proof. I have been lucky. When I have delved into kinkier activities, it has always been with someone I have been dating – casually or seriously – for a significant amount of time. I mentioned the Too Many Cocks guy, yes? I made it quite clear that I had no intention of fulfilling whatever desire he had with someone I barely knew. There was no second date.

Communication is a key part of sex and intimacy. You can never take it upon yourself to believe that you know exactly what a person’s boundaries are or that you and they are on the same page. You need to ask and you need to listen and you need to respect said boundaries. That applies to hook ups on the first date or ones that happen after dating several months. I’ve frequently questioned Jessica’s actual experience level with BDSM and kink. To me, it sounds like she was with someone who had more experience than she did. You can never assume that you and your partner have even close to similar sexual histories. These things need to be talked about before you try something new.

And at some point in the evening as the pain he was inflicting on me hurt worse and worse, I used his safeword: “Pineapple!” He stopped spanking me, like he should have. We did other things. But later on that night, he started smacking my butt again. I felt so sensitive there that I wasn’t enjoying it — it wasn’t “good pain.” Come to find out the next day when I looked in a mirror, I had a constellation of small bruises all over my ass: three on one butt check and one on another. Because of the position he had been holding me in, this man most certainly saw those bruises. My safewording should have been the indicator to ease up the

Jessica is demonizing this guy, and after reading the piece a few times, I’m not sure why. Initially I read this and felt the guy was disregarding her stated boundaries. Then I read it again. And again. When she asked him to stop, he stopped. They engaged in a brief exchange about their individual definitions and uses for a safeword, and that’s somehow construed as violating her. That was a conversation they should have had before they even took their clothes off. Then she stayed overnight because..wait for it…she wanted to have sex with him? What the whating what?  It was written as though the guy was trying to somehow coerce her, and I’m not sure that’s what actually happened.

For the people who will say things like, “This is why you don’t have sex on a first date!!” I’ll just say this: I think it’s precious that you think that renting space on the moral high ground means anything to anyone other than you.

Now for the other issue concerning birth control. I was really livid as I read the exchange Jessica had with this guy after he ejaculated inside of her. I do not agree – at all – that it’s the man’s job to ask if a woman is on The Pill. I think both people are supposed to take a breath and exchange some vital information such as testing history, relationship status, who has condoms and what other birth control methods are being used. While the guy was an ass – and an obvious idiot – I don’t think it’s fair to paint him as The Bad Guy in this particular part of the situation. I’m actually shocked that an adult male would make any assumptions about birth control given the possible consequences. Guys, allow me to clear something up: regardless of whether a woman says she can’t get pregnant or it’s a safe time or whatever, wrap it up. While she may genuinely believe these things, nothing is 100%. Don’t use any opportunity to go without a condom. And definitely don’t blame the woman should something actually happen. You were there, too. Not every woman is out to trap you so they can get a piece of your $150K a year salary.

Then, of course, there’s the STD factor, which I know a lot of people are going to address, so I won’t bother.

Finally, there’s the question of why she ever revealed any of this at all. The issues of boundaries once again rears its head. No, she’s not brave or raw or honest. That’s something else women need to stop. Writing this was foolish. Now that I’m getting work writing for other sites, I realize how popular and in demand the personal essay/narrative type pieces are. You can write such stories and self-edit and still offer a take away value without making yourself so vulnerable.  I wish we’d stop encouraging women to reveal so much before they’re truly emotionally mature enough to handle the possible fall out.

The biggest issue for me concerning this post – and frankly most posts that women bloggers write about their love and sex lives – is the total lack of accountability in the outcome. Yes, a lot of them acknowledge that they made mistakes. But then, just as quickly, they remind the reader of how awful the guy is. You know. Just in case they forgot. It’s almost always 100% exclusively the guy’s fault in every aspect. If a woman has a rocky dating history or struggles to keep a guy interested, it’s never because she makes bad choices. It’s because the men “tripped her up.” While we have all, at one time or another, willfully chosen to ignore red flags, there’s only so many times you can do that before your judgment comes in to question. One commonality that I notice in all of these articles is the air of experience these women try to convey, yet at the same time by sharing so much they actually reveal how inexperienced they really are.

I’m so tired of this passive role so many women are willing to take when it comes to their love lives. Everything appears to happen to them, implying that they don’t have any control or say in how things work out. They’re victims of men, yet they’re still empowered and self-sufficient and refuse to settle and have standards, dammit.

Sorry, but you ladies simply can’t keep trying to have it both ways, if for no other reason than you’re inevitably going to lose out on the very thing you claim to want. If everybody keeps passing you by and getting closer and closer to their goal while you sit there struggling, it’s not fate or destiny. It’s you.

 

 

SHAMELESS PLUG: Check out an essay I wrote for The Gloss. I’m actually quite proud of, as it discusses how my opinions of being single vs. being married have evolved over the past year. Like it, Tweet it & comment..please?

Can You Be Single And Still “Be Alive?”

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How Do You Know If a Guy Is Really Sincere?

Name: Marie
Age: 45
State: Florida
Question: ok, so I met this wonderful man. His eye contact and body language all showed me he was sincere in everything he talked about. He seems so caring, loving, giving, just the right guy for me all around. My question is he asked me if I would like to go out of town for a few days? We had one date and talked and texted a lot the past few days. Normally I would so no way…I do not even know this man… but I know some people will meet each other for the first time out of town and spend a weekend together. I feel comfortable but am I jumping too fast and possibly putting myself in harms way? I don’t feel like it, but family have told me he could be a bad person and I should not do it. I have dated many men and he is the first real genuine nice and good man I have met where I saw these traits right away… Any thoughts? Thank you !

 

For me, there are two issues here. The first is how blown away you are by this guy based his non-verbal cues. While I am a big believer in the importance of reading body language and paying attention to various cues, none of those things actually prove anything.  In fact, I think there are a lot of men and women out there who know exactly how to present themselves so that they seem more sincere and convincing. We all learn how to navigate situations in a way to get what we want. It’s not difficult to learn these things. Since you don’t know this guy really at all, you don’t have a baseline that can be used for comparison purposes.

Should you take him up on his offer to go away for a weekend? I really don’t know. Yesterday, in the comments of another thread, the issue of whether or not someone would accept a 2nd date on Valentine’s Day came up. A couple of people insisted that they would not do that. Much like the “I’ll only go down on  woman if she freshly showered and shaved” admission, I find such declarations to be a tell. As I said in response to a tweet yesterday asking who accepts a first date on Valentine’s Day, someone who would is someone who doesn’t over-analyze everything. People who swear up and down that they would “never” do certain things like that are actually revealing that they’ve probably never been presented with the opportunity to do so or have their own issues that would prevent them from being so daring. If you met someone you really liked and they asked you for a first or second date on Valentine’s Day, most people would go. Please. The people who say that it’s too much pressure, might set false expectations, etc are making excuses. If you really liked them, you’d go.

Same goes for this request of taking a trip with this guy. People are going to give you all kinds of reasons that you shouldn’t. Personally, I’m not sure that it’s the best of ideas. Traveling with someone – anyone – can be stressful. I’m not sure that you and this man have established the kind of rapport necessary for you to go into this relatively confident that you and he will not have any problems. As for the security concern, that’s valid too. I think it’s unlikely that he’ll chop your hands off and stick you in a freezer, but it’s still something you should consider. Just like people should consider meeting people from online dating sites in a public place for the first date. Caution is good. Just don’t let it rule you.

You say that this is the first guy that you’ve met who has shown you all these traits right away. That, for me, is the big red flag. What does it tell you that “all” the other men you’ve met have not acted this way? It tells me that either you have not so great judgment in men (as witnessed in this post) OR that this guy is being insincere. The fact that these experiences you have seem to fall on the extreme ends of the spectrum is what concerns me.   You seem rather hungry for a genuine connection. I think that might be clouding your judgment.

I think you might be so used to dealing with guys who are unavailable that you jump at the first guy who is available. Neither is really all that smart. I’d want to know why this guy was so eager and available. Look, I’m the bee’s knees. But even I would immediately be suspect of someone who seemed this interested, this quickly. I’d want to know why he was so available. That would be the reason why I would hold off on that trip for now. I think you need to get to know this guy a bit and get a baseline read on him before you make snap judgments.

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Dating Mistake #768 – I Won’t Sleep With You Because I Like You

If there is anything that can make a woman chum to hungry male sharks, it’s saying this:

“I’m not going to sleep with you on the first date because I really like you.”

This does not compute in the mind’s of most men. It’s one thing to internally decide that you’re not going to sleep with someone yet. It’s entirely another to vocalize that particular thought process. Once a woman does that she has almost certainly sealed her fate.

The implication of the statement is quite clear. “I just need to get past the first date so you don’t think I’m a slut.” By uttering this statement you are telling the man that you’re totally going to have sex with him. Like, totally. Just not that night. Most men know that that means second date sex is almost a given. So they’ll wait a couple days. It won’t kill them. Only the men who never get laid, only want to get laid or guys with really fragile egos will bail completely. So, in a sense, this can be a decent filter. But it’s no where near fool proof. The guys who wait likely have options anyway, which is why holding off one more date for a handy won’t break them.

The greater issue with a statement like this is what it reveals about the woman’s history and pathology. A comment like this completely tears down any mystique the woman may have built. With that one sentence she’s telling a man that she dates by other people’s rules, probably is too dependent on the validation of her girlfriends and made some bad choices.

As I read this article this morning I was reminded of the importance of mystique. In Part 1 of the story, the author took the guy back to her apartment and started to hook up with him. When he reached for the top button of her pants she stopped him and said that if she didn’t think she could date him she’d totally have sex with him.

When he tried to unbutton my pants, I stopped him and said, “I’m not going to fuck you after a fucking writing advice non-date,” I said, but I totally wanted to. But I didn’t. Isn’t that a nice story.

“If I didn’t think we could actually date, I would probably fuck you,” I added, because that makes sense.

Physically it felt different than it’s felt in a while. I didn’t want to play any stupid role or act out any bullshit, I just liked him. Like in an I-could-see-myself-dating-this-dude way.

If the goal is to make guys think “you aren’t like that” then telling a guy you aren’t like that defeats the purpose of making the statement in the first place. After dating for a little while men know to interpret this declaration as, “I’m totally going to sleep with you by date 3. Just be patient.”

And with that, any power the woman thought she had disappears. She also makes herself vulnerable because, by admitting to this, she’s telling the guy that she’s afraid he’ll judge her or pump and dump her. While admitting to fears and insecurities can help build and enhance intimacy, this is the kind of vulnerability that makes you a mark.

To be clear, because I know many women who read this take these sort of posts as encouragement to have sex on the first date, it’s not the decision not to have sex that is the problem. The problem is verbalizing and justifying your decision. By doing so, a woman relinquishes any control she may have had.

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First Date Protocol: What Do You Do When You’re Not Attracted To Them?

About 4 months ago I met a guy from OKCupid.

I knew the moment he showed up at the bar that I wasn’t attracted to him. I just knew it. This was a rare occurrence for me. In the last 2 years, I have not had one date that didn’t turn into a second/third/fourth/etc date, a request for a second date, a short-term relationship, or..whatever. In the two or three instances where none of that occurred it was because I was the one doing the rejecting. So there I sat with my mojito, looking at his watch, wondering when was the appropriate time to tell him I didn’t feel any magic.

About 20 minutes in he took the menu and started looking it over trying to decide what to order. I couldn’t let him do that. Not only was I not going to let him spend money unnecessarily, I also didn’t want to sit there not eating while he ate or somehow mentally trying to rush him through his meal. So I just came out with it. Ripped that band aid right off. We made it to the 45 minute mark and we said our good byes.

That was the first time in a long time I had to do that. The one other time was with a guy about 2 years earlier. This was a date clear cut “casual” date. The date was designed to determine physical chemistry. I knew going into that date that I wasn’t 100% on board with hooking up with him. When we met I knew it was a no go. The problem? I sensed he was kind of…volatile. Again, I did not let the date progress beyond pleasantries and a cocktail. As expected I was met with a tongue lashing that lasted into the next day. Even when I emailed him to apologize if he felt I had wasted his time, I was met with a barrage of insults.

It’s a tricky situation, right? You show up and, upon meeting someone and giving them that warm hug, you just…know. You know that they’re disappointed or not feeling it. When I was heavier, I got that tweak on almost every date. I would sit there and literally feel the guy trying to accumulate enough minutes before he could say good bye. There was one date that so stuck out in my mind that, when the same guy from the date rated me highly on OKC  a few months ago, I replied to him and told him what an unpleasant experience it was to meet him the first time around. I should have been flattered that he didn’t recognize me, etc. I know. I couldn’t help it.

I’ve never sat there and tried to make myself be attracted to someone. It’s either there or it’s not. I never felt a need to give it time to see if the attraction would materialize. As someone here has said before, who wants to be with someone that has to be convinced to want to see them again?

In an ideal situation neither of you are feeling it. Then you can get through one drink and skeedaddle. Then there’s Scenario B. That’s when you know you’re date is feeling it and you aren’t. Those are the sticky ones. There are, of course, two ways to handle it. You either smile through it and say nothing misleading. Then when you get the email suggesting another date you simply say that you didn’t think you and they were a match. Or you just tell them after the first round that things won’t be progressing, etc. Neither are especially pleasant. I suppose telling someone face to face is a little harsh and uncomfortable. I’d rather do that than allow them to think things are headed a certain way and then blindside them.

How do you handle this sort of thing? Do you know right away? Do you try to wait and see if the attraction will build? Do you leave?

How have you handled it when you’ve been the one who was dismissed?

Would you ever tell someone flat out that you weren’t physically attracted to them? Or do you lie?

 

 

 

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Why Does He Want To Wait To Have Sex?

question….what are your thoughts on a guy who is into a girl immediately and ‘commits’ to an exclusive relationship within 2-3 weeks of meeting however, wants to wait until it feels right to have intercourse.

He loves giving oral to his GF even though she doesn’t reciprocate nearly as much due to some past issues/concerns she has….he’s pretty tolerant and respectful of that……she totally loves receiving oral from him and expresses her extreme satisfaction…..   what would you think about a girl that gets frustrated by the guy not having intercourse yet and also what would you think about this girl who then won’t even allow fooling around to go beyond kissing because she feels ‘tortured’ by receiving oral and some other play but isn’t allowed to have sexual intercourse because he’s not ready yet…..- A., Male,38, NYC

 

Since I know you and since we’ve had a conversation about this specific issue before, I want to include something that you left out of the story. Your hesitation surrounding having sex too soon is mostly rooted in your fear of getting a woman pregnant. You’ve told me this. When you first told me about this hesitation I have to be honest and say that I thought it sounded like an irrational phobia. I strongly urge you to talk about this with a professional. If you’re being responsible and safe and you educate yourself on ovulation and conception, then you don’t really have anything to worry about.

If she’s getting off, then I don’t understand her frustration. She committed to you without the sex. Unless you promised her that you two would fully consummate the relationship once you and she were exclusive, I don’t understand why she’s so bothered. That is, unless this relationship has been going on for several months without intercourse. That’s a problem.  I also don’t understand how you can be so blase about the fact that she refuses to give you head citing “past issues.” The bottom line is that either she doesn’t like giving head and doesn’t feel a need to return the favor despite all the effort you make to please her OR she’s withholding oral until you give her intercourse. Either possibility is a bad sign.There should never be any withholding of affection in a relationship. If she cared for you, she’d at least try.  I’m just not sure how connected you and she could be when your relationship lacks such a fundamental form and expression of intimacy. Right now, it sounds like sex is just a tool for you two to climax and that’s it. That’s childish.

Another red flag is that you’ve committed to her 1) after 3 weeks of dating 2) without having sex with her. As I’ve said before, men who typically jump head first into relationship usually do so because they have a critical flaw that they wish to hide. They want to lock the woman in and dazzle her with their willingness to commit, knowing that’s what most women want.

I think both you and she need to be honest with yourselves and each other that sex is not much of a priority. Therefore, all this fretting and wondering is a waste of time. I don’t buy that she’s frustrated at the lack of sex. I think that works for her, actually. If she were so sexual that a lack of intercourse bothered her, it stands to reason that she would engage in whatever she could to fill that void while she waited for you to be ready. She might believe that she’s frustrated at the lack of intercourse, but I’m guessing she’s quite relieved. She doesn’t have to go down on you and doesn’t have to have intercourse. She got you to commit without having to have sex. Sweetheart, you’re the typical Manhattan single woman’s wet dream.

Maybe you don’t like having sex with condoms and that’s why you hold off. I don’t know. What I do know is that without sex, you two are engaging in a high school version of a relationship. People who like and enjoy sex have it. You two aren’t having it. You both agreed to be exclusive without knowing if you sexually satisfy each other. This is the typical outcome of situations like that.

There are some alarming physical, interpersonal and emotional disconnects going on here. That does not bode well if you hope to have a mature and healthy adult relationship.

 

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What Do Men *Really* Find Attractive?

Most people don’t like my answer and it is bitter reality pill to swallow. Go look at Men’s magazines and tell me they prefer women is big women.
Things I was referring to my friends doing wrong; sleeping with men on first date, getting drunk on first date or initial meeting, saying they have a bf (to the guy!) but still making out/dating other men, being insecure, not having good fashion sense, unambitious. But the point is, the MEN continue to talk to them and hold most of the conversation. Why? Because they are interested in them and these flaws/faults mean nothing because sexual attraction trumps everything for a man. I have been the fat friend in more situations than I can count. Guys have come up to me, talked to me for 15 mins only to then ask me to introduce them to friend. And before you say “WELL JENN YOU MUST BE UGLY HAVE A BAD PERSONALITY” blah blah blah. I have a lot of features people spend money at the plastic surgeons office to acquire. But I am a size 14/16, have read many books on flirting, great fitting clothes, very feminine, and you know what? None of that matters to men. I don’t make the cut. At least I realize the truth and doing something about it instead of complaining or blaming men, lost 80 lbs and still losing. I will know when I lost enough because men will talk to me and not my friends for once.
-GI JANE

The reason why men continue to talk to them and date them is because men don’t care about those things PERIOD. Guys like girls who “get drunk” on dates because it shows she doesn’t have a stick up her ass. Guys like women who have sex on the first date because guys like sex. Fashion sense? No straight guy gives a shit. Unambitious? GUYS DON’T CARE unless the woman is leeching off of him. The reason why none of those things don’t work for you isn’t because you’re overweight. It’s because you probably come off unpleasant and difficult. And yes, you are jealous of these women because they can get away with these things and you can’t. My guess is these women just don’t measure up to your distorted standards. Really? Judging their fashion sense? Yeah, you’re not a catty bitch. PS? guys HATE that. Women like you like to use your weight as an excuse for why you can’t find a man. That way you can blame it on the shallowness of men and not take any responsibility for being unpleasant or uptight.- MOXIE

Wrong.I am not catty at all actually, have been the nice girl for way too long sitting on the sidelines watching others live and smiling waiting for “someone to talk to me” . But now I just accept the truth. And men like women who sleep on the first date? Really? As in relationship material? Your delusional. I haven’t tried these methods that my friends do because I am not that kind of girl, but I have TRIED and failed. Also most girls who get approached don’t need to try, they just stand there and men strike up the conversation. I volunteer, take care of a physically challenged aunt, work in a social service career. Degrees, none of that matters. I don’t care how you slice up my argument, looks will get you in the door and keep you there until you royally f*up. My issue is not jealousy it is that I don’t get a chance in the FIRST place. I am constantly overlooked. Men don’t really try hard with me, they ask for sex pretty early on, which contradicts your point that I must be stuck up, because that is not how men act around Paris Hilton types.- GI JANE

GI Jane speaks a truth that is too hard for some women to bear. The kindest, sweetest, most positive and sensual woman in the world will be overlooked if she is visually unappealing to men. Suggesting that her personality is unpleasant or uptight shows a fundamental lack of understanding about men and dating, and does GI Jane more harm than good.- Yolanda

 

I don’t disagree that looks matter. But if you’re reasonably or even marginally attractive, and you’re not completely insufferable, you can find a man. Maybe not the Don Draper/Rico Suave types many women pine for since they have women throwing themselves at them left and right. But you can find someone. I simply do not buy that a woman is automatically discounted if she isn’t “hot.” Sorry, but personality and demeanor absolutely factor into attraction. If you’re not terribly warm, inviting or interesting, then most men aren’t going to stick around to get to know you. Unless you’re completely unfortunate looking, if you’re nice and engaging and fun to be around and objectively attractive, you can find someone. You might not get the men that the “hotties” get, but boo hoo. 80% of us don’t get those men. If you’re whining about not getting those guys, then the problem is that you are attracted to shallow assholes or men way out of your league and ignore the men that you can more easily attract because you want The Big Fish. Trust me. Get over your need to reel that guy in and you’ll be a lot happier.

As for all the things Jane says her hot friends did “wrong” on their dates, I call jelly. Men don’t judge a woman for getting drunk on dates unless she starts throwing punches. They couldn’t give a rat’s ass about their fashion sense either. Nor do they care if the woman isn’t ambitious. In fact, that actually works for women unless the woman is looking for a meal ticket. Insecurity is fine until it spills over into neurotic self-absorption territory. And yes, secure and confident men don’t care if she sleeps with them on the first date because liking sex is a good thing. These women didn’t get away with these things because they were hot unless the only thing these men cared about were looks.  Women can get away with that behavior because the men actually enjoyed spending time with them. They weren’t caught up in one upping the guy or trying to impress him with their pseudo-intellect. They weren’t trying to act like men. Try it sometime. It’s fun.

Just by saying she’s “not that kind of girl” a woman tips her hand as to how judgmental and uptight she is. That’s a dead give away. I’ve worked literally hundreds of singles event in my career and I know your type. You show up and stand at the bar or pull yourself off to the side and expect men to approach you. You stand there with your chip on your shoulder and look around and cast aspersions on everybody else. Then you can’t fathom why nobody talks to you. Here’s why: because people can smell your insecurity and resentment at fifty yards. Nobody wants to approach someone who gives off a vibe like that.

Instead of bitching about all your female friends, why don’t you spend more time being enjoyable? I’m telling you right now that I have seen women bigger than you work a room and seduce men. So stop blaming your size or your looks or men and start trying to improve your attitude.

 

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If He’s The Type To Think You’re Easy, He’s Not Worth It

Name: Heather
Age: 34
State: California
Question: This is more of a “request” for discussion than a dating question, as you already posted a dating question for me this week, so I feel a bit rude posting in here twice.

I like what you said to me on Twitter:  “If he’s the type to think you’re easy, he’s still going to end up being a douche.”

Notice the progression of events here:

1) Guy X thinks you’re easy (WHORE), therefore..
2) Guy X treats you like crap.

This makes me want to reverse the whole thing (can you tell by now that I’m a PhD student studying rhetoric?)

1) Guy X thinks that you only sleep with Special Boyfriends (VIRGIN), therefore…
2) Guy X treats you like a Goddess.

Notice that in both scenarios, Guy X has the option to judge the woman and change his behavior based on that judgment. The woman, of course, has no power whatsoever.

I’m sure that’s not what you intended, but it does raise a fascinating issue for what I’m dealing with right now in the dating world:

I have a high sex drive. Very, very high. I enact it not only by being “easy” but also by being very giving, enthusiastic, and active in the bedroom. I tend to be pretty horny most of the time.

Sometimes I like to try to “land” a boyfriend who (hopefully) also has a high sex drive, but more often than not I like to sleep around. As you know, OKC and POF make this stupidly easy for most women to accomplish. So I’ve had eight different casual sex partners since March. Always with no expectation of romance or a relationship, but occasionally the guys insist. Seriously I think some men need dinner and a movie to get in the mood :)

Anywhoo, I’m now to a point where I’m “sated” and ready to settle down with a boyfriend. I have a viable candidate in mind, and I’ve already told him that I haven’t had sex since February… because that was the last time I was in a committed long term relationship.

The thing of it is, I don’t like that I have to lie about this. I hate the Virgin/Whore dichotomy, and I hate that I’m buying into it by lying to this guy. But you said it yourself – a woman can’t be considered “easy” by a man.

I’ve never met a man who was willing to treat a woman with respect once he knew that she had been promiscuous in the past. And yet if a guy tells me that he had a bunch of casual sex a couple months ago, but now is looking for something committed, I would be happy to treat him with respect, and I would applaud his decision.

Is there any way out of this “judgment” trap that society set for us 4000 years ago? Or are we forced to play this game? I’m interested in your thoughts.

Thanks for your time,
Heather

Before my friend left to go home for the holidays, we cracked open a bottle of wine and had the “So, what has your OKC experience been like?” talk. We weren’t comparing numbers as much as we were comparing notes. He shared that, in the handful of months he’d been on that site, all of the women he went out with a second time had either had sex with him on the first date or on the second date. (I didn’t ask how many here were. That wasn’t the point of the exercise.) The ones who waited for the second date all did the “you’re not coming home with me tonight” thing that many women like to do. They wouldn’t sleep with him on the first date because first date sex, in their mind, was “bad.” They waited until the second date because, most likely, they rationalized that if a guy sticks around after one date with no sex then he must be truly interested.

What they don’t understand is that if a man is the type to consider a woman easy for enjoying her sexuality, one date isn’t going to matter. These guys want the woman to wait a long time so that they (the men) don’t have to fear that they are just one of many. That has nothing to do with gauging the woman’s virtue. That is all about massaging the man’s ego.

What women don’t understand is that men know what we’re thinking. They know we’re afraid of being considered “slutty.” Like anything else, they go along with our rationalizations and explanations knowing that we’ll eventually put out. These men understand that were merely trying to buy ourselves time so we don’t look “slutty.” As I pointed out to my friend, these women  – the ones who justify or qualify when they decide to have sex – usually go on to be far more trouble than they’re worth. Rather than own their own decisions and manage expectations, they project all of their insecurity onto the guy until things eventually implode.

I think that in the beginning of a relationship, both people need to keep their sexual history to themselves. Personally, I don’t find a man’s sexually history threatening. If my guy told me he had had a series of one night stands before we met, I wouldn’t care. I don’t want to know what he does after that point, of course. But hearing what happened before doesn’t faze me. I think a lot of this really depends on how the information is being shared. There’s something unseemly about a man or woman who brags about all the sex they have. It casts a rather sad light on the person doing the bragging. What’s funny is that if this information is shared publicly, like say on Twitter or a blog, the results are polar opposite depending on the braggarts gender.

A man can blog about all the sex he has and women will still want to be with him and try to date him seriously. Why? Because they like the idea of taming the beast and one upping the women who came before them. A woman, however, could not get away with it. She reeks of insecurity and sadness and ends up being passed around by various brahs who can’t be bothered to actually ask her out. Instead, she might get the last minute or late invite for drinks. She is considered a final option should no others arise. This is where things differ. A man can share his number and the woman will pretend to be intimidated or shocked, but she’s actually pleased that she’s found a man with so much experience. A woman could share her number and the man could be turned off. All of this hinges upon the security level of each person, of course. This is why I don’t advocate that these conversations be had. Ever.Frankly, I find the idea of counting or keeping track of lovers to be juvenile.

The only way out of this judgment trap is either to say nothing and never have this talk, lie or to only date men who have matured beyond the Madonna/Whore ideology. (Those men do exist, by the way. ) There is no logical explanation for why we even need to know about their sexual history beyond their last few test results. Numbers are inconsequential. We really aren’t entitled to know any of that. Whatever happened before you got with one partner should stay in the past out of respect for your partner. A story here or there isn’t an issue. More than that and you’re delving into “baggage” territory.

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Is First Date Sex Always A Mistake?

Name: Kelly
Age: 44
State: Alabama
Question: Is it always the kiss of death to sleep with someone on the first date? Clearly I’m too old to be a naïve young thing, but I went out with someone from online whom I actually really liked. The date stretched into dinner, and I made the decision that I wanted to sleep with this guy. It’s been a very long time for me, getting over a bad breakup from a long relationship, and I hadn’t felt ready until now. I was extremely attracted to him, and it was great sex.

He was a gentleman, texted me next morning, we txted back and forth, he mentioned getting together again sometime, but nothing concrete. He’s 41 btw.

Again, I’m no stranger to casual hookups. At least in my experience, that usually means you prob won’t hear from them unless it’s a booty call. But is it still like that, even in 2012? I live in the south, so it’s prob more conservative than NYC, where I used to live. Or does that have nothing to do with it, and women are still expected to “behave” on the first date?

 

I do not believe that sex on the first date automatically puts you in booty call territory. I do think that that was the case for you in this situation. I don’t think this guy was looking for anything serious in the first place. Which doesn’t mean he was “just looking for sex.” It just means he wasn’t looking for love. He was looking for casual fun. He had it. He got what he wanted. Had you waited 3, 5, 7 dates, he’d still probably have done this.

Any man who still expects a woman to “behave” on a first date has issues. Especially if he doesn’t “behave” himself. Which is why if this guy did judge you for having sex, he’s a douche and you’re better off without him. This is such simple logic, yet it manages to stump so many women.

Here’s the thing about dating nowadays: long term relationships are no longer the norm. “Typical” dating now involves a series of first dates that go nowhere, a smattering of 3 or so dates with the same person, and a few  2-3 months long engagements and the occasional 6+ month romance. The year long plus relationships are no longer as common. Dating is now a very temporary yet intensified process. Especially for those in our age range.

The people who think that “successful dating” involves finding an #omigah boyfriend/girlfriend are people who don’t date much or don’t even get past the first date or two.  Successful dating involves optimizing your options and enjoying the process, free of frustration and confusion and BS. If you never find a long-term brah, but manage to cultivate a nice circle of people you enjoy spending time with while creating a fulfilling and satisfying life on your own without harboring regret and anger and disappointment, you’ve succeeded. Whatever choice you make, own it. No explanations needed to any woman or any man. When things don’t work out, do a little personal inventory and really pare down that list of must-haves to what is really, truly important and necessary.

Even the two labels (boyfriend/girlfriend) means absolutely nothing today. Neither do wedding bands. Marriage is just another promise, but with sparkly jewelery. It doesn’t mean what it used to mean. In these times, the best you can hope for is to find someone who wants to stick around for awhile.

What you have to do is put this guy in the back of your mind and meet someone else. Clearly, it’s not hard for you to get dates. Just remember that guys his age and a bit older have all the cards these days. I’m sorry of this is something you or other women over 35 or so don’t want to hear, but the chances of getting a guy in that age range to settle on just one woman are much slimmer than they once were. So you have to make the best of it. This guy can get anyone from ages 32 to 45 if he wanted. That’s a pretty wide and attractive range for a man. Ergo, he’s not going to be terribly quick to settle on just one. Those men are in high demand, and there is stiff competition. Again I will repeat that women in our age range need to accept the reality of our situation. That being that finding a man who wants to be with us and just us for a significant amount of time is an uphill battle. It’s not impossible. It’s just that it’s not as easy as it used to be. Which is why we need to start optimizing our time in other ways. Either by dating multiple people or becoming more emotionally self-sufficient. It can still happen, of course. It’s not that dire. But it’s better to take control of the situation than to take a passive role and let things happen to us.

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How Will She Get Her Panties Back?

Name: Rebecca
Age: 23
State: New York
Question: Last week, I went out for drinks with a man I’d met online. From the get-go, we had great chemistry and conversation. There was never an awkward moment, and things quickly progressed to the more personal. He confessed he had been married; I confessed I’d been engaged. We told each other all kinds of secrets. And, being both very sexually open people, we started talking about sex and making out. Although I put up a little bit of a fight, I ended up going home with him, and we had sex.

Even after the sex, things seemed to be going well. He said he was “excited” about meeting me. We both wanted the date to continue, so we went out for late-night pancakes. I had to go home to my dog, but he gave me his sweater to wear. We realized I’d accidentally left my panties somewhere in his apartment.

The next morning, he texted to see if I’d gotten home okay and said he’d found my underwear. He suggested a trade-back and came over that afternoon to hang out. We had sex and I returned his clothes, but he forgot to return mine. He sent me a flirty text afterwards saying that I’d just have to see him again if I wanted the underwear back.

A few days later, we exchanged a bunch of cute text messages (in which he was asking questions, engaging in the conversation, etc.) and he hinted he was bored. So, I decided to take initiative and ask him out. “My dog and I are about to go have an adventure, if you’re feeling bored.” Well, I never heard from him again.

If this guy really just wanted a casual hook-up, fine – but then why keep leading me on with flirty texts? Did he actually want something more serious but I spoiled it by sleeping with him? Did I spoil it by asking him on a date?And maybe most importantly–will I ever get my panties back?

 

We both wanted the date to continue, so we went out for late-night pancakes.

Hmm. I have a theory here. I can remember reading a woman’s blog a couple of years ago and she was talking about some younger dude (she was 40) that she had met online. She and this guy had had sex for a series of Sundays (like 3) and so she referred to him as Sunday Boy. She was terribly proud of the fact that she managed to get this young brah to sleep with her on a somewhat weekly basis. She said that she and the guy would get together at his place, have sex and then they’d go out to grab a bite to eat after. This was the drill every time. I can remember thinking, as I read her story, that going out to eat after the sex was more a sly way to get her out of his apartment than any sort of gesture of genuine interest.

If I’m following your story correctly, you and this guy met up for a first date and then went back to his place for the sexy time and then you two decided to go for pancakes, yes? Ok. Here’s a novel way for a date to continue: sleep over. Having to get up and get dressed and leave a warm bed post-coitus is kind of the opposite of continuing a date. (Dog or no dog.) The post-hook-up chit chat and lounging around and falling asleep together, in my opinion, is the best part. That’s where things begin to take a more substantive turn. It is by no means an indicator that he wants to be your #omigahboyfriend, but it is a sign that he enjoys your company beyond the sex or is at least willing to pretend to. This guy wasn’t even willing to pretend. It was sex and then exit stage left. The line was drawn.

When you suggest taking things to a non-sexual/more emotional place, he disappears. There is your answer. He’ll resurface, I’m sure. But the flirty text exchange was really just a way for him to try and get you to hook-up again and nothing more.

As for your panties, forget ‘em. That’s like when women”accidentally” leave earrings at a guy’s place. Sometimes you genuinely forget. More often it’s done somewhat intentionally so as to provide an excuse to contact the guy.

I would play it cool and let this guy come back around. Just understand that he’s not looking for anything terribly involved. He’ll text you in a few days, once he feels there’s been enough distance and you’ve detached a bit.

I eagerly await all of the comments from folks who tell you how stupid you were for having sex with the guy and how he doesn’t respect you and you were a pump and dump. Even if you hadn’t slept with him his respect level would be exactly the same. The sex was not why this guy behaved the way he did. He was going to do this whether you slept with him after one date or after ten.

It’s unfortunate, but you just can’t read too much into anything that is said or done in situations like this. Offering up confessions and revealing secrets is often just a strategy. It’s done to establish or create a sense of intimacy. You can’t place much emphasis or importance on something like that. Sometimes the mood just takes over and we feel comfortable. Other times we are intentionally looking for a way to establish a connection. If someone just wants a meal or attention or sex, they’re going to do whatever they need to do to ensure that they get what they want. There’s no guarantee that if they do/say XYZ that they’re being genuine. It’s all part of the process. The only thing we can do is remain detached and only give of ourselves what we can without regretting it after the fact. We’re not wrong or bad or stupid for believing or trusting or going with a particular flow. The more we do this, the more we build up a tolerance and understanding of how things work.

Take a few steps back and go meet someone else. It’s as easy as that. If he comes back around, great. Throw him up on the board as a possible option as you continue filling your roster.

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Does How He Asks You Out & How Much He Spends Really Matter?

Yesterday one of my favorite dating-related columnists, Mandy , wrote an article for XOJane entitled, How to Ask Out a Woman if You Really Like Her, and Also How to F the S Out Of Her Brains.

2. Here’s the magic formula to ask a woman out.

Do a firm, decisive ask. Not, “We should get a drink sometime.” If you are a guy who makes a woman ask you out, there’s something fucking wrong with you. Love and light and all, but that often means you have serious commitment and decision-making issues. If a commitment to a single time and date and location for dinner is too much to handle? Oh, boy.

I also get turned off by the request for just drinks. Like, dude. Invest $100. If you actually like her, fucking do it. So here’s how:

“Hey [Woman], I’d love to take you to dinner on [Specific Date and Time Next Week] at [Specific Nice Restaurant Where You Will Then Make a Reservation]. Does that work for you?” Specific. This is a major panty-peeler.

Confidence. Knowing who you are. Being able to ask a woman to dinner. THIS IS HOT. Shows you are going places! You know yourself! You are a man of action! You are getting shit done! You are your highest self! Hooray for YOU, dude! If she says no? Whatever. On to the next one, you know?

Personally, I don’t give a hoot how a man asks me out. In the past year or so I’ve met men both offline and on, and the invitations are always the same.

“We should get a drink.”

Yes. Yes we should. I don’t care who does the choosing or how the invitation is worded or whether they text or call. (Christ on a pony, can we get past that one, too?) The build up doesn’t matter to me. What transpires on the date does. I prefer drink dates because I like to have a cocktail or two or three. I like stuffing one dollar bills into music players mounted on walls and listening to old music. I like sitting at a bar and having a guy inch his stool closer and closer to me. I also really, really enjoy make out sessions (yes, sometimes even in said bar)  that are infused with a heady buzz from Blue Moons or Shiraz.  If I want to dress up, I’ll dress up. I don’t mind if I’m over dressed. The pre-date getting ready is fun for me. I enjoy it. It gives me an excuse to get my hair blown out and a new manicure and drink a glass of wine and play Madonna really, really loudly.

If a guy is dating online and he’s relatively attractive and socially skilled he’s getting at least a couple of dates a week. That can get expensive. That’s why most men suggest the simple drinks date. Most of my guys friends easily spend $75-$100 or more on first dates. They take their dates to trendy lounges. They’re not scouring Yelp for cheap happy hours or clipping coupons.  PS? No coupons or gift certificates on a first date. Ever. Also put a moratorium on scouting out happy hour specials. Bad first date idea. The drinks will be watered down and you’ll look cheap.

I understand the desire to have a “grown up” date. One where you meet cute and flirt and bat your eyes and giggle until he asks you to dinner. Everything goes perfectly well on the date. It ends with the guy walking you to your door and kissing you on the forehead good night. Then he tells you he had a great time. Yes, that is a sweet notion. It’s just not realistic.

In Manhattan, plenty of men will walk a woman to the subway or to her apartment building strictly to see if she’ll invite him up. I always chuckle inside when guys offer to walk me home or “see me home” under the guise of being polite. (Though my friend M. always walks me home after we go for drinks and he has no interest in sleeping with me, so I might be rushing to judgement on this one.) The ones I feel are genuine or the ones I think I might want to invite upstairs win that honor. The rest? I just wave my Metro Card and tell them I’ll be fine and thank them for the nice night. If the guys aren’t interested, the woman is lucky to have him walk her to the curb to get a cab. The ones just in it for sex don’t even try to pretend to be chivalrous.

Not every date is going to resemble your favorite Rom Com. And that’s okay.  People are busy. Many of us are juggling dates. It’s hard to be “special” when you’re date number two that week. That’s not romantic, I know. But that’s how things are now. We’re usernames from a dating site or an avatar on Twitter or Facebook. We are a number.  Dating has, to some degree, become a little impersonal. That’s why you shouldn’t take stuff like this personally.

It doesn’t have to be all about you in order for it to be a good  date. You can make it a great date all on your own just by being present and enjoying it.

 

 

 

 

 

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