What if 30% of American men aged 18 to 30 never flirted with a woman or asked for her phone number?

[Boojatta]

[Flaneur]

1. I have no fucking clue what you're on about with this one.

But that's not unusual with this poster.

[Boojatta]

2. Does "this poster" refer to you or does it refer to me?

[rug]

3. You'll get skewed results if you post this poll on an internet message board.

[Boojatta]

4. "if you post this poll on an internet message board"

Your dedication to representative samples is admirable, but your warning arrived too late. This poll has now been posted.

[foo_bar]

9. I doubt it would describe the universe any better with random participants

Anyone who plods through all the potential responses is already self selecting for an ability to stomach thinly veiled misogyny.

[Boojatta]

15. Please specify at least one answer option that shouldn't have been provided.

Also, please formulate at least one answer option that ought to have been, but wasn't, included.

[foo_bar]

18. it's hard for me to say, my eyes rolled all the way back to my head halfway through

File under "nonresponse bias".

[Boojatta]

20. "it's hard for me to say"

When your eyes roll all the way back, is the cause always exposure to misogyny? Even if the cause always is exposure to misogyny, isn't it possible that you were exposed to some misogyny via your peripheral vision, coincidentally at the time that you were reading the poll answer options?

[Jackpine Radical]

23. You probly won't get skewed

if you don't hit on anyone.

[rug]

30. That's the problem with polling internet addicts in the first place.

[deadmessengers]

5. now where's that bunny-pancake picture when I need it n/t

[Boojatta]

7. Is it a real picture of a bunny with a pancake on the head, or just a photo-shopped one?

We need an authentic picture of a bunny with a pancake on the head, or we are doomed to remain in the realm of purely hypothetical bunny-pancake situations.

In 1928, when the economy had reached a permanently high plateau, only a fool would have asked, "what if the stock market crashes next year?"

[Cirque du So-What]

6. What in pluperfect hell does 30% have to do with this question?

Would 25% or 40% make a difference? Who cares anyway?

[Boojatta]

11. It's just a hypothetical, chosen to be...

... enough to matter (e.g., one tenth of one percent wouldn't be noticed)

... but not so much as to strain the imagination (e.g., it wouldn't suddenly become 70% without first arriving at 30% and attracting attention at 30%. Also, poll participants might be unable to imagine it ever actually reaching 70%).

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. This is a trick question.... all of the above. n/t

[timeforpeace]

10. When polls become stream of consciousness essays, the terrorists have won.

[blondeatlast]

12. 10 responses, a single vote--let me guess whose... nt

[Boojatta]

16. Go ahead and guess. Your guess is as good as mine.

[undeterred]

13. Maybe they're gay.

[surrealAmerican]

14. What do you suppose the current percentage is?

Assuming that about 10% of men in that age group are gay, and perhaps another 10 to 20% are socially inept, or think they don't stand a chance; I'd say there would be no difference.

[Boojatta]

17. Well, I assumed that it was less than 30%.

Of course, my assumption was just a guess, and you raised an important point that needs to be considered.

[katkat]

19. that would be demoralizing

flirt, make out, whatever, just use birth control.

[bluestateguy]

21. You post a lot of incomprehensible gibberish, you know that?

nt

[Boojatta]

22. Well, at least I don't make the body of my message a statement that the message has no body. n/t

[EFerrari]

24. Hey, I love these polls. Speak for yourself!

[Edweird]

25. None of the above. How do we know that already isn't the case?

How many men are currently incapable of initiating contact with women?

[hayu_lol]

26. If that were to happen...

then 30% of 16 year old girls would be dating 31 year old men wouldn't they?

[Edweird]

32. It's not 1-for-1 out there.

Some guys get lots of girls. Some get none. Unless things have changed dramatically since I was that age, plenty of teenage girls prefer older guys for a number of reasons.

[mzmolly]

27. My vote currently speaks for 11% of those (average age unknown) particpating

at DU, at present.

[proteus_lives]

28. What's the point of the poll?

[TlalocW]

29. My vote

That would be bad. Lack of experience would make 30% of American men aged 18 to 30 less competent socially. (first one)

Mainly because that's my situation. :) I can think of flirting once as it was done as an obvious joke between 18 and 30 in San Antonio. A friend of mine and I were on the Riverwalk, and one of the restaurants had an attractive Mexican-American waitress out front, and she asked us, "Do you want to come in for a margarita." I replied as nerdily and stiffly as I could, "That depends. Is your name Margarita? Hot-cha hot-cha!" It took her a second, but she clued into my type of sense of humor and started laughing with my friend.

Anyway, I've lost out on many opportunities because I never caught onto when girls liked me because I'm so socially incompetent. :)

TlalocW

[hayu_lol]

31. The Riverwalk, even in early '54, was...

a really neat place.

[AndyA]

33. Maybe they're gay and don't care to date women? n/m

[inna]

34. funny thread.

perhaps belonging in the lounge, but...

[FreedomRain]

35. Reason posted

"That would be bad for a reason not listed above, and to be posted in this thread."

30% Would have been my rough guess for the actual number anyway. It is bad because that leaves the jerks to get all the women. (Not that all extroverts are jerks , maybe only 1/3 of them.)

[treestar]

36. Do you really want women taking the initiative?

Aggressive women are really scary to men and often labeled "desperate."

[JonQ]

38. Not necessarily

just like guys can be deemed either charming and confident, or creepy and stalkerish for pursuing a woman. All depends on the execution (being easy on the eyes and well off doesn't hurt either).

[BlueJazz]

37. To get to the other side.

[JonQ]

39. Probably would lead to more equality

when it comes to who is going to the extra effort to impress members of the opposite sex.

Not sure why there are so many angry responses to this poll.

[Common Sense Party]

40. If those 30% are married, they shouldn't be flirting with anyone else

except their spouse.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

41. What kind of stupid fucking question is this?

hypothectical or not it's unrealistic.

[trackfan]

42. What leads you to assume that more than 70% have done such?

[Liberal In Texas]

43. What IF?!....

Men had NO penises?
Men could have babies?
Women were slave masters that needed no men and procreated by artificial insemination? Or cloning?
We could wish people into the cornfield?
There was magic we could buy in a shop? (Real magic!)
Al Gore was President?
Al Franken was President?
Sara Palin was President?
There was no gas?
Nobody ate meat?
Aliens invade?
Nobody liked you anymore?

I mean you can set up all kinds of "what if" scenarios. All most all science fiction is based on it.

Men not flirting with women? Are you a member of some advance party of extraterrestrials coming to Earth from Venus where women rule to change society?

I nominate this as the stupidest post and poll of the week.

[FreeState]

44. I love it when people assume everyone is not gay

Seriously - nothing like assuming there are no gay men...