Men Enjoy Shopping, but Many Don't Like Strip Clubs - Who Knew?

Esquire asked 1,032 men a series of questions about topics related to masculinity - everything from going to strip clubs to watching sports on tv to the number of close friends they have. The answers defy stereotypes - for example, most men do not enjoy going to strip clubs, don't mind shopping for new clothes (although shopping for cars, not so much), and nearly half the men do not drink any night of the week, on average.

In general, this survey reveals that old school masculine gender codes are falling to the wayside.

Full results from Esquire are below the Reuters summary.

Who knew? Men enjoy shopping, but many don't like strip clubs: poll

By Patricia Reaney January 21, 2014



Shoppers ride the escalator at Macy's Herald Square in New York
NEW YORK (Reuters) - About half of men in the United States enjoy shopping for clothes, many don't like going to strip clubs and it is typical for males under the age of 44 to have sexted someone, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

Esquire magazine surveyed more than 1,000 men in an online survey that looked at male behavior. It showed it is normal for men to say "I love you" frequently and to have cried sometime during the past month.

And while there is nothing unusual about men using cologne, it is more uncommon for males to get a spray tan or color their hair.

"A lot of men have sneaking suspicions that what they say or do is not normal by traditional definitions of manhood, from how much they care about sports and cars to their taste in music and movies," Richard Dorment, senior editor at Esquire, said in an interview.

The concept of masculinity has become more expansive and elastic, he added, while the need to conform and fit in seems to lessen with age.

For the survey, Esquire asked 1,032 men on topics ranging from cooking dinner for family and friends, strip clubs and going to concerts to sexting - sending sexually explicit messages by text - and how often they have sex.

It found that the men believed it is normal to say "I love you" frequently and that they have cried in the past month.

"There are some things about manhood as it existed in previous generations that are still more or less the same, particularly the interest and emphasis on sports and the excitement that men get from watching and playing sports," said Dorment.

But other behaviors have been become mainstream in a way that Dorment believes expands on the long-held definition of normal.

Shedding tears is normal, as is using moisturizer, hair products and sexting, depending on a man's age.

"If you are under 45, it is not really weird to have sexted someone at some point in your life," said Dorment, "If you are over 45, it is atypical."

Having sex more than twice a week over the age of 45 is not normal, the poll showed, as is not having sex at all for males under that age.

Twenty-six percent of African American men said they had a manicure in the last six months or longer, compared to 7 percent of Caucasians and 10 percent of the general male population.

Men over 60 also were twice as likely to think of themselves as normal as men under 30.

The results of the survey can be found here.

"The thing that deeply surprised us, that we have the statistical data for, is how the definition of conventional, masculine behavior has expanded to include all the things that up until a few years ago were considered totally alien," said Dorment.

The online poll has a margin of error of +/- three percentage points.

(Editing by Eric Kelsey and Amanda Kwan)

Ask Men - The 2011 Great Male Survey

Ask Men does a yearly survey of its readers to find out what men think about a variety of subjects - over the years, the results have often been in opposition to prevailing stereotypes about men. Obviously the results are skewed to their readers, which then means to those who own computers and spend time reading blogs about men and men's issues. Even so, it's interesting stuff to look at each year.

2011 Great Male Survey

Who is "the modern man"? What does he look for in a partner, and does he make an effort to be romantic? How much effort does he put into his appearance, how does he stay in touch with friends and what standards of professionalism does he hold himself to? Instead of getting a social critic to tell you who you are, we decided to ask you. This summer, more than 70,000 of you (and your female counterparts) responded to the 2011 Great Male Survey and the 2011 Great Female Survey on our partner site Cosmopolitan.com. Here are the results -- concrete data and actual numbers -- that shed serious light on how the modern man thinks and behaves professionally, romantically and in his downtime, in 2011.

Looking for even more insights into manhood? Make sure you check out our new data-driven site at www.greatmalesurvey.com, which launches August 1, 2011.

Here are some of the results for the Men in 2011 section - there are also Dating & Sex and Lifestyle sections.
 

Q1         Which gender is winning?   
55%         It's not a competition.   
28%         Men.   
17%         Women.    

Q2         How should America reboot the economy?   
35%         Save more money through budget cuts.   
23%         None of the above.   
17%         Revolution.   
14%         Spend more money, such as on stimulus.   
11%         Wait it out.    

Q3         Is America still a superpower?   
71%         Yes, but one that is on the decline.   
24%         Yes, as much as it has ever been.   
5%         No.   

Q4         What keeps you up at night?   
42%         Nothing. I sleep like a baby.   
26%         Anxiety about my relationships.   
23%         Anxiety about my work.   
9%         Anxiety about the state of the world.    

Q5         How do you usually share articles you've read or websites you've discovered with family and friends?   
36%         In person.   
32%         On Facebook.   
21%         Over email.   
5%         Through text message.   
3%         Over the phone.   
2%         On another social network.   
1%         On Twitter.  

Q6         How do you usually recommend purchases to family and friends?   
70%         In person.   
10%         Over the phone.   
8%         Over email.   
7%         Through text message.   
5%         Over Facebook.   
1%         Over another social network.   
-1%         Over Twitter.   

Q7         Which of the following do you consider most likely to exist?   
47%         Aliens.   
31%         Angels.   
12%         None of the above.   
10%         Ghosts.   
0%         Vampires.    

Q8         Should we increase our use of nuclear power?   
47%         Yes.   
23%         No, it is too dangerous.   
18%         No, it is environmentally unfriendly.   
12%         No, for another reason.    

Q9         Do you feel your country is prepared in the case of a natural disaster similar to the earthquakes / tsunamis that recently hit Japan?   
60%         No.   
21%         Yes.   
19%         I'm not sure.   

Q10         When is a political assassination justified?   
35%         In wartime.   
31%         Never.   
30%         When it is an act of preemptive defense.   
4%         When it is an act of revenge.    

Q12         Which type of workout do you perform most regularly?   
30%         Weightlifting.   
21%         Some other type of workout.   
18%         Running   
14%         I don't work out.   
7%         Biking.   
5%         P90X or other home DVD.   
4%         Swimming.   
1%         Personal Trainer.   

Q14         If you could only have one child, would you prefer it to be a boy or a girl?   
53%         A boy   
33%         Either or   
14%         A girl   

Q15         Which of the following superheroes would you most want to be?   
32%         Superman.   
25%         Batman.   
21%         Iron Man.   
17%         X-Men.   
5%         Captain America.   

Q16         Where do you get most of your news on a daily basis?   
73%         Online.   
12%         TV.   
6%         Social-media.   
6%         Newspaper.   
3%         Some other source.    

Q25         If you're in a relationship, is "sexting" with someone else considered cheating?   
74%         Yes, absolutely.   
14%         No, as long as no one is sending naked photos.   
12%         No, it is harmless fun.    

Q26         How did you last break up with someone?   
55%         In person.   
21%         None.   
16%         On the phone.   
7%         Via text message.   
1%         Via Facebook message.   
0%         Via Facebook status change.   

Q27         Which of the following poses the biggest threat to the United States?   
46%         The United States.   
28%         China.   
11%         North Korea.   
9%         Iran.   
6%         Pakistan.   

Q32         Which of the following characteristics best defines a "real man" in 2011?   
48%         Being a great father and husband who takes care of his family.   
23%         Being a great leader and motivator.   
11%         Having manly skills, like the ability to fix things.   
8%         None of the above.   
5%         Being charismatic and popular.   
3%         Being wealthy.   
2%         Being a great seducer and/or lover.    

Q33         Of the choices below, which female public figure are you most tired of hearing about?  29%         Lady Gaga.   
25%         Sarah Palin.   
17%         Kim Kardashian.   
15%         Lindsay Lohan.   
8%         None of the above.   
3%         Kate Middleton.   
3%         Pippa Middleton.   

Q34         Of the choices below, which male public figure are you most tired of hearing about?   
47%         Justin Bieber.   
20%         Charlie Sheen.   
12%         Barack Obama.   
8%         Donald Trump.   
6%         None of the above.   
4%         Prince William.   
3%         Mark Zuckerberg.   
0%         Arnold Schwarzenegger.    

Q41         Has Obama changed the international perception of the United States?   
38%         Yes, for the better.   
22%         Yes, for the worse.   
21%         I don't know / I don't care.   
19%         No.  

Poll Finds Majority Of Male Voters Would Have Elected Naked Woman [NSFW]

OK, a little humor about men and naked women - if you are easily offended, please do not read any further, just move on to another post on this blog.

If you are cool with satire, which often contains a bit of truth, then this piece from The Onion is funny. Many of the men I know would prefer an attractive naked woman to just about anything, so this isn't a stretch.

I'm sure some people might find this to be sexist, and it may be in some contexts. However, I consider myself to be very non-sexist, and yet I admire the beauty of the female form (and the male form, for that matter) - the human body can be a work of art - and to enjoy the nude female form (or the male form) is not objectifying women (or men). For me, it is an aesthetic experience. Healthy bodies are beautiful.

Oh yeah, if you are at work, don't read this - there is mild nudity.

Poll Finds Majority Of Male Voters Would Have Elected Naked Woman

November 11, 2010 | ISSUE 46•45

WASHINGTON—A CNN/Gallup Poll released Monday revealed that a vast majority of registered male voters would have strongly supported a naked woman in the 2010 midterm elections.

Enlarge Image

Respondents also requested a longer, hard-copy version of the poll be sent to their home addresses.

The online survey found that regardless of political philosophy or party affiliation, 85 percent of American men in every ethnic, age, and socioeconomic group consistently chose a completely nude woman over a Democratic, Republican, or independent candidate.

"Male voters from 18 to 85 were shown pictures of the candidates running in the midterms elections and then a picture of a naked lady," head pollster Gerald Walton said. "Across the board, they favored the naked lady."

"Even in highly contested Senate races in Colorado, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, it would have been a naked-lady sweep," Walton added. "And a naked woman would have easily been elected governor in all 37 states where the office was up for grabs."

According to the survey, 52 percent of respondents who preferred the naked woman said that nipple visibility was more important than job creation; 26 percent would accept higher taxes in exchange for a close-up view of her pubic region; and 18 percent stipulated that none of the good parts should be obscured by her hands if she wanted to earn their vote.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents asked for additional polls featuring a naked lady.

• Poll

  
• Cast Your Vote

"In this political climate, there is absolutely no way 84-year-old, 29-term Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) could have withstood a challenge from a naked woman," Walton said. "Especially one with lips that pert and skin that milky. Those breasts are also quite something. Really impressive."

The poll results confirmed that including a naked woman on the ballot would have dramatically improved voter turnout among Caucasian, Latino, African-American, Asian, white-collar, blue-collar, wealthy, middle-class, poor, young, elderly, and middle-aged males. Among those questioned, the most frequently cited reasons for supporting the nude woman included her wearing no bra or panties, standing up straight with a puffed-out chest, and being naked.

In addition, exit polls indicated a 94 percent approval rating for the naked lady among male voters, with a majority saying they liked the direction she would probably take the country in. While 8 percent of men were not totally confident that the naked woman would do a better job running the nation than other candidates, this minority was quickly rebuffed by the 90 percent who said that nobody talks about her that way and "don't even think about touching her."

"I would have voted for the naked lady," Carson City, NV resident David Stefano told reporters. "Definitely."

According to Beltway insiders, though the picture of the naked lady is extremely popular at the moment, in order for her to be a viable candidate, voters would need to know her position on several key issues, such as whether she plans on gaining weight, her stance on kissing one or more naked women at the same time, and cap and trade.

However, the political future for unclothed women appears promising.

"Right now the path for a naked lady to take control of the White House in 2012 is wide open, because every state would be in play," NBC News political director Chuck Todd said Friday, adding that even a woman wearing a sheer fabric draped over her bare body could ascend to the presidency as long as the garment was see-through. "I have never seen the male electorate more electrified. And we also shouldn't underestimate how a naked woman could potentially take advantage of the young-confused-female- college-student vote."

A follow-up CNN.com poll later indicated that 92 percent of suburban male voters preferred a naked woman to the United Nations while 78 percent would choose "a totally nude lady who is well-groomed" over peace in the Middle East.

Tags: humor, satire, nudity, politics, poll, men, women, The Onion, Poll Finds Majority Of Male Voters Would Have Elected Naked Woman