Friday 25 May 2012

It is a truth universally acknowledged that men don't like a strong come-on*


I have a male friend – more an acquaintance - who delights in telling me, with scathing glee, the shameful details of women's pitiful come-ons. Now, before I continue I want to make it clear that these judgements are what I perceive his to be, and definitely are not my own.

One instance went something like this:

"Oh that Hayley, she's a bit full-on! She was pressing herself up against me, grinding against my crotch."

Another time, he spoke of a girl who came on to his friend:

"She was like, 'your place or mine', and we were like, 'neither!'" [sniggerguffawchortle nudgewink]

Putting aside the actions of these women, (and trying my absolute hardest not to get drawn in to wondering what these men say about me behind my back...) I would like to analyse this man's motivation a little. I can think of several possible reasons for so publicly shaming these women (and I'm sure there are more that I haven't even thought of):

Boasting
Would it be too much of a bold declaration to say that anyone would be flattered by such come-ons? Maybe these comments were made to me – and perhaps others – as a way of saying: "I am desirable. I am attractive." They certainly were said with a strutting aura, chest puffed proudly out in a thoroughly cock-a-hoop manner.

To inspire competitiveness
Perhaps this particular man gets kicks out of turning women on each other, so that they each give him their positive attention. Perhaps he was trying to imply – imply but not declare mind you – that the attentions of other women were unsolicited, beyond his control, whereas his attentions to me were of his choosing. I don't mean to say that he favoured me over these other women – more that he meant to highlight to me my 'rival' and set me a challenge to better her.

Discomfort
There is a chance, of course, that my friend simply felt uncomfortable with the behaviour of these women, and needed some way of releasing this discomfort - in the same way that girls sometimes bitch about their friends when they are feeling insecure themselves. Perhaps being in receipt of overtly sexual behaviour was intimidating, and injured his sense of decency. Maybe he wanted to disassociate himself – not only with the women in question – but also with behaviour that he felt did not represent his own values.


Perhaps he is one of those men who – whatever he might say publicly – secretly feels that women who come on to men are somehow defying their nature, and transgressing from acceptable behaviour. Perhaps he subconsicouly feels emasculated: it is for him to act, to move, to enter.

To be perfectly honest, I haven't got a fucking clue.

And does anyone?

I see in so many magazines, blogs, TV shows, sweeping generalisations about "what men (or women) really want". On his website - gettheguy.co.uk – dating guru Matthew Hussey says: "when you’re out with your friends do not laugh excessively at every joke men make, dance too sexily or get too drunk!" (Well that's me fucked then – and not in the literal sense.)

Personally, I think these generalisations are a load of bullcrap.

When I was growing up, reading teen magazines, I was convinced that "boys don't like girls who wear too much make-up". Now, while I am certain that this is true of some/many men, I know others that definitely prefer a woman who "takes care of herself".

Similarly, there must be some men out there who would love it for a woman to go up to them and grind against their crotch, and when Hayley meets one of these men it might be happy-ever-after for her. In the meantime, I hope she remains blissfully unaware of the dishonourable judgements that are made of her.

Having said that, in my own mission to be more aware of the perceptions of others, I am going to be guarded about my approach to men - by, well, not actually approaching them - and then I'll see if any of them really do have the balls they supposedly wish women didn't have.

*source: massivegeneralisations.com

Sunday 13 May 2012

Snogging a friend doesn't make me a prick-tease



It was only a kiss!

So, I kissed a male friend a few weeks ago. We were drunk. We were out with our bunch of friends. We were sat next to each other, affectionately leaning on one another, we looked at each other... smiled... kissed. Just a little snog. It was nice.

Now, I can be truthful, because I am open and agenda free. I like this guy, I think he's hot. I would snog him again if I thought he wanted to. But I can also very comfortably (in other words, without feeling rejection or heartache) maintain a completely non-sexual friendship with him.

But something somewhere has gone wrong. I'm not sure exactly what, but I think one of the following phrases might have been triggered in his mind:

Prick-tease
Easy
Bunny Boiler

Prick-tease
I didn't sleep with him. I didn't invite him home with me when I left shortly afterwards. Was there an expectation that I would? Does a woman these days need to have a pre-snog agreement stating clearly what might and might not happen? Was I considered under an obligation to make him come? I certainly got this impression from a muttered (inaudible) comment in a contemptous tone.

Easy
Now here I must confess that two weeks later, seeing no prospect of further affection/romance/sexiness with my friend, I snogged a friend of his. Was this an insult to Snoggee Number One? Was I too free with my tongue? Did I cheapen myself? Is it sluttish to snog two men within a month of each other? Perhaps more sluttish if they are friends...

Bunny Boiler
I made every conscious effort to continue my friendship with Snoggee Number One as "normal" – to be no more or less flirty than I normally would be. I did text to say that I liked the snog (without receiving any response at all), but I didn't ask for anything more. And yet when I saw him in a group of friends and gave him attention (a chat, a cuddle), I got a feeling that he was trying to brush me off.

The rant begins...
Read those three terms again. What nasty, shitty little phrases to describe women! And how impossible for a single woman to avoid all three! It was only a kiss! Why does it have to mean anything? If I had managed to avoid the label of 'prick-tease' by sleeping with him, then I would automatically have gained the accolade of 'easy'. And simply by trying to maintain a friendship I have opened myself up to the charge of being a needy Bunny Boiler.

If a man can casually snog a woman without being a fanny-tease, easy or needy, why can't the same nonchalance be attributed to the woman?

And yet I felt whispers and sniggers behind my back when I was out with my group of friends last. WTF? It feels like I am 15 again, rather than being a little over twice that age. Sure, I realise that I can, could have (should have?) controlled my own actions, and having failed to do so must reap the consequences. But it's pretty fucking frustrating first of all to not be able to just shrug it off and for everyone to get over it, and second to not even know which particular brand of contempt Snoggee holds me in – the prick-tease brand, the easy brand or the bunny-boiler brand.

Yes, I am a grown woman, and I ought to just bite the bullet and ask. But you see my coffin is made – and my headstone is inscribed – and whatever my words or actions now, they will be interpreted with that inscription as an explanation.

Whatever happened to romance?

In her blog "the problem with slut-bashing" Justine Musk writes about an American term 'dinner whore', which is basically a woman who goes out for dinner with a guy then doesn't sleep with him. Er... as Justine says: "I think we used to call that a date."

What happened to just going with the flow? Why does a woman have to make a commitment; to sex, a relationship, whatever, before anything has even happened? I'm scared even to admit to fancying someone because I know the people around me will react with certain expectations.

I almost feel like writing on my forehead: "If I kiss you, it is because I find you attractive. However, I will not have sex until I feel it is right. Should you decide before this time that you are not interested, your rabbit will be quite safe."

I will check my own behaviour. I will be more careful how I come across to others (perhaps snogs are for private, not to be undertaken in a room full of people).

But I will also hold my head up high when I am poorly judged, knowing that I am:

romantic – rather than a prick-tease
open to possibilities – rather than easy
affectionate – rather than a bunny boiler.