Why Old French Women Have Great Sex (WP)

[kurth]

French Women Don't Get Fat and Do Get Lucky
By Pamela Druckerman
Sunday, February 10, 2008; B02

PARIS

If I have to get old, I want to do it in Paris. It's not because of the dank weather, the constant personal snubs or a fetish for unpasteurized cheese. It's because, quite frankly, I'd like to keep having sex.

In the United States, my odds would be grim. Through our 40s, we American women manage to arrange romps on a fairly regular basis. But the latest national statistics show that by our 50s, a third of us haven't had sex in the last year. By our 60s, nearly half have gone sexless in the previous year. Once we hit our 70s, most of us might as well hang up an "out of business" sign. (Needless to say, men fare much better.)

So much for the gym-bodied baby boomers who promised to make 60 the new 40, using Botox as an aphrodisiac. Among today's 50-plus women, the problem of sexlessness is as bad or worse than it was for older women two decades ago.

But not in France. Frenchwomen simply don't suffer from the same dramatic, post-40s slide into sexual obsolescence. Just 15 percent of Frenchwomen in their 50s and 27 percent in their 60s haven't had any sex in the past year, according to a 2004 national survey by France's Regional Health Observatory. Another national survey being released next month will report that cohabiting Frenchwomen over 50 are having more sex now than they did in the early 1990s.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020801607.html

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Since it's all self-reporting, I'm skeptical

I should say, I assume this is self-reporting, in both France and the U.S., but it seems a reasonable assumption.

So I'm skeptical about American men and French women doing so much better.

[freeplessinseattle]

2. so who's lying, the French or the Americans? or both? n/t

[DavidDvorkin]

5. Both the French women and the American men

[girl gone mad]

35. Ever been to France?

I was actually surprised by the difference in attitudes compared to Americans. Age is not considered a turn off like it is here. Many of their sex symbols are well past middle age. They aren't as culturally obsessed with youth, and age and experience are looked at with positivity. When I went places with my stepmother in France (who is absolutely stunning at age 50), men would gawk at her all the time. American men hardly give her the time of day. It's that black and white.

Funny, cause the happiest Americans I know have spent a lot of time in France and adopted a similar attitude towards life.

[DavidDvorkin]

41. Yes.

[redwitch]

43. A handsome Frenchman stared at me on the metro last March

in a way that made me blush. I am 51 and have been unused to that for some time. It was a lovely ego boost. He wasn't creepy about it, he didn't approach me, but I was obviously being admired. I felt beautiful. :-)

[Pachamama]

46. I'm in my 40's my mother is early 60's and she is Danish and stunning...

Whenever my mother and I are traveling in Europe, she still turns heads. She hasn't had any work done and she has beautiful skin (stayed out of the sun) and takes care of her body and dresses great. What's interesting is that Men of all ages will flirt with her and its the Italians and the French in particular. I too get the same reactions although I don't consider early 40's to be "old". But then again, if you asked my Mom, she doesn't consider herself old. And I think that's what its really all about. I think in Europe there are much different views on the age and beauty of men and women. I also can honestly say that it seems to be predominantly American men (and some Asian) that consume the majority of Viagra. I think most of the French and Italian men would exhaust their women in bed if they consumed Viagra. And they love the women and the women love them back.

And you know what - that man on the Metro did think you were beautiful and he appreciated your beauty and let you know it. More American men should take note of how they can make women feel. :hi:

I love my husband (who is American) but if I ever found myself single in my 50's or 60's, I can assure you, I'd be living out my final years of life in Europe :)

[Dan]

47. just maybe

I was thinking about this "...that man on the Metro did think you were beautiful and he appreciated your beauty and let you know it. More American men should take note of how they can make women feel..." and I wonder have you given thought to the idea that a lot of American men might be afraid of getting hit with some legal action for 'taking note'...

[Missy Vixen]

66. Interesting comment

>have you given thought to the idea that a lot of American men might be afraid of getting hit with some legal action for 'taking note'...<

There's a difference between harassment and admiration. If a woman can't differentiate, I wonder about her. Then again, I've heard people on this website intimate that someone else was a "stalker" for admitting interest in a woman and wondering how he might get to know her better, so maybe my thoughts are outdated.

Seriously: Wouldn't the vast majority of women be touched and flattered to know that someone found them attractive?

Julie

[Dan]

89. Well, I've limited experience being female

so, you would have to answer that...

I just think from a male's perspective - that are lots of concerns... valid or not. <smile>

[Iris]

76. on a bus?

Honey, if I tried to take legal action every time a man has looked at me, I'd be spending all my days in court.

[Mandate My Ass]

94. Yes, you're absolutely correct

I've been to France several times, most recently two years ago with my sister and a friend (we're all 35-45 yrs old). A French man approached our friend and said she bore a striking resemblance to Barbara Streisand and told her she was equally as lovely. She was sure he was being sarcastic and told him so. He was very genuinely taken aback and said in France she is considered among the sexiest of famous American women. :shrug:

[guitar man]

69. I'm skeptical too

So I'm going over there to find out myself...."hello, Air France? Can you book me on the next available flight?"

:evilgrin:

[Bigmack]

3. How will we prove this is true?

Research.... exhaustive, thorough, in-depth research.

Nobody said science was easy.

[Historic NY]

6. We could go to France and find out personally.........

:wow: I'd slave away for science.

[alarimer]

18. There's a grant proposal I'd like to write

or read, for that matter. Oh, hell, I'd be one of the subjects.

Nobody said science was easy....but I am!

[TahitiNut]

20. Good idea. I volunteer to be one of the pole-sters.

:evilgrin:

[Divernan]

4. In France/Europe, sex is more emotional/intellectual than in US

Both sexes are more skilled in the verbal and intellectual arts of seduction. Vive la difference! Passionate conversations are linked to passionate assignations.

[Demeter]

7. In America, Men Hate Women but Won't Admit It

because then they would have to either turn to other men, or admit that they don't like men either. It's a sick culture, and men are the most vulnerable, because they deny their vulnerability.

[Bigmack]

9. You got a point....

I know lots of guys who would rather spend their time with their male friends rather than their women. Their closest relationships seem to be with men. Scratch their surface, and you find real hostility toward women.

Maybe I just lucked out in my partner, but I hate hanging around with "the guys".

I get emails that are humorously anti-female, and some that are less than humorous.

I dunno why... maybe a carryover from the religious proscriptions about women that the early settlers of this country brought with them.

[Demeter]

10. Tell Your Partner She's a Lucky Girl and I Envy Her

[Cleita]

16. My husband was one who didn't like to hang around with the guys.

Actually, he enjoyed my having my girl friends around and wasn't so jovial when they brought their boyfriends and husbands around sometimes to the point of being hostile. I never figured out what that was about but I could never establish couple relations with him, you know a couple to hang around with and go to the movies because he never liked the male half.

[Forkboy]

38. I really dislike men for the most part, and have a hard time hanging with them.

I remember as a kid growing up I took abuse from my buds who were wrestling and working on cars and shit because I always hung out with the girls. Guys have that whole, "I might try to bust your face open" at any second thing about them. Which would be ok if half of them could back it up. Chowderheads.

I find women to be much more thoughtful, open, and honest than men are. Just my own experience, and I'm not trying to harp on guys (much). But we ARE as a thick as whale omelets. Sorry. :)

[otherlander]

72. Uh, Forkboy?

It seems to me like a lot of the young women who I'm surrounded by are very much into the face-busting thing, they're just much, much sneakier about it. :scared:

[Iris]

77. I get the same sort of emails from women about men.

And I feel about my husband the way you feel about your partner, and he feels the same, maybe even moreso. I ignore the emails, but sometimes want to reply and ask why they are even necessary.

[Missy Vixen]

15. I don't know if they hate women per se. They hate getting old.

Any woman over 35 reminds them they're getting old, and therefore, we have no worth to them.

Of course, that's IMHO, YMMV, and I look forward to some of the guys I read in the Lounge's comments on this idea. I have a crush on a couple of them. I get the impression that they love women, period.

Julie

[TahitiNut]

21. What's not to love?

:shrug:

[Missy Vixen]

25. Of course, TahitiNut, you've taken your place among

DU men I crush on. Just a little. ;-)

Seriously. You're over 40, right? Question: Do you believe that some men won't talk to a woman over 35 because they're conditioned by society to believe that young women = virility?

Julie

[TahitiNut]

29. Well ... there's a reason I'm a Nut.

My BFF is a woman. Most of my friends for the past 25 years are women. Life is more interesting that way, I guess. I really haven't paid much attention to a person's gender for the past 25 years ... at least not in terms of anything other than mating/dating (which has taken less and less of my interest over the years). The majority of DUers I like the most (in my "Buddy List") are female. I just like differences ... diversity ... variety.

My BFF and I are agreed. If we were to "explore" a mating/dating relationship (or even FWB), we'd probably end up murdering one another.
:rofl: :rofl:
As it is, we love each other dearly - truly, deeply, and forever.

We're both Nuts. :silly: (We're both "recovering" control-freaks ... tenacious crusaders.)

[dysfunctional press]

22. .

:eyes:

generalize much?

btw- maybe a little makeup would help...and smile a little.

[Iris]

78. sure. But I'm only smiling at the men who appear to go the gym.

Ok with you?

[dysfunctional press]

90. you're free to be as shallow as you want...

it's a great country in that regard.

[noamnety]

95. #44

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2844889&mesg_id=2844889

[dysfunctional press]

99. i know for a fact that one is completely untrue.

because it's happened to me MANY times.

[noamnety]

101. And your personal experience

disproves the entire cultural norm you think?

[dysfunctional press]

102. it doesn't happen to every woman, either...

and it happens to many men.

you decide for yourself, and believe whatever you choose to...:shrug:

[Dan]

48. I don't agree with this statement...but my random thoughts...

I think that our cultural roles are confused - there has been a lot of changes within our society since the 1960s. I am not saying whether the changes were good or bad, but changes in our traditional roles - or rather the roles that men always accepted as being their role.

Part of it is that men in America have always defined themselves by their ability to provide support for the family. Now, in a partnership - there is an equal chance that the female partner will make as much if not more than her counterpart. With the younger generation - that may not be as much of an issue as it is with the older generation.

Men do not hate women, smile, most never have and most never will; - it just seems that somewhere along the way, we forgot how to talk with each other. It seemed as if for a time during the 70s/80s that when a man tried to talk or share his thoughts - he was attacked for not being supportive of change. That he was against the ERA, or didn't want females to have the same opportunities. This was not the case (generalizing here) but rather - no one took the time to talk with men about the huge societal changes taking place; to discuss and educate, try and understand their viewpoints... everyone was too busy beating them upside the head about how neanderthal they were...

But I do agree with part of your last statement "men are the most vulnerable, because they deny their vulnerability"...because that vulnerability was something that our generation was never allowed to express or share.

But we do not hate you...never have and never will.

My thoughts...

[seabeyond]

49. angry anyway. i hear it in so many ways. slyly, quietly, passive aggressively, as a joke

just a joke, dont be so sensitive.

i have been wondering if it is just because i am older that i am noticing it so much the last decade, or if in fact, something has happened in our society. but there is absolutely a lot of anger towards women. i dont think it is hate. i do think it is anger

also i think a lot has to do with what you talk about. i think the sexual freedom comes into play. i think the break down of family and so many women singlely raising children, especially so many boys. i think there are a lot of factors.

but i do think there is an anger, a desire to take bring the women to an inferior status again.

[Dan]

52. Smiling,...

sensitive, yes, but in a positive way; ....I'm just a slow thinker...smile.

Yes, there is definitely some anger...- but probably not as a result to force women into an inferior status, but rather because there is so much uncertainty for both sexes.

[seabeyond]

54. maybe.... i hope it is more your way

i have been more and more concerned with what i see.

it will be anothers generation to resolve... me, i am too old, i am done. i get to set back and watch the dance between the genders.

[Iris]

79. nicely said!

[otherlander]

73. That's kind of a generalization...

Just saying.

[raccoon]

100. A lot of men are like that. A male friend told me a long time ago,

"There are a lot of men that don't like women. Lots of them are married and have kids, but they don't like women."

I believed it then and still do.

[krabigirl]

55. My (French) husband says that's not true, but it's a nice concept. :)

[Iris]

80. How does he know?

I'm asking seriously, not attacking.

[RuleOfNah]

61. Interviews are a lost art.

verbal and intellectual arts

First talk show hosts started interrupting. Then they started doing bits. Then they started doing bits about themselves, while interrupting, and now they have destroyed sex. :grr:

[Demeter]

62. What Does That Make Sex in the US Then? Commercial? Exploitive?

Totally divorced from sentiment or love? Yeah. Sounds about right.

[katty]

71. yes, the art of seduction and general M/F interaction is so

refreshing and attractive compared to the U.S. - it's a real treat for a woman.

[splat]

8. Ordinary people still have sex; maybe Botoxers aren't real enough

[Lorien]

24. I think that a woman should do whatever she wants to to feel good about

herself. In this country it;s a double edged sword: on one hand, society DEMANDS that women be young and beautiful to be considered "sexy". However, if a woman has botox or any other procedure to maintain her appearance, she's considered "fake" and not worthwhile. I guess the real message is that those of us over 40 ought to just fade away quietly and no longer desire companionship?

[Dan]

51. I agree with your initial statement...

but disagree with your comment about DEMANDS... society - what society? Yes, we are part of a society, but do you not have your own social circle the affirms you and who you are? Advertisements, TV, men that are looking for trophy wives/girlfriends, for the most part they are not your social group - are they?

I would say that be true to you...and reference 'sexy' as I read your post, I was thinking of a friend of mine that died of cancer. I remember her calling me over to 'shave her hair' after which I looked at my dear friend all of sixty plus years and thought how beautiful she is; anyway she put a hat on her head - and we went to dinner - and had a wonderful time. All I could think of was how beautiful she was to me... sexy too...smile.

Men/Women sexuality has something to do with looks, but I think more with maturity. Young women cannot keep old men virile; Young men can't keep older women looking sexy. Sounds like personal responsibilities - but life has taught me - that attraction is more than looks; sexual attraction can come with a smile...

[Lorien]

59. What society? Mainstream society.

I personally don't need affrimations from anyone. I know who and what I am. I have some male friends who find me very sexy-but they aren't available, so they aren't an option. My female friends often say that if I just lost a little more weight, changed my haircut, wore different clothes, weren't "picky" about a man's age, weight, and even political beliefs (I'm into liberal guys of my own generation who are as interested in health and fitness as I am-not a man who is my dad's age and weight, with all of his many medical issues). I want to be with someone who inspires me and shares some of my interests-which isn't being too "picky" in my book. But I have heard other male friends of mine comment VERY harshly about women's appearances, and one of their favorite put-downs is "she looks like she's 40"! Mainstream society IS far more accepting of older men than it is of older women. "Keep young and beautiful. It's your duty to be beautiful. Keep young and beautiful, if you want to be loved"...so the song goes. Just as true now as it was when it was first written.

[leftofthedial]

11. french sluts!

oops. I'm in trouble now, aren't I?

[Sal Minella]

12. European women have more paid vacations, longer paid vacations,

right? And slaving at the office until 8:30 p.m. doesn't readily morph into a sensuous intellectual evening with a male acquaintance.

When I was working 14-hour days, I'd come home from work and crawl into bed too exhausted to even cook anything to eat, much less think about sex.

Seems to me a 35-hour work-week leaves a heckuvva lot more time for libidinous fantasizing than an 80-hour work-week.

[onethatcares]

13. I would agree wholeheartedly with that.

60 hrs of work does not bode well for a sex life on either side. By the time Sunday rolls around, it's just a day to veg out and sleep in.

[krabigirl]

56. That's definitely one of the reasons. Working like a dog for so many years kills the spirit..

[Missy Vixen]

14. The rest of the article was very interesting to me

Then again, I'm a forty-seven year old married woman who's now thinking that perhaps, I'd like to live in France. I don't speak the language and I'm a bit rotund for French tastes, but I have to like the attitudes towards women over 40 there.

It's the height of irony: In this country, women are deemed "untouchable" after 40. After all, we're not young and cute anymore. We may have laugh lines, gray hair, and the twins aren't as perky as they used to be. At the same time, there is a wisdom and a maturity that doesn't arrive until we've all passed the dreaded number. Of course, I'm biased, but I have a lot more to offer any man now than I did when I was 25, and I'm not talking about excess poundage, either. I'm a different person.

The weirdest thing of all to me is if someone is going to act flirtatiously towards me, it's guys in their 20's. It's happening a little too often now for it to be a fluke. I think to myself that it's probably because I'm "safe", and I'm not going to act on it.

Julie

[pitohui]

36. it's because they're hoping to get paid or maybe i'm just cynical too

too often i feel like the very young men hitting on me are looking for a "sugar mommy" -- believe you me, a 20 year old male is not looking for "safe" and a woman who won't act on it, he's looking to get laid all right, i don't think the average straight male flirts just for the exercise

i'm not available anyway but it does make me stop and think that men my own age have little interest, i'm being hit on by either the very young or the very old

[Iris]

82. I think you're too cynical.

I think the boys are just like girls - trying things out, flirting. I'd bet half of them would freak out if a woman in her 40s and/or half the girls they flirted around with actually took them up on what they think they're offering.

[pitohui]

85. none of them would freak out

i can't imagine that any normal 20 year old would freak out if they hit on a woman for sex and she came across, this just never happens

maybe if we're talking about 14 year olds but i don't hang out in places where i'm hit on by 14 year olds

these kids are looking for no-strings sex, no two ways about it

[Iris]

87. Well, when I was in my 20s

most of the guys I knew were normal and they weren't sleeping around THAT much. Then again, maybe this generation is less afraid of disease.

[krabigirl]

57. I think lots of younger guys like women in their 40s.

The whole "cougar" phenomenon in Orange County, where I live, is an example.

[Missy Vixen]

67. They must

At the same time, I'm the furthest from a "cougar" as one could get. I'm not gorgeous. I'm not thin.

It's flattering, but it's weird.

Julie

[Iris]

81. ha! ha!

I'm experiencing that as well. I work in higher education, so I'm around a lot of young men. They probably have no idea how old I really am, but it's still interesting.

btw, my husband once told me that men have a saying, "When you get a 25 yr old body, you get a 25 yr old mind." So, it's clear that some men appreciate that we have more to offer when we get older.

[alarimer]

17. Geez, I am only 39 and haven't had sex in longer than I care to remember.

I want to move to France too.

Here, once you reach a certain age (I don't know where that is exactly- I feel invisible now) you become invisible.

[Silent3]

19. Feeling invisible?

Welcome to what it has felt like for this man his whole life.

[alarimer]

23. Well I meant in terms of dating and so forth.

I am sure as hell not invisible to the IRS or to Chase!

[Iris]

84. icu!

[Lorien]

27. I think that age is 35 for some, 40 for the rest

I'm 42 and I know what you mean, though I look quite a bit younger so I still get hit on a fair amount (and outright pursued sometimes-mostly by married men, sadly enough). It's weird; once I confess my real age to men they often lose interest-though they were very interested BEFORE the knew and thought that I was only 32 or so. Our society is more than a little unkind to women as they age. Want to get really depressed? Try internet dating. You can't hide your age on those sites unless you lie, so the only guys I hear from are old enough to be my father!

[alarimer]

30. I know about internet dating

It seems like as soon I hit 33 or so, I stopped getting replies to my ads. I get a few now and then and sometimes they are my age or thereabouts.

It's tough out there.

Honestly though, I worry more about age discrimination at work. How long will it be before I start getting turned down for jobs because of my age (although they are not legally allowed to do so, some still manage to find a way- just call it something else, like "overqualified")

[Lorien]

32. That's a very real problem for both genders

I have quite a few friends who are over 50 and have been having a hell of a time finding work. They get the "overqualified" excuse time and time again. I'm fortunate in that I'm self employed, and the vast majority of my employers never even meet me or see a photo of me. If I had to actually go out on interviews I don't know how well I would fair out there.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

40. Oh yes, I know what you mean about the married men

I have probably had three times as many admiring looks and sly hints and outright propositions from married men as from single men since I turned forty.

Of course, most of the available single men in my age group are suburban bores who think they're great catches because they own a house, but they can't talk about anything but work and sports or what was on TV last night.

They don't like me either.

Maybe I should go to France pour boire le vin rouge et faire la conaissance de quelques hommes gentils et interssants.

[CTyankee]

26. You know, this is possible in this country, but it takes like-mindedness

on the part of both of the people in the couple. It takes open mindedness, too, and kindness and a willingness to be honest with one another. Once you both realize you want the same thing, it is not that difficult.

I am, of course, talking about an intact relationship. This does not apply so much to women who are widowed in the 50s, 60s or beyond. Or divorced either, for that matter.

At this point, I am just grateful each day that my partner and I are together and well. I feel confident we can work out any obstacles. It is a good feeling, even if getting old gets more and more awful to endure...better than the alternative for sure!

[cbayer]

28. Just go to the major dating sites and see what men 40 - 60 are looking for. Not women their own age

But then again, the man that wants me for what I really am is the man I really want. I just got lucky (and get very lucky frequently - giggle).

[Lorien]

33. Yep; most 40-60 year olds want a woman aged 24-34

that's certainly been my experience with internet dating. Their excuse is "well, I want to start a family". The truth is that if a 25 year old agrees to date a 55 year old, she's usually not doing it because she loves him for who he is. She's generally looking for someone to "keep" her in a fashion to which she would like to become accustomed. That arrangement can work for some, but I really don't know how either can feel truly happy about it.

A good friend of mine is a 40 year old guy who really wanted to find a younger wife. He tried all the internet dating sites, but the twenty-somethings would always ask about his income and what kind of car he drove by the second email. No surprise there. He isn't well heeled, so he didn't get anywhere online. After several years of searching he finally got a Russian mail order bride! I seems to be working out for them, but I still think the situation is a little sad. I went to a baby shower for his wife which was attended by five other mail order brides in their 20s. When their husbands showed up at the end of the evening they were all over forty. I really have to wonder what the future holds for those couples.

[freeplessinseattle]

34. sad, sounds like some loveless marriages

I know people like that, too. I don't know if maybe they are soured on actual love or even mutual attraction so their priorities have changed. Now I guess they try to fill different needs/desires. both yearn to be taken care of, in different ways, and the motivation of the partner is irrelevent to them. People serve a purpose, and connection is not important.

The sex must be lacking in such relationships, I've always thought, and I would think eventually they would both start seeking out a real connection beyond a business type of dynamic. maybe the French attitude differs from the American acquisition and novelty seeking culture, and know how to achieve real fulfillment.

[Skittles]

42. two people using each other

hardly the basis for everlasting love :o

[ieoeja]

104. But it is a basis for sex sans commitment. n/t

[Zookeeper]

65. Did your friend ever explain why he was so dead-set on a....

young woman? I was 39 when I had my youngest child; he could have started a family with a woman close to his own age.

Do you think he was looking for someone he could dominate?

[Lorien]

88. I have no idea. He's from Puerto Rico but grew up in NYC

he's pretty immature, so maybe he just wanted someone who is more on his level. The weird thing is that his blonde, blue eyed 25 year old Russian wife looks just like him! Same facial features, though their skin/eye/hair coloring is the opposite. And she does seem like the more mature of the two. I met him on a blind date about ten years ago and he told me on the second date that he wasn't attracted to me (I'm two years older than him) but we remained good friends ever since.He's not macho or dominating in the least, so I really don't know why he was set on someone much younger...outside of the maturity issue. :shrug:

[Iris]

83. Sad about the mail order brides.

but I have to wonder about women in their 20s wanting men over 40. I mean, living with someone that much older would be no picnic.

Also, what kind of man is so eager to procreate that he's willing to leave a woman to raise their offspring alone? That seems ore than a little selfish.

[Recursion]

98. Er... not sure if the guys on dating sites...

...are really representative of normal guys.

[Donnachaidh]

31. American Myths and Mannequins

Women are taught from birth they have to be everything from Stepford wife to private slut to *keep* a man. And men are taught that if wifey number one is looking a little wore out, it's perfectly okay to dump the used model for a new one. Just like a car.

People are too busy buying into the mythology and wasting too much time trying to look like the latest mannequin to really pay attention to how empty their lives are.

:shrug:

[seabeyond]

44. no f*ckin sh*t.... you are right on. makes me want to grow old alone and i

have a perfectly wonderful husband lovin and carin about me. lol lol. but as i age, i say, just enough... i dont need the pressure of how i age.

i read somewhere where us women are now suppose to look 40 when we are 60. i mean, wtf.... when can it just be enough

[Forkboy]

37. Don't blame us for the old foggies you hang with.

And all I'm saying is women in their forties RULE. :P

[Pastiche423]

39. I'm moving to France!

[Rex]

45. They have a city considered the love capital of the world.

And whoever gave me the heart, lets go to Paris! :)

[DaveJ]

50. Could it be genetic?

My wife's half French so it wouldn't surprise me a bit. :)

[piesRsquare]

53. "A Woman is Like the World"

"At 20 she is like Africa: As yet unexplored.

At 30 she is like India: Warm, mature and mysterious.

At 40 she is like America: Technically perfect.

At 50 she is like Europe: All in ruins.

At 60 she is like Siberia: Everyone knows where it is, but no one wants to go there."

(seen on a decorative tile at a client's house...likely written shortly after WWI or WWII)

[seabeyond]

60. ya well....

ya ought to tell the client the 60 year old dick is nuthin to write home about either. has seen better days. just doesnt measure up to the 20 yr old one.

asshole.... wink

[agincourt]

58. Makes me wonder,

If French men simply have less problems with erectile dysfunction. It may not be attitudes towards age but simply that French men are healthier in the sexual role as they age.

[Demeter]

63. I Wouldn't Be Surprised

Statistics record over and over--the single American man is unhealthy. And the longer he's single, the unhealthier he is. It's the true meaning of self-abuse.

[otherlander]

75. Diet might have something to do with that.

Fresher foods, less of the preservatives, trans fats, etc. I mean, we know that artificial colors lower sperm count... who knows what those other things might be doing?

[hootinholler]

64. As a 47 yo male in Md....

It ain't so easy on this side of the fence. I love women my age, and admittedly I've always liked the 'older woman.' In my 20's, I had a lover that was 40 years my elder who helped my maturity tremendously and for that I am thankful.

Finding someone you can tolerate and talk to in this republic area of Md is a bitch, let alone finding someone to share your bed on occasion. Factor in sheltering your kids from dating activities, working full time and there's no time left to seek a partner.

There should be a better way.

-Hoot

[Missy Vixen]

68. Hoot, I have to ask

How do you think your outlook on women is different because of your experiences?

As a woman, I never thought to involve myself with someone much older or much younger when I was still dating. I didn't think we'd have anything to talk about. As I've gotten older, though, younger men are interesting to me. I love men my own age (obviously; I love my husband,) but the way boys have grown up in the 70's and 80's seems VASTLY different than men currently in their forties and fifties.

Of course, this is IMHO.
Julie

[hootinholler]

92. I'm not sure that question is answerable by me.

Considering that I internalized those changes long ago, plus I'm starting into the CRS days. :O

I am much more open minded and less age-ist in both directions because of it.

-Hoot

[Blaze Diem]

70. First Question: "Gosh you've got a sweet face..how old are you?"

Second Question: "You must be in your early 40's" I replied "close". ( I'm 54)
Third Question: You're not menopausal yet are you?"
End of conversation.
-----------------------------

This actually happened to me. A man I had noticed several times at the same diner, one day sat next to me, and this was the conversation.
I actually didn't know how to respond to the third question.
Never been asked that before.
go figure...
Ahh the romance of the American man.
check please..

[seabeyond]

74. funny, geez...... lol lol

bet he doesnt get many dates.

[pitohui]

86. jeez that guy sounds like a real loser

that even tops the guy who approached me and then pulled back with, "you're so cute from behind"

maybe but he was the horse's ass!

:-)

[Blaze Diem]

107. Hey I think I've met that man too.!!

If these are their best pick-up lines..well I dare wonder what their worst lines might be..

oy!!

[Neoma]

91. Just move to france.

Problem solved.

[freethought]

93. Does not surprise me at all.

On my first trip to Europe, I was getting on a transport bus from the plane to the terminal. Right next to me was woman, older, in her 50s would be my guess, and a young guy who was probably in mid-twenties. They were talking and she gave him a peck on the cheek. I thought,"Aaawww! How nice! The boy is home to see his mother. How sweet?" Well, at that very instant she laid a full-on-the-lips deep kiss on the guy. It was solid lip-lock for several seconds. Then I'm thinking "I don't think those two are mother and son."
When I finally got to the place in Italy where I met up with my host. I told him about the scene on the bus. Very nonchalantly he told me "Oh yeah. It's like that all over the place. Get used to it."

Oh well. Se la vie!

[Raejeanowl]

96. That Is Depressing

I'm doing MUCH better than most American women my age, thank heavens. It's not because I'm gorgeous. Stunning, maybe....

But wait...since there are no qualifications for American women who don't get fat...don't these statistics demonstrate only that American men are still looking to younger women as sex partners, and that French men appreciate maturity more?

[ozone_man]

105. I think you're right.

France is more liberated sexually, and has a more mature concept of sexuality.

I think the French also take care of their bodies, and their weight better than the U.S. They don't have this fast food culture and workaholic life style that we have here. It's harder to be as sexual with a stressful lifestyle. The French have longer vacations to unwind. And during the work day, they may have glass of wine at lunch. I'm sure there are many factors, but they just seem to a sexier culture than the U.S.

[Recursion]

97. Does their new first lady count as "old"?

I'd help her stay healthy any day...

[FourScore]

103. Ooo la la!!

Let's face it, they've got better lingerie!

[RedShoesBlueState]

106. Rush Limpdick quote

As if I needed another reason to loathe Rush Limbaugh -- from the article:

Rush Limbaugh felt free to question Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's candidacy in December by sneering, "Will Americans want to watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis?"

Aaarrrrrghhhhhhh. This man is a loathesome, vile waste of air.