Feelin' Good - His & Her Way

Written by Akshay Kothari & Huang Yifang

Page 1 of 2 Give him sex and booze, and he's yours to take. Give her chocolates and ice-cream, and you can bring her home. If you think it's really that simple, then here's a reality check. Booze         He Says: He sits slightly slouched on his couch, head tipped back, jaws slack, eyes glazed. His face is bathed in the flickering light from the television. One hand holds the remote control, poised at the screen and ready to change the channel. The other hand holds an almost-empty bottle of Carlsberg. There’s a football game on, and the semi-darkened room is filled with the tinny voice of the commentator and the muted cheering of far-away fans.         For many men, this could be paradise, to just kick back, take in a game with a cold beer. What could be even better is if this room was brightly lit and filled with his buddies, all cheering, laughing and howling at the television. Nachos are being passed around and there’s a six-pack of beer. No, let’s make it even better - a whole keg of beer.           This is one of the things that men (me included) do to feel good. Most men love to have buddies over to watch sports and drink. The appeal of sports is difficult to articulate, but it lies somewhere in camaraderie and esprit-de-corp that come with everyone cheering on their team. The beer helps things along by allowing us to slip the surly bonds of our inhibitions. And let’s face it, it tastes good.         She Says: I have girlfriends who are avid soccer fans and have some form of undying loyalty to a certain team. The rest of us, well, may catch the occasional match or two to check out cute athletes. But guys, even if your team scores the winning goal, cheer if you must - just keep in mind that not all your sleeping neighbours want to know. And careful with all the beer guzzling, having a beer belly is just not cool. Girls         He Says: Hey, this is just one aspect of what men do to feel good. The fact is - the things that make men feel good are as varied as men themselves. One of these things, which may be the most important one, is girls.         All men (well, straight men) will admit that girls make us feel good. There’s no need for explanation; it’s that clear. And I’m not just talking about watching cheerleaders on TV or Shakira videos (although those are great too, don’t get me wrong). We like being in the company of girls and talking to them (provided they’re interesting).         If a girl is passionate, vivacious and, most importantly, has a sense of humor and doesn’t take herself too seriously, then it’s wonderful to be in her company. If she’s overly serious, judgmental and demanding, however, then being with her can be absolute hell. Girls are like the Force. It’s great, but beware the dark side.         She Says: It’s funny that the reason why guys like Shakira is the same reason why the rest of us girls love to hate her. Perhaps the idea of scantily clad singers violates the inner feminist in us or (horror of horrors!) we are secretly envious of them. So guys, watch your Shakira videos and all but don’t expect the rest of the female population to react favourably if you keep on raving about them.         Sure, I admire girls who are passionate and vivacious too. Just don’t be surprised when the same girl who charmed you with her sense of humour becomes a demanding control freak the next time you meet. Gossip         She Says: So why don't you men try to get used to us gossiping? This is not something to be proud of, but there is a reason why tabloids like Us Weekly enjoy profits of almost US$90 million a year, which I think it is not without basis to suspect that a large percentage of the people contributing to the funds would be women.         Honestly, do we care who is with who, who has a drug relapse, and who has adopted a new baby? Well, not really, but we get the kick out of digging out scandalicious news of those in the limelight! This gives us something to talk about over meals, and perhaps, even helps to forge closer bonds with one another! Unfortunately, we do get some kind of sadistic happiness, seeing how their glamourous but warped lives are a little more messed up than ours.         Closer to home, we find our conversations peppered with several “newsworthy” events about “friends.” Well, we have got to share the good stuff, right? I'm sure you guys do it too!         He Says: Yes, I think we’ll admit that guys do gossip too - just a tiny little bit, which we prefer to call it “debriefing.” Some news is on a  “need-to-know” basis, and we need to know. Sex         He Says: It’s pointless denying it, and so I’m not even going to try. Sex is important. It makes us feel good. And sex should be good for both men and women. Sex is part of life, and it’s immature to spend half our lives hiding from it, and the other half pretending it doesn’t exist. So I say, go for it and may I add a few tips: 1. Be safe, and 2. Men, please her first.         She Says: Alright fine, admittedly sex is good for both guys and girls. But it seems that men are more fixated on sex than women are. Okay, the 7 second rule is a myth but according to the Kinsey Report, more than 50% of the men think about sex everyday or rather, a few times a day. You’re lucky if you could get your partner’s consent, but I think for many women, sex is much more than physical gratification. Sports         He Says: Guys like watching sports, but we like playing them more. Sports epitomises everything that men like about life: the thrill, the adrenaline rush, the joy of winning (but not the agony of losing). If you take the cerebral, scientific point of view, then sports awakens a primal instinct in men - the hunting instinct.         In sports, we can relieve our heritage of the chase and the hunt. In fact, sports is the one, tenuous link we have to a wilder world, amidst our too-safe, civilised society. Sports is also an avenue for men to express themselves in a wordless, visceral way. To put it simply, sports (i.e. soccer) is a lifetime lived in ninety minutes.         She Says: I have nothing against sports, in fact, guys who play sports are really attractive. I have one issue though: Rugby has got to be one of the most violent sports I’ve ever seen, and surprise surprise, only guys play the “real thing” (versus touch rugby for girls). Well, but if sports helps guys get in touch with the primal inclinations of our ancestors, by all means indulge in it. << Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>

 

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