Survey Shows What Today’s Woman Wants in a Relationship

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(ARA) - Forget the mystic power of perfect pecs -- when a woman is looking for her guy, smart and funny beats a hot bod, hands down. Sure there are other pitfalls ahead, like married and/or gay men, unseemly body odor, cheap cologne, overly demanding sexual partners, witless first dates, and the timeless allure of the “bad boy.” But at the end of the day, none of this matters because if George Clooney or Patrick Dempsey come a’ knocking on her door…

Welcome to the wonderful world of 21st Century dating and relationships as seen through a nationwide poll of Lifetime viewers who responded to an email poll sent to them as part of the expansive Lifetime Women’s Pulse Poll series. This most recent survey keys off Lifetime’s premiere of its first original comedy series since 1998, “Lovespring International,” a half hour program from “Will & Grace” star Eric McCormack about a dysfunctional dating service, premiering Monday, June 5 at 11PM (ET/PT).

Throughout June, best-selling writer Dr. Ian Kerner, author of “DSI: Date Scene Investigation” and Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Relationship Expert, serves as Lifetime’s on-air host, offering real-life insights into the poll’s many faceted results.

Says Kerner: “Just in time for a sexy summer of love, Lifetime’s survey results let us know what today’s woman is looking for in a relationship, and provide a great launching-point for a discussion of the unique dynamics of today’s “mating market” and the issues facing singles. What I find particularly compelling is that so many women are settling for ‘Mr. Maybe’ in their search for ‘Mr. Right.’ Also intriguing is that while so many women claim they’re mainly looking for a nice guy with a sense of humor, ‘bad boys’ still top the list as the type of man who is most appealing. Maybe this is why 41 percent of women have said ‘I love you’ in the past only to get no response!”

* Celebrities

According to the poll, if a girl’s going to special order her celebrity date, George (big surprise here) Clooney pulled down 39 percent of the vote, out-pacing younger hunks like Nick Lachey (14 percent), Colin Farrell (10 percent), Orlando Bloom (9 percent), Derek Jeter (8 percent) and Jake Gyllenhaal (6 percent).

When it came to which TV doctor they’d like to take their pulse, Dr. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) sent the temperatures soaring, followed by “ER”’s Noah Wylie (21 percent), “Nip/Tuck”’s Julian McMahon and Matthew Fox of “Lost” (12 percent).

* The Ideal Man

Back on Earth amid mortals, “treating you well’ (98 percent), a sense of humor (84 percent) and smarts (72 percent) were the traits that made her knees buckle, way ahead of attributes such as fantastic lover (46 percent), handsome face (45 percent) and fit body (22 percent). As for dazzling a girl with a Jimmy Choo shopping spree, a mere 11 percent said wealth enticed them.

Marital status or sexual preference aside, 67 percent said the one thing they couldn’t overlook on a date were dubious odors (body or cologne) or a poor conversationalist (14 percent ), though 39 percent say they’re willing to overlook a bad dresser. But go to the ATM first, guys – 75 percent of women think the man should pick up the tab on a first date.

* Bad Boys

Remember the “bad boy” in high school that was oh so enticing? Thirty-seven percent (down from the 58 percent who felt this way in high school) admitted they were still attracted to a Colin Farrell type. As long as he’s about the same age as her because, Demi Moore/Ashton Kuchner notwithstanding, only 13 percent of women are looking for a younger guy.

* Workplace Romance

Women know what they’re looking for, but where do they look? A whopping 57 percent say they’ve dated someone with whom they’ve worked, with 11 percent of those who dated at work saying they’ve dated a boss! Buyer beware: more than half (51 percent ) suspect or confirm they’ve dated a married man (one respondent said “His wife emailed me a copy of their marriage certificate”) while 23 percent suspect they’ve dated a gay man (“It was 1985 and his favorite bands were Air Supply and Wham”).

* The Sex

So what about sex? Sorry, there is no subtle way of getting into this. Nearly three quarters of the women say they’ve faked orgasms, but only 12 percent believe their partner ever did the famous deli scene from “When Harry Met Sally.” Forty-eight percent say sex a few times a week is the right number, with 19 percent suggesting every other day and 18 percent saying once or twice a day was the optimum amount.

* Breakups

Relationships can end and, when discussing their last break-up, women cited most often that he “couldn’t commit” (28 percent ), “cheated or had wandering eyes” (26 percent ), and he was “more into himself than me” (21 percent ). As for those couples women would most like to see reunite, Sheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong led the way, followed by Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe.

Courtesy of ARA Content


EDITOR’S NOTE:

To gather poll results, an email invitation was sent to a random sample of LifetimeTV.com Research Panel members who were adult women aged 18 to 49 living in the US. The internet survey link was live for one week from May 15 to 22, 2006. A total of 654 surveys were completed by Lifetime viewers who were 18 years or older.

The Lifetime Women’s Pulse Poll is the largest women’s multi-platform research project ever undertaken by a television network, weaving in a multi-pronged package providing wide-ranging and trail-blazing applications and implications for viewers, advertisers, affiliates and other business partners.

Throughout the year, the polls will explore a wide range of areas examining women’s lives, from consumer behavior and spending habits, their desire for and usage of new technologies, their positions on key public policy issues, and, on the lighter side, their impressions of the latest pop culture icons.

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Home Entertainment, and Lifetime Online are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.


 
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