Wendy Shalit's Blog

A few weeks ago, psychologist Christopher Ryan wrote a CNN article, "Monogamy Unnatural For Our Sexy Species" in which he says that he considers himself "one of four African great apes." As every zoologist knows, one does not argue with a great  ape--one simply runs.  

However, I couldn't let this article pass without comment.  Mr. Ryan has a new book out in which he claims that human beings have been designed by natural selection to seek "extra-pair copulatory partners"—i.e., having sex with ...

A TELUS mobile poster recently caught my eye.  It was a simple subway ad asking the question, "How do you break up?"  Here were my options, according to Telus: "Text, email, call, messenger?"   Then at the bottom, without any trace of irony: "Telus. The future is friendly."

Apparently, not friendly enough.  Call me old-fashioned, but what happened to breaking up in person?  I mean, it's great that Facebook gives me an update whenever "So-and-so is no longer in a relationship with so-and-so,...

I hope that everyone had a wonderful 4th of July--or Canada Day (as you can see, I am a very inclusive person).

Much to report but first, I am eager to get your take on "all-ages" clubs. A very young friend of mine was recently sexually assaulted at an all-ages club, and I have to admit that I find the very idea of an "all-ages" club quite disturbing.  Whose great idea was this, to have 13-year-olds bumping and grinding with 28-year-olds? The same people who think it's "cute" for 4-year-old g...

Recently, I've been hearing from several college-age women who are upset over the rising cost of the birth control pill.  (This issue got fresh ink in the New York Times.)

I did not question their choice to be sexually active; I simply asked if the young women had considered asking their partners to help out with the cost.  They both laughed.  "Forget about it," said one.  The other: "I once did ask this of the guy I was regularly hooking up with, and I never heard from him again.  Too much...

OK, I've finally figured out how to embed my video from the "Modest Proposals" panel. (Enjoy hearing highlights from the rest of the panelists by searching for "modest proposals" on YouTube.)

After D.C. I appeared on a very interesting TV show in Toronto called "Uncommon Ground."

I was quite impressed with the host, Dr. Rachael Turkienicz, who is a very deep person and explores questions pertaining to women and spirituality with one guest each week.  By way of introduction to my book, she...

Last night I returned from Washington, D.C., where I had the honor of meeting Dawn Eden, Laura Sessions Stepp, Cassy DeBenedetto, and Dr. Miriam Grossman. We all came together for a panel discussion on the hook-up culture and how to revive dating on campus. 

Apparently we're going to have video of the event soon, but in brief: I spoke about holding college administrators accountable for the sex fairs and sex plays they sponsor, and ending the fiction of the university's neutrality. Dr...

It's been such an inspiring week hearing from some of you.  A thank you to Michelle from Scotland for her beautiful postcard and to the great Rachel D'Souza for passing on her wonderful poem.  The last stanza is so cute I can't resist reprinting it:

Wait for your prince,

don't settle for a frog.

And if you need some gal

support check out...Wendy's blog.

That's right!  And don't forget to join the Girls Gone Mild Book Club on Facebook--thanks to Shauna from LA who started it--where you can ...

A few days ago I spoke with a group of wonderful high school students in Pittsburgh, the morning after participating in a conference at the Carnegie Museum.  After I flew back home, I began to sort through the remainder of the girls' questions. With nearly 300 girls present, I wasn't able to answer all their questions, so the girls had written them out on notecards, while others simply raised their hands.

Later on, these notecards proved so much fun to read through, since I had asked the...

A few people have asked me my opinion on last month's New York Times report on happiness and how there seems to be, evidently, a widening "happiness gap" between men and women.

One of the causes, according to Betsy Stevenson, a researcher at UPenn, is the pressure on girls to be "a hottie."  Dr. Stevenson cites an April article
by Sara Rimer, about a group of "incredibly impressive
teenage girls" in Newton, Mass.

The girls were getting better gradesthan the boys, playing varsity sports...

Well, I'm back from holiday and wanted to thank all of you for your notes and letters, which I hope to respond to very shortly.  There is so much to talk about.  In my pile of mail I was delighted to find a package from Australia, with a note from a very interesting woman named Selina Ewing.  She is the author of the research paper Faking It, which is a roast of women's magazines--using the format of a women's magazine--and I think it's fantastic.

(You can read more about Women's Forum...