Episode 48

Pete hijacks the intro with a rendition of “Get Ready to Rumble,” whereupon the guys learn that silver fox Michael Buffer has made $400 million from his signature catchphrase and the $5,000,000 announcing fee he commands for each prize fight. Once Paul wrangles back some semblance of structure to the episode, the men tackle an article entitled Left on the Shelf – a cautionary tale about mid-20’s women in London who can’t find boyfriends. A large part of of the challenge for these young female professionals is choosing a mate from a smaller pool of college-educated men, and that pool looks set to dwindle. Worsening their predicament is the fact that for much of their twenties these women – by their own admission – didn’t prioritize men. Instead, they focused on career and female friends. Paul wonders if the busy-ness of young, urban professionals makes relationships passé, as calendars quickly fill up with dinners out, weekends away and drinks with friends. Living in the midst of such a stimulating environment, who has time or interest in sacrificing for a relationship? The article quotes psychologist Dr. Juliette Puig who says, “Perfectionists and high-achievers can find it particularly hard to find a partner…” The standards such people apply to jobs or personal endeavors fail when applied to relationships, since no one is “perfect.” One woman asserts that, “if I mention a kooky art show I’ve been to and he doesn’t even try to get his head around it, that’s a real turn-off.” Paul sees a problem in this type of demand. Whereas a rigid guy can date a compliant and submissive woman for some time, perhaps tiring of her in the long-run, women face a conflict if they try to emulate this male behavior: compliant men don’t sexually arouse them. Men and women may be equal, but they certainly aren’t the same when it comes to sexual attraction.