Monday, 4 October 2010

Fun Online Polls: Eyebrows and Those Gay Statistics

On a low turnout, Fiona Bruce walked it:

Who has the sharpest eyebrows?

I've never heard of any of them - 42%
Fiona Bruce - 25%
Fearne Cotton - 13%
Kate Winslett - 8%
Other, please specify - 13%


'Others' included Zebedee (who doesn't have any eyebrows, natch); Ming The Merciless (whose eyebrows are bushy, not sharp); Mr Spock (who is not a real person) and Jesse Wallace/Kat Moon (whose eyebrows fail on a technicality).

So now we know.
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I found those statistics on the number of homosexuals and lesbians most interesting. Superficially, what is noteworthy is that the published percentage is far lower than what other people have claimed, although all these surveys are biased - as illustrated by the fact that the number of gays or lesbians is reported to be much lower in the only part of the UK that is still homophobic (i.e. Northern Ireland).

But here's the interesting bit: as I explained a couple of years ago, there are subtle evolutionary advantages to human beings, as a group or as groups, in having a certain number a homosexual men, but I am stumped as to what evolutionary advantages there are to a certain number of women being lesbian.

The detailed statistics suggest that there are twice as many gay men as lesbian women (Cells D12 and D13). Conversely, there are twice as many bisexual women as bisexual men - which also makes evolutionary sense. The advantages to having gay men in your society is more or less wiped out if they are bi; but women who really prefer women can still have babies.

In my long and unadventurous life, I have met nearly a dozen openly gay men but can only recall meeting four women who were openly lesbian (plus query over my maiden aunt). For sure, I meet more men than women, which might skew things, but I suspect that there are more gay men than lesbian women.

So that's this week's Fun Online Poll; are there more gay men or lesbian women, or about the same amount of each?

Vote here or use the widget in the sidebar.

11 comments:

Trooper Thompson said...

Reminds me of the exit poll in the Blackadder III Dunny-on-the-Wold by-election, which produced a 100% result in favour of 'bugger off you nosey bastard'.

Ross said...

"as I explained a couple of years ago, there are subtle evolutionary advantages to human beings, as a group or as groups, in having a certain number a homosexual men, "

Evolution doesn't select what is best for the group though but works at a more individual level.

Bill Quango MP said...

Go to Eastbourne. Full of Lesbians.
Near to Brighton too. Is homosexuality influenced by proximity to stony beaches?

Mark Wadsworth said...

R: "Evolution doesn't select what is best for the group"

Of course it does! Mankind evolved as groups not as individuals. That's why only a few people have 'natural leadership skills' and so on.

David Davis said...

People will do anything for a bit of goernment money. So.....

I don't think there are any "gay" men or women at all. It's all a wind-up caused by socialism, to gramsconazify traditional hominid societies that work normally, and destroy them.

And Oscar Wilde was just trying to get attention for his plays.

I think that gay men secretly creep down to the fridge in the night, when nobody is looking, and shag women. And vice versa for "the lebsains"....just like vegans secretly wolf bacon-butties.

That's why the Church of England is involved: it's a major vehicle of active destruction: if it was not, then the buggers would be shoring up their churches and preaching in them. They're not, are they.

Woman on a Raft said...

I am stumped as to what evolutionary advantages there are to a certain number of women being lesbian.

I'm surprised nobody has suggested further detailed study. You should put in for a grant.

boodledug said...

DD I wish I had a fridge like that :-) with women hanging about willing and ready for a shag and then so convenient for a post coital cold beer. Does that really happen ? Fantasy alert. But really who cares. The polls prove nothing. People lie (shock horror) Try a poll of "do you ever pee in the shower" any guess on honesty rating. (in case you're wondering Yes)

Mark Wadsworth said...

DD, don't be stupid. There is very much such a thing as homosexuality and there are plenty of countries in the world in which it is punishable by death (sadly) but where they still do it. It is no more a choice than being straight.

WOAR, we solve these matters by applying commonsense, it does not require grants.

Boodle: the most sexist joke I ever heard was told to me by a sexy young barmaid: "What's the definition of a perfect woman? After you've shagged her, she turns into a six pack of beer." I didn't laugh then and I'm not laughing now.

Odds Bodikins said...

I read somewhere that growing homosexuality was down to women throwing away or misusing their contraceptive pills so the content gets into the water supply and everybody drinks more feminine hormones and... etc etc

J said...

There is are a couple of sections in a very good book called "Sperm Wars" by Robin Baker about homosexuals. I can't remember the exact details and I don't have the book to hand, but it goes something along the lines of not ruling out half of the population making you a better seducer, better liar, more deceptive and that most gay people aren't 100% gay. Being so would not get your genes (directly) passed on to the next generation.

RantinRab said...

According to my DVD collection, there are no gay man. Only lesbians.