While half the women in North America say they're actively
looking for Mr. Right, 65% claim they have never been on
a blind date; four in 10 say they're searching for him in
meat-market bars; and more than a third believe he exists
only in romance novels. Only one in 10 admit they're actively
looking for Mr. Right Now, although seven in 10 say hanging
out with Mr. Right's temporary stand-in is better than being
alone.
These are among the results of CanadianLove.Com's 2003 Romance
survey, a look at the eternal search for the right mate
in an ever-more-complex society. The survey of 1,000 women
in the U.S. and Canada shows much agreement on the fundamentals
of the search?and a few startling differences. Here's what
the women revealed about the age-old chase for their perfect
guy:
Manhunt
Half of the single women in North America (50%) say
they are actively engaged in the search for Mr. Right, while
40% claim to be "single and loving it." Just 10% are in
pursuit of a temporary good-time guy, a Mr. Right Now.
A Higher Standard
Despite widespread suspicion that women are lowering
their standards, the majority of women in North America,
68%, report that they are less willing than they were a
year ago to settle for someone who's less than ideal, especially
true in the U.S., where the tally rises to 77% - perhaps
as a result of 9/11 - vs. 59% in Canada.
So What's the Problem?
When asked to name the biggest obstacles to finding
Mr. Right, 24% of the women responding to the survey say
that women are the problem: They no longer need a man's
economic support, so they don't jump into marriage. Another
21% say that men are the problem: They're intimidated by
women's independence. Other obstacles: 16% say "all the
good men are taken or gay"; 16% say "men don't want to commit";
and 11% say women are "too picky."
Let the Games Begin
What are women in North America doing to find either Mr.
Right or Mr. Right Now? Four in 10 (42%) have asked friends
for introductions or have gone to meat-market bars; three
in 10 (32%) have looked around at work; and two in 10 (22%)
have gone to male-oriented sporting events. Twelve percent
have joined a club or organization; 12% have gone to business
meetings or conferences; nine percent have used online dating
services; six percent have asked old boyfriends for introductions;
and six percent have used traditional dating services, while
just four percent have placed personal ads.
No Flying Blind
What aren't women doing to find the right guy? Almost
nine in 10 women in North America (87%) say they rarely
or never go on blind dates. The aversion to blind dating
rises to a whopping 72% of Canadian women who have never
been on a blind date, vs. 57% in the U.S. So What's the
Problem?
When asked to name the biggest obstacles to finding Mr.
Right, 24% of the women responding to the survey say that
women are the problem: They no longer need a man's economic
support, so they don't jump into marriage. Another 21% say
that men are the problem: They're intimidated by women's
independence. Other obstacles: 16% say "all the good men
are taken or gay"; 16% say "men don't want to commit"; and
11% say women are "too picky."
Let the Games Begin
What are women in North America doing to find either Mr.
Right or Mr. Right Now? Four in 10 (42%) have asked friends
for introductions or have gone to meat-market bars; three
in 10 (32%) have looked around at work; and two in 10 (22%)
have gone to male-oriented sporting events. Twelve percent
have joined a club or organization; 12% have gone to business
meetings or conferences; nine percent have used online dating
services; six percent have asked old boyfriends for introductions;
and six percent have used traditional dating services, while
just four percent have placed personal ads.
No Flying Blind
What aren't women doing to find the right guy? Almost nine
in 10 women in North America (87%) say they rarely or never
go on blind dates. The aversion to blind dating rises to
a whopping 72% of Canadian women who have never been on
a blind date, vs. 57% in the U.S.
When asked to name the biggest obstacles to finding Mr.
Right, 24% of the women responding to the survey say that
women are the problem: They no longer need a man's economic
support, so they don't jump into marriage. Another 21% say
that men are the problem: They're intimidated by women's
independence. Other obstacles: 16% say "all the good men
are taken or gay"; 16% say "men don't want to commit"; and
11% say women are "too picky."
Let the Games Begin
What are women in North America doing to find either Mr.
Right or Mr. Right Now? Four in 10 (42%) have asked friends
for introductions or have gone to meat-market bars; three
in 10 (32%) have looked around at work; and two in 10 (22%)
have gone to male-oriented sporting events. Twelve percent
have joined a club or organization; 12% have gone to business
meetings or conferences; nine percent have used online dating
services; six percent have asked old boyfriends for introductions;
and six percent have used traditional dating services, while
just four percent have placed personal ads.
No Flying Blind
What aren't women doing to find the right guy? Almost nine
in 10 women in North America (87%) say they rarely or never
go on blind dates. The aversion to blind dating rises to
a whopping 72% of Canadian women who have never been on
a blind date, vs. 57% in the U.S.
He's Late for a Very Important Date If Mr. Right is late
in making his appearance in her life, 70% say Mr. Right
Now is "better than being alone." In fact, 73% report he's
"the guy I'm dating right now" - a total rising to 80% in
Canada, vs. 63% in the U.S. Forty percent say he's "the
guy I'm currently living with," with Canadian women (49%)
far more likely to characterize their roommates this way
than American women (26%).
Boy Toy
Asked to describe Mr. Right Now, 37% of the survey respondents
say he's "fun for a few dates"; 26% say he's "good for sex
but not much more"; and 9% say he's no more than "a one-night
stand."
Good Time Charlie
What are the most important qualities a Mr. Right Now should
have? By far the most important thing North American women
are looking for in a temporary guy is someone who's fun
to be with (47%). A quarter (26%) say it's important they
share common interests; 10% think he ought to be wealthy;
and 5% say he should be good-looking. Just three percent -
all Canadians - admit they're looking for a guy who's good
in bed.
Married Men Need Not Apply
There's overwhelming agreement on one point: 94% of the
women say their Mr. Right Now could never be a married man.
Further, three percent say they're not interested in a guy
who has kids, and an equal number reject a man who has been
through a bad marriage and divorce.
My Own True Love
What prevents a Mr. Right Now from becoming a Mr. Right?
Seven in 10 say it's likely to be because they're just not
in love with him and feel they never could be (70%), or
that he's not into commitment (71%). Six in 10 (62%) say
a permanent relationship would be impossible if they didn't
have enough in common; five in 10 say he'd be out of the
question if he wasn't ambitious enough (54%), if he didn't
want kids (53%), or if he wasn't good in bed (48%).
Fairy-Tale Romance
When asked if they believe Mr. Right exists only in romance
novels, six in 10 women said no. Those who have lost hope
of finding a great guy - 36% of the total - are most likely
to be found in Canada, where 45% say Mr. Right is a figment
of the imagination, vs. 28% in the U.S.
No Regrets
For the majority of single women, there are no regrets about
former relationships. Even in hindsight, three quarters
(74%) say there weren't any Mr. Rights among the past loves
they left behind.
OTHER
NEWS
BRITISH COLUMBIA'S MOST ROMANTIC SPOTS REVEALED Click
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