Department of the Obvious
Bill McGurn ·
Jun 27, 2011 at 2:17pm
Now comes USA Today, complete with scientific study, to report that "[m]en who drive Porsches or flaunt other flashy possessions are usually not the 'marrying kind':
Researchers from Rice University, the University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Minnesota found that men's conspicuous spending is often driven by the desire to have uncommitted romantic flings. They also pointed out that although flashy spending may get a woman's attention, she won't be picking out china patterns any time soon.
I think Grandma could have told you that.
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Comments :
Re: Department of the Obvious
This reminds me of a t-shirt I saw a guy wearing on the NY subway last night. It read:
Just a guess, but that guy probably isn't the 'marrying kind' either.
Nov '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
My first thought with studies of this ilk is that someone has received a salary, academic credit, funding, or some combination thereof to produce it. And someone else, presumably in a superior position, had to approve the idea. Sometimes I just feel tired all over.
Aug '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
I see the study finds that for women the anticipation of romance doesn't trigger flashy spending as it does with some men. So diamonds aren't what they say after all ?
Mar '11
Re: Department of the Obvious
And never trust a man wearing a white shirt with sleeves rolled half-way up the forearm. (hint: Check out Mr Obama or Mr Biden at a "Townhall")
Oct '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
That's complete nonsense... and to prove it I'll tell my wife I need a Porsche!
Feb '11
Re: Department of the Obvious
A friend of my husband, exceedingly happily married with eight children, drives a Miata. She drives a Suburban.
Aug '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
The original study is here. There's quite a bit of Veblen, signaling, and the evolutionary psychology theory of "cads and dads." Like a lot of psychology it's a convenience sample of sophomores so be cautious about generalizing the finding beyond upper-middle class 20 year-olds.
On a related note, Rob's last radio commentary was also about signaling through conspicuous consumption, though he was emphasizing signaling in the workplace rather than the courtship rituals of d-bags.
Jun '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
Does the study tell us anything about guys who drive six-year-old Honda Accords (it does have a sunroof which has never been used)?
Aug '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
Actually yes, the control was a Honda Civic. So basically read the findings backwards to find out what 20 year-old co-eds think about your car.
Jun '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
anon_academic
Actually yes, the control was a Honda Civic. So basically read the findings backwards to find out what 20 year-old co-eds think about your car. · Jun 27 at 3:55pm
I opened the study and the academic gobbedlygook immediately caused me to stop. So please break it to me gently: I'm boring, right?
Aug '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
tabula rasa
I opened the study and the academic gobbedlygook immediately caused me to stop. So please break it to me gently: I'm boring, right? · Jun 27 at 4:17pm
I prefer to think of it as "dependable."
Jun '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
My husband (best around) drives a Lotus Elise. He's just a car guy. He's had a sports car ever since we met as teens in college & he didn't have two nickels to rub together. His first was a Triumph Spitfire that he had to roll down a hill to push start
Otherwise he is not into conspicuous consumption at all & I have to cull the old, tatterd clothes from his closet & keep him looking reasonably sharp. He only has a nice watch because I won it in a charity tricky tray. Otherwise he'd probably be wearing a Timex. He's an engineer so he buys things because they are well made and well designed, regardless of brand or trendiness.
So I would recommend that you single ladies not rule out the guy driving the nice car. Give him a chance.
Jul '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
StickerShock: My husband (best around) drives a Lotus Elise. He's just a car guy. He's had a sports car ever since we met as teens in college & he didn't have two nickels to rub together. His first was a Triumph Spitfire that he had to roll down a hill to push start
Otherwise he is not into conspicuous consumption at all & I have to cull the old, tatterd clothes from his closet & keep him looking reasonably sharp. He only has a nice watch because I won it in a charity tricky tray. Otherwise he'd probably be wearing a Timex. He's an engineer so he buys things because they are well made and well designed, regardless of brand or trendiness.
So I would recommend that you single ladies not rule out the guy driving the nice car. Give him a chance. · Jun 27 at 4:35pm
Sometimes a sports car is just a sports car. For some of us, it's about the, um, driving thing. I drive a BMW convertible, have no interest in any woman other than my wife and have no illusions that my car makes me a chick magnet.
Oct '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
Diane Ellis, Ed.: This reminds me of a t-shirt I saw a guy wearing on the NY subway last night. It read:
Just a guess, but that guy probably isn't the 'marrying kind' either. · Jun 27 at 2:28pm
Perhaps this fellow just had a sense of humor and would not appreciate being saddled with another demanding high maintenance woman.
Oct '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
StickerShock: My husband (best around) drives a Lotus Elise. He's just a car guy. He's had a sports car ever since we met as teens in college & he didn't have two nickels to rub together. His first was a Triumph Spitfire that he had to roll down a hill to push start
Otherwise he is not into conspicuous consumption at all & I have to cull the old, tatterd clothes from his closet & keep him looking reasonably sharp. He only has a nice watch because I won it in a charity tricky tray. Otherwise he'd probably be wearing a Timex. He's an engineer so he buys things because they are well made and well designed, regardless of brand or trendiness.
So I would recommend that you single ladies not rule out the guy driving the nice car. Give him a chance. · Jun 27 at 4:35pm
Interesting, drove Spitfires daily for many years as well as raced them. Being a car guy does not mean that family and other obligations get passed by for self indulgences.
Jul '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
wilber forge
StickerShock:
So I would recommend that you single ladies not rule out the guy driving the nice car. Give him a chance. · Jun 27 at 4:35pm
Interesting, drove Spitfires daily for many years as well as raced them. Being a car guy does not mean that family and other obligations get passed by for self indulgences. · Jun 27 at 4:56pm
I've driven a succession of clapped-out MGA's, MGB's, MGB-GT's, TR3's, TR6's and Jaguars. I never once gave a thought to how they played with the ladies, who, in those days, preferred American cars.
All I cared about was how sweet they were on those few occasions that they ran right.
Same with my BMW. It was a company car and the only convertible (other than the piggish Chrysler Sebring) on the market at the time.
Now it's 15 years old, with 175,000 miles and I don't care what I look like when I drive it. I just love how it handles the twisties and how it growls when I put my foot down.
Jun '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
"Interesting, drove Spitfires daily for many years as well as raced them. Being a car guy does not mean that family and other obligations get passed by for self indulgences."
Actually, the patience it takes to drive and tinker with British cars shows wonderful character. As did teaching me to drive a stick on the Spitfire. He's had MGAs, MGBs, Triumphs, Zs, & old American convertibles with tail fins. My favorite was the red 1949 MGTC.
Wilber, I agree that car guys aren't necessarily putting their cars above family obligations. On the contrary -- mine is doing a great job raising the next generation of gar guy -- my son used to sleep with toy cars instead of stuffed animals. I am convinced it's genetic. I think a guy without a hobby would be boring. I'm glad that he was able to spend his well earned leisure time as a shade tree mechanic.
Edited on Jun 27, 2011 at 5:33pmOct '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
Re, Kenneth... Seems anyone driving a roadster gets the Chick Magnet label applied to the car and frowns upon the owner. It is all about the driving experience.
Unlike today, those cars one could do the hands on tuning thing to a good result.
Did have the pleasure of owning a Spitfire with an RX7 powerplant for some racing and the odd street drive. Fast would be an understatement.
As for the cultural, predatory male model proposed in these studies.. They just do not get it, as it were.
Oct '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
Re, StickerShock, Truly does demand strong character and deep wells of patience to work on British cars. The whole point is to make something better and more dependable than when it was initially produced and eliminate the built in flaws.
Appears to be all about improving on the previous model, regardless of what clothes we put on the next day and pass that sense of accomplishment and determination to future generations.
And not just cars.
Edited on Jun 27, 2011 at 6:54pmJun '10
Re: Department of the Obvious
anon_academic
tabula rasa
I opened the study and the academic gobbedlygook immediately caused me to stop. So please break it to me gently: I'm boring, right? · Jun 27 at 4:17pm
I prefer to think of it as "dependable." · Jun 27 at 4:23pm
That's the nicest thing that anyone has ever said about me.