We all know men are intimidated by smart women. Now there's proof that they're threatened by funny women, too.

I'm doomed.

I think all dating profiles should be written over beers with very good and honest friends who love you and do most of the writing. Except billytea's, which are so funny as he writes them that nobody else should be allowed to touch. Also, I need more to do at work since I just went to match.com and searched for men in my age range in my city and I and think I recognize a co-worker and I am totally freaked out by this (though if I'm right he's younger than I thought and also I kind of thought he was gay but apparently he's not for match.com purposes anyway).

Also I have a desperate craving for french fries and left my wallet at home.

We all know men are intimidated by smart women. Now there's proof that they're threatened by funny women, too. A study published this week in the scientific journal Evolution and Human Behavior claims that while men might appreciate witty women, they don't want long-term relationships with them.

The people who did this study clearly did not speak to any of the men I know.

This is British men, right? I think American men might respond differently.

The people who did this study clearly did not speak to any of the men I know.

All the damn MARRIED men you know?

I think all dating profiles should be written over beers with very good and honest friends who love you and do most of the writing.

Good idea. Especially if I can substitute scotch.

Except billytea's, which are so funny as he writes them that nobody else should be allowed to touch.

Or maybe billytea'd contract the funny if I gave him specs. "OK, I'm a 38 year old, fat, Unitarian Universalist Neo-Platonic witch, who loves ascerbic wit and has more books than some (admittedly sad) libraries. Also, I found Michael Rosenbaum in Sweet November as disturbingly sexy in drag as he is playing a future supervillian. Could you make that funny, please? Oh, and make sure I don't sound weird."

Insent, Robin! I had to uncross my fingers to type this, since it was otherwise awkward, but I am otherwise very bouncy.

My Excedrin kicked in! Yay! I feel like I just finished my homework and can go play! Also, I've talked to Robin more in the last 24 hours than I have in months! Also, I have bored the dogs, and they've left me alone! Triple yay! Plus, I am currently winning my bidding war at eBay. Who else envies me right now?

I'm looking at the Apple Store. I don't need a PowerBook, but apparently I really want one.

I envy you--well, except for the talking to me part, because that would be weird and arrogant and insane.

A study published this week in the scientific journal Evolution and Human Behavior claims that while men might appreciate witty women, they don't want long-term relationships with them.

So, I went and read this paper (or at least a paper by this author in the current issue of this journal) and the description is a complete misrepresentation of what they found. Both men and women preferred partners who were funny and who appreciated their own humor, although women thought both were more important than men did. There was nothing about men not wanting a long-term relationship with funny women. Men preferred funny women.

Here is where they are getting all of that crap. If men are forced to choose between "someone who is funny" and "somone who thinks you are funny" they choose the one who thinks they are funny, and they are especially prone to do this if they are thinking of a long-term relationship. If women are given the same choice, they choose the partner who is funny over one who thinks they are funny. But both men and women would prefer to have someone who is funny AND who appreciates their humor, so the whole thing is a slight of hand.