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Sex: Men yearn but not earn
Survey says they want sex, but won't do much to get it

Ah, men. Can’t live with us, can’t make babies without us.

We’re lazy, self-absorbed, obsessed with sex (but not to the extent that we’ll pay attention to our partner’s needs) and the embodiment of every bad male cliche there is.

But we’re also sensitive, caring, interested in sex (and willing to try new things to satisfy our women) and the exception to every negative male stereotype out there.

Man! Who knew we were so contradictory and complex?

According to a new Sun Media-Leger Marketing Great Canadian Male Sex Survey that looked at the sexual habits, attitudes and concerns of Canadian dudes, men defy some of the labels that our gender gets slapped with by Hollywood, the media and – yes – even the fairer sex.

Others, we live up to. Not proudly, maybe, but there it is.

And so begins Sun Media’s five-part look at sex and the Canadian man, from how much nookie we have (less than we’d like) to what we’ll do to get it (nothing that requires effort) to who we fantasize about in bed when we’re not thinking about our better halves (female friends handily beat out celebs – sorry, Angelina.)

Our poll surveyed 1,026 heterosexual Canadian men aged 18 and over, hitting them up on a variety of topics. Are you satisfied with your sex life? Who’s fault is it if your partner doesn’t have an orgasm? Have you ever taken a camera into the bedroom? Do you trim the, erm, shrubbery around your deck?

We’ll tackle all that. And much more.

“We all have beliefs and stereotypes about men, and what their attitudes and behaviours will be,” said Dave Scholz, vice president of pollster firm Leger Marketing.

“What we found out is some of these are indeed true, but we were also surprised.”

For instance, guys are less self-absorbed and more open-minded about sex than you might think. Hey, quit laughing! The data doesn’t lie.

“We were surprised men were not as selfish when it comes to sexual behaviour as we originally thought they might be,” Scholz said. “We were surprised by how experimental some men will be.”

On the other hand, we can be a bit predictable when it comes to sex. It should come as no shock that 79% of men think sex is an important part of a relationship – a quarter of those deeming that you can’t have a good relationship without it – or that 64% of gents surveyed feel that men and women in a relationship should get it on a few times every week.

Since we’re so obsessed with sex, we’ll probably do anything to get it, right? Actually, no. Especially if it smacks of work.

Fewer than one-quarter of men said they’d do more housework or sit through chick flicks even if it guaranteed a reward in the bedroom later on, and only 9% said they would buy an expensive gift.

“They really are lazy,” said Scholz. (Keep in mind he’s talking about the men we surveyed; surely you or the man in your life is the exception to the rule.)

“They really don’t want to work for it,” Scholz said. “How easy would it be to give a compliment, or bring gifts home? This isn’t something men feel they should or need to do.”