Ever wondered what men really want in the bedroom? According to a popular 1940s sex manual, the ideal woman always pretends she’s a virgin, is never dominant between the sheets and doesn’t even think about speaking to her man for at least 15 minutes after the act – preferably half an hour.
What Men Don’t Like About Women by Thomas D Horton was penned in 1945 as a practical handbook for women wanting to make themselves more attractive to men.
Its most-read chapter is entitled “Women in bed – and the morning after”, which details all the “repulsive” things ladies do before, during and after sex.
Here are Horton’s top six complaints about the fairer sex’s conduct between the sheets:
1. Your vulgar talk: Apart from using “disgusting” words “seldom used, even in saloons”, women frequently horrify men by refusing to pretend they are virgins. “They say such things as the following: ‘Oh darling, I’ve been with many men, so I know, and I want to tell you that you are the best … It’s funny for you to be a Russian. Two weeks ago I was with an Armenian. It is truly astounding how many relatively decent women lose all control of their mouths when they jump into bed beside a man.”
2. Being too bossy in bed: “There are few things in this world that offend a man more than to be directed in the sex act by his woman,” Horton writes. “It is pretty near the ultimate humiliation. Nature demands that the male be dominant in bed. Some women think it is healthy to tell their men what to do and how to do it. The Truth is that it is degrading and the upshot is marital misery – or divorce.”
3. Asking for a new fur coat after coitus: “Many women look upon the act of intercourse as a sort of long-term IOU, payable when they feel like it,” Horton says. “Shortly after the act, the dear thing will say, ‘So, will you get me that winter coat I pointed out to you?’ If a woman doesn’t ask for something while in bed with her man, she is, very likely, not sure what she wants and will ask him the next morning.”
4. Not being clean enough “down there” and insisting on talking after sex: “Longer and more frequent washing would please more men they imagine,” Horton espouses. “Immediately afterwards, what a man wants most is not to see or hear his beloved for at least 15 minutes – preferably for half an hour. If more women knew this simple fact, their love life would be happier.”
5. Pretending you are his intellectual equal: “Women seem to assume that they are man’s intellectual equal so they blab and blab, taxing the man’s patience to no end. What he really wants are quiet rest and sleep,” Horton complains.
6. Your terrible morning breath: “Some women can’t understand why men refuse to kiss them immediately upon awaking. The reason is very simple: the morning mouth that has not been rinsed or cleaned is not a pleasant mouth to kiss.”
