Casual Friday sex, or: The heterosexual coupling market in Finland

The Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat recently convened a panel of writers, researchers, theologians, artists, academicians, musicians, and semioticians to discuss whether women have more sexual power than men.

The question presented to the panel is based on an argument put forward in a book by Henry Laasanen on the "sexual power of women," according to which women hold the upper hand on the heterosexual coupling market.

As Laasanen sees it, women's sexual power imposes costs on men and confers unfair benefits to women.

Over one in four members of the panel did not take a definitive stand on the question, while 21 per cent agreed that women do have more sexual power, as Laasanen perceives it. However, many of those who answered in the affirmative still questioned the basic premises of Laasanen's theory.

Editor Matti Kalliokoski feels that the sexual market value theory put forward by Laasanen is one example of an easy concept produced by research, such as emotional intelligence, the end of history, and the clash of civilisations, but “scratch the surface and you'll get a well-written letter to the editor." Probably several.

Some panelists believe that Laasanen does not sufficiently consider the role of female sexual desire.

"Don't women have any desire? Hello! And what's a coupling market? Something like a reindeer roundup?" asks author Riina Katajavuori.

And musician Tommi Liimatta (that's him) says that facts are not dependent on opinions.

"It is a fact that pussy makes even an organised world go around. You shouldn't need a researcher to establish this fact."

Someone give the guy an honorary degree in semiotics.