So, let me get this straight - according to Lori Leibovich ("Funny women a turnoff for most men" 01/30/2006) funny women should turn it down for men, on the off-chance that they might want a serious relationship with one of the 50% of men who might be put off by their humour. Does this mean that the other half of the male population aren't worth being involved with? Are they all hermit monks hidden away in inaccessible mountain passes of the Himalayas?

There must be some factor limiting their usefulness in the dating pool, reducing their effective contribution to less than the 50% that basic arithmetic would suggest. Otherwise why would a funny woman avoid alienating that portion of men who will never really appreciate her, at the risk of putting off those men who prefer a woman with a sense of humour? (And such men do, in fact, exist.)

As long women expect ourselves to be all things to all people, we're in no position to complain that we feel stressed, overstretched, and have no room to just be ourselves. And we will also miss out on really fulfilling relationships - the kind you find by looking for someone who likes and 'gets' you just as you are, be that funny, serious, aggressive, wacky, whatever.

Of course, I suppose it is possible that Ms Leibovich was being 'funny'. In which case, I think I understand why most men find it a turnoff...

what about George Sand, she was very smart and witty and she had many lovers including Chopin.

At what point I wonder, is it ever going to be desirable to be myself?! So, in order to have a male partner in my life, I need to look flawless, cater soley to his needs, pretend to be dumb and curb my natural wit? Forget that!

This article is depressing and highlights the worst of men's traits, instead of showcasing men who desire a a woman who knows and is comfortable with herself.

Meera Syal's "cutting remark in public" may just be referring to Ummi's jabs at Sanjeev on The Kumars at Number 42. (I hope so.)

As a male comedian living in the heart of comedianville (NYC), I can attest that while I do look for a sense of humor in the women I date, many many funny women have bad luck on the dating scene. However, it's not because they are smart that these women are having trouble dating. It's because they hate themselves. The comedic urge springs from pain and sorrow (in both men and women) and comedians are by and large the most self-loathing people on the planet. And no one likes to date someone who isn't confident, or who hates him/herself. Funny people are predisposed to have trouble dating, and if they weren't, they wouldn't be so funny.

I'm sure Dorothy Parker would have something to say about this bogus study.

And it'd be pretty witty, too.

So, funny women are a turnoff for 'most' men. I'd love to see the size and age of the sample- younger guys tend to be more insecure than older ones, and what they find 'funny' is often meaner and more physically cruel than genuine humor. Too bad.

I will not hide my light under a bushel. Nor will I cease to come up with bon-mots, non-sequiteurs, puns, or dry, wry observations that collapse a room into hysterics. I've spent 40+ years polishing my wit, and have reduced my 'come-back' time to mere seconds. Properly applied humor breaks ice, diffuses tension, and is a great measure of a stranger. A person without a genuine, mature sense of humor isn't one I'd want to keep company with.

I'm a regular laugh riot and I've never had a problem landing a man. In fact, that's what they like best about me. If this is yet another article to fill my heart with fear about not being worthy of a man's affections, it hasn't worked. What's next? Women with a pulse a turnoff for most men? Let's not generalize, "most men" are awesome and have all kinds of different likes and dislikes about a potential partner. That's what makes the whole game so fun - finding that one (or two or three...) special person who can put up with your unique brand of bullshit. Let's not make it any harder with these trivial arguments over unfounded "studies" and accusations. Can't we all just get along?

Holy nuts Salon, will you please get half-intelligent female bloggers to blog about studies and pop culture? The women who write for Broadsheet are worse than morons, they are "chic lit feminist psuedo-intellectuals."

Oh Jesus.

How come whenever there's a study that looks disfavorably on women it's all out attacked (and probably rightly so) in Broadsheet, but when the study "confirms" that men are titty-chasing yokels it's followed by a lot of tongue clucking and "better keep your mouths shut, girls." (paraphrasing)

Do you know I stopped calling myself a feminist this year? It's not only because of you, Broadsheet-- I can't give you all the credit. But you've done nothing to dissuade me.

I love a smart, funny woman. Put me in the group that prefers great banter and thoughtful conversation.

Well....Lori Leibovich isn't funny, and I'm turned off by her, so maybe the thesis of this article is wrong.

I'm glad Maureen Dowd's dull-witted sister has been able to find employment at Salon.

No humor, no taste for sarcasm, and no ability to see a chuckle in even the most serious of moments is a good indication you need to lighten up.

Men prefer to reserve humor to other men? What is this: Funny Guys on Brokeback Mountain?

Funny chicks are happening. They're titillating, and they're challenging.

Then again, chicks who scoff at your humor are twice as challenging. Are they laughing inside, and scorning on the outside, just to mess with your head?

That's actually pretty funny.

If only you were a chick...

I went and married a smart, funny woman. CRAP!!! I feel so cheated, knowing there was some dumb, unfunny chick out there just for me.

Big D