# Mars vs. Venus

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-vs-venus/369259>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 18, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-vs-venus/369259 "2006-08-18T18:07:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-vs-venus/369259/1 "2006-08-18T18:07:00Z")

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Why is it that men will go into bathrooms with reading material and women do not? Do women’s bathrooms have magazine racks or something?

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-vs-venus/369259/2 "2006-08-18T18:11:07Z")

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> [@col\_10022](#):
>
> Why is it that men will go into bathrooms with reading material and women do not? Do women’s bathrooms have magazine racks or something?

Doubt this has a factual answer but I’ll hazard a SWAG at it.

Perhaps since women need to use the toilet for both #1 and #2 it is more important that they clear out to make room for the next woman to come. Hence they do not have the luxury dawdling on the throne reading something. Common courtesy prevents this. Men on the other hand can use urinals for #1 and only need the toilet for #2 which is a rarer occurence. Thus reading the sports section isn’t too big a deal as you are unlikely to worry about some other guy not being able to go because all the stalls are filled.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-vs-venus/369259/3 "2006-08-18T19:50:28Z")

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Is there any real evidence that women don’t read in bathrooms? A study? Anything?

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-vs-venus/369259/4 "2006-08-18T20:25:40Z")

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Anecdote: My wife takes reading material at home, but at the office she doesn’t, because she doesn’t want anyone to see her. “Why should you care?” “I don’t want them asking any questions or making comments.” “So why should you care if they do?” “You won’t understand!”

Anecdote: A buddy’s ex-girlfriend once told me that women flush every couple of minutes to cover up the sounds, regardless of whether it’s 1 or 2. “You don’t want everyone to hear what you’re doing!” “But it’s a toilet; they already know what you’re doing!” “Yeah, but not _exactly_!” Very strange.

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**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-vs-venus/369259/5 "2006-08-18T20:45:02Z")

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I reject the premise of the argument. I’m male, but I learned my habit of reading on the toilet from my mother. Dad only reads in his easy chair or at his place at the dining room table; Mom will read anywhere there’s a vaguely horizontal surface.