Beer Goggles Questioned by Economists

Ronald Bailey | November 15, 2005

A new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research concludes,

"there appears to be no evidence suggesting a causal role of alcohol use in determining the probability of having sex." There was some evidence, however, suggesting that alcohol consumption does "lower the probabilities of using birth control and condoms" among sexually active teens.

Thanks to intrepid economic researchers, any thought of organizing Mothers Against Drunk Sex can now be dropped.

Comments

Jeff P.|11.15.05 @ 5:51PM|#

I only read my newest issue of Reason after a few pale ales.

|11.15.05 @ 5:54PM|#

Sooo... booze can make you drunk to the point where you are irresponsible?

BRILLANT! How much did we spend on this study?

Jello|11.15.05 @ 6:00PM|#

TOO DRUNK TO FUCK!!

|11.15.05 @ 6:15PM|#

Akira, do you read Daily WTF, or is that just a typo?

|11.15.05 @ 6:23PM|#

This is a clear case of the ivory tower people being incredibly out of touch with reality on the ground. Did these people never go to college?

|11.15.05 @ 6:26PM|#

I really hope their methodology took into account the following:

drank so much they passed out and couldn't have sex
drank so much they were deemed too drunk to have sex with
drank so much they were unable to communicate coherently with the opposite sex to ask for sex
drank so much they don't remember sex
drank too little to be influenced by alcohol given that 5 drinks for some people is nothing

|11.15.05 @ 6:28PM|#

Couldn't they have just read Macbeth? You might recall that it was the old porter who said that drink "provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance" (Act II, Scene III - and if I can find the scene in five minutes, surely the NBER can find the damn play. Right?)

|11.15.05 @ 6:30PM|#

Next study: the attractiveness of women does not, in fact, increase at closing time. Reaching this conclusion will be expensive.

|11.15.05 @ 6:36PM|#

As someone who hasn't touched alcohol since he was sixteen, I find this article hilarious. I was always the one who ruined everyone's memories by reminding them of what really happened.

Drunks always remember having a better time than they actually did. This includes sex.

|11.15.05 @ 6:38PM|#

Excuse me, the thread is hilarious. The article was actually pretty dry.

|11.15.05 @ 7:35PM|#

"This is a clear case of the ivory tower people being incredibly out of touch with reality on the ground. Did these people never go to college?"

Well, if you must know, we were busy studying for our PhD's, while rabble like you were engaging in all that debauched madness.

I'm not jealous in the least.

|11.15.05 @ 7:51PM|#

Well I'm on my third glass of wine so I can't be arsed to actually read the article... but it's nonsense. Alcohol most assuredly DOES make casual sex more likely. Anyone who doesn't know this frequents the wrong sort of bars.

|11.15.05 @ 7:52PM|#

I'm not jealous in the least.

Me neither. So there. Hrumph.

|11.15.05 @ 8:52PM|#

Quoting Willie Nelson:

I went to bed at two with a ten
and woke up at ten with a two.

|11.15.05 @ 9:09PM|#

Jennifer

Does too. It's been proven in numerous studies.
Other studies.

The Wine Commonsewer|11.15.05 @ 9:20PM|#

there appears to be no evidence suggesting a causal role of alcohol use in determining the probability of having sex

Those guys are out of their minds. That is such an intuitively and anecdotally false conclusion that I cannot believe they could say it with a straight face.

And another thing I can't believe is that Bob is on his third glass of wine (red I hope). I'm still slaving on the project that had to be done yesterday--and no wine neither.

As Ogden Nash once opined...

Candy is dandy
Liquor is quicker
Pot is not

Well, sometimes pot IS.....but a bottle of wine and a cozy fire will get you to second base a lot quicker than a cozy fire and a bottle of Gator Aid.

Ah Jennifer, the ladies are so lovely at 1:00 am. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Jeff Smith|11.15.05 @ 9:23PM|#

If I write about sex and booze will my studies get written up on H + R too?

There is someone on the job market from Harvard this year in economics with papers on speed dating.

I must find sexier topics. I must!

Jeff

The Wine Commonsewer|11.15.05 @ 9:24PM|#

So if you get a buzz, it has no effect on getting a little action. But if you get a buzz and DO get a little action you won't use any protection. Why does alcohol affect your judgement one way but not the other?

gaius marius|11.15.05 @ 9:40PM|#

"there appears to be no evidence suggesting a causal role of alcohol use in determining the probability of having sex."

fantastic. this is supposedly an application of scientific method, i might point out -- and if it isn't a very good one, it is unfortunately an altogether too common one in ending up with a ridiculous conclusion.

|11.15.05 @ 10:51PM|#

Hello Wine Commonsewer. Yes, it is of course a red wine. Good God, what do you take me for? It's a Napa Cabernet called St. Supery. It's only OK but I'm not that sniffy about it these days (besides, we sell it at our restaurant so it's cheap to me). I recently moved back to the US after 10 years in Ireland and the UK and my wine budget has taken a hit. Over there wine was more expensive, but because of the tax rate the difference between a halfway decent wine and crap was maybe 3/1. Here it's far more dramatic.

TallDave|11.15.05 @ 11:20PM|#

If you're looking for economists to tell you about sex, you deserve the advice you get.

|11.16.05 @ 12:33AM|#

There appears to be no evidence suggesting a causal role of alcohol use in determining the probability of having sex.

What ever, just as long as long as people are still having promiscuous sex with many anonymous partners while at the same time, experimenting with mind-expanding drugs in a consequence environment.

|11.16.05 @ 12:37AM|#

Make that: "...consequence free environment"

|11.16.05 @ 10:29AM|#

fantastic. this is supposedly an application of scientific method, i might point out -- and if it isn't a very good one, it is unfortunately an altogether too common one in ending up with a ridiculous conclusion.

Without the ability to review the study, we really don't know, now, do we?

Besides there's no shortage of social engineering nitwits out there willing to use "science" in pursuit of a Pell Grant.

Doesn't change the fact that without science, you wouldn't have an internet connection to use in order to bitch about it on a worldwide forum, eh?

Cheers~
mg

JSF|11.16.05 @ 11:59AM|#

Quoting Willie Nelson:

I went to bed at two with a ten
and woke up at ten with a two.


"I've never gone to bed with an ugly woman
But I've woken up with a few..."

Or, for a Heavy Metal version:
"Woke up next morning with a trashcan head
Look to my left, Oh No!, wish I was dead
There's Frankenstein's daughter all curled up on me
Said, 'I gotta go home, it's an emergency'
And she says, 'But you are home..."
Y&T, Barroom Boogie

JSF

|11.16.05 @ 2:48PM|#

NoFX, Buggly Eyes:

did ya ever go to sleep with bo derrick and wake up with bo diddley?
did ya ever go to sleep with bo derrick and wake up with bo diddley?
ya got so loaded ya thought that she
was the most beautiful gal you ever did see
did ya ever go to sleep with bo derrick and wake up with bo diddley?

woke up in the morning to your surprise
a couple melons in tube socks and buggly eyes!
did ya ever go to sleep with bo derrick and wake up with bo diddley?

As I see, many have already stated in this thread, economists are not the most gregarious types and should probably not be relied upon to produce an accurate portrayal f some of the less endearing side-effects of getting saucy...

|11.16.05 @ 3:25PM|#

mk shaid:
"Drunks always remember having a better time than they actually did. This includes sex."

And hoo are u, mister mk, to shay?

|11.16.05 @ 5:34PM|#

I dunno all you econo skeptics out there. I've never noticed beer goggles. Ugly sober is still ugly drunk. I've always thought beer goggles were a convenient way to consciously lower one's standards for a while. You know, kinda like those folks who can't ever seem to remember anything they did while drunk?