ASK AMY

Friday, December 16, 2005

Dear Amy:

Touched off by a letter from a single father who was upset because his teenage daughter had taken to wearing thong underwear, several other readers responded, and the topic shifted to the pros and cons of thong underwear in general.

Apparently, many women prefer the thong because it eliminates the "dreaded" visible panty line.

Speaking as a reasonably normal heterosexual male, I'd be curious how the visible panty line has come to be dreaded in the first place. What has caused women to feel that way?

Throughout history, men have had a special fondness for the sight of the female derriere. And this visual appeal is actually enhanced by lingerie. Because totally nude is not as erotic as almost nude, companies such as Victoria's Secret have done very well.

The point is that men are NOT turned off by a VPL. I don't claim to speak for all men, but I'm sure I speak for many. The VPL has its own erotic visual appeal. It is a visible reminder of what you can't see but know is there. It is a tantalizing suggestion of what you would see if the outer garment were not there. And I want to stress that this is strictly visual -- and mental.

So, ladies, if you prefer thongs for comfort or for your own aesthetic standards, then wear them and enjoy them, by all means. But don't let any slick advertising sell you a snow job about what men like or don't like.

Visual Male

I asked men to respond on the scourge of the VPL and, fortunately, men have responded. Read on.

Dear Amy:

Hey, kid. I have some intelligence for you regarding the important issue of VPL. Brace yourself: Men have not remained silent on this issue. Men have spoken up volubly, and in statistically significant numbers, as have women.

The subject of VPL is a recurring theme in my weekly online chat with readers nationwide. I have expressed my personal belief that men like Visible Panty Lines. This raises an intriguing paradox: The Panty Paradox.

I put this to a specific test. In a poll accompanying my online chat, I asked men and women (separately) as to whether VPL (on the right person -- an important qualifier!) are a "good" thing or a "bad" thing.

Results were precisely as I had postulated: Men approve of them by 2-to-1. Women disapprove of them by 2-to-1.

Why do women spend so much effort trying to avoid them when men love them?

The reason seems apparent: Women don't care what men think. They do not dress for men. They dress for other women, and they know that other women consider VPL sloppy-looking at best, trashy looking at worst.

Gene Weingarten

I am delighted to see that you have moved beyond commenting on world events and national politics (ho-hum) and are actually covering Very Important Topics in the hard-hitting online companion to your hilarious "Below the Beltway" column (found at http://www.washingtonpost.com ).

I'm disappointed to learn that my readers and I weren't the first to discover Visible Panty Lines as the perfect metaphor for the ongoing disconnect between men and women. I disagree with you on this one point, however: Though you say that women don't dress for men, I believe that women do wear thongs for men -- their elaborate explanations about VPL notwithstanding. That tantalizing little thong strap might not be as fetching to men as VPL, but for now, it will just have to do.

Dear Amy:

In a recent column a woman complained that people on the phone thought she was a man. My problem is that they think I'm a little kid. I'm 76 years old and so often they say, "May I talk with your mother?" I say, "Sorry, but she's been dead for 45 years." Then I hang up.

Not a Kid

It's a good thing your wit is as young as your voice is.

Write to Amy Dickinson ataskamy@tribune.com.

2005by the Chicago Tribune Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc.