ain't nothing but a number

Anna Faris hurts women with her sex stereotype-filled movie: Who cares What'sYour Number?

"What's Your Number?" comes out on Friday
Will Chris Evans and Anna Faris get together?
Photo by Claire Folger/20th Century Fox

One might think that, by this point, about 50 years into the discussion, we might have closed the gender gap on double standards.

Specifically, the one about someone's "number." The one that gives guys a big ol' pat on the back for sexually conquering umpteen ladies, but castigates women for having too many partners.

But then you see a movie likeWhat's Your Number? opening in theaters on Friday. Movies like this lead me to wonder whether the parody of the double standard only proves to perpetuate it.

Movies like this lead me to wonder whether the parody of the double standard only proves to perpetuate it.

Anna Faris plays Ally Darling, a single lady who learns that—statistically speaking—her chance at marriage after 20 lovers is slim to none. She's already there and refuses to budge off 20 until she revisits all of her exes to make sure that she can't rekindle the romance with one of them. All for the sake of her "number."

In predictable rom-com fashion,Captain AmericaChris Evans plays Faris' lascivious neighbor and accomplice in tracking down her old lovers. Will tables turn? Will she make room for him on her list? Your guess is as good as mine—and anyone else's who's ever seen a movie in the last 20 years.

If you're in a similar predicament, though, you may not want to wait around for an understanding stud to save the day. Let us suggest that you simply fib about your number rather before modifying your whole life or settling with an incompatible former fling.

A CultureMap source offers the numbers three and eight—both safe, solid integers to stick with when asked to reveal your sexual partner tabulation. What do you think?

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Editor's note: The word of the week in Austin is growth. Whether it's fast-growing cities, the city's highly anticipated inclusion in the Michelin Guide, or an updated H-E-B ready to re-anchor the neighborhood, things are always reshaping and Austinites are keeping up online. Here are our most-read stories over the past week. Looking for things to do this weekend? Our top picks are here.

1. Austin neighbor saw 4th biggest population boom in U.S. for 2023.The Austin-area suburb of Georgetown has proven it's not just a laid back destination for tourists, but one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation.

2. Michelin Guide plates up first Texas picks, with 7 stars in Austin.The first Michelin Guide in Texas has finally made its picks known. At a black-tie event in Houston on November 11, the guide announced that 47 Austin restaurants have won recognition.

3. New South Congress H-E-B is finally opening at the end of 2024. After roughly two years of construction, H-E-B announced its 145,000-square-foot building on South Congress Avenue and East Oltorf Street will open to shoppers starting December 4.

4. Bubbly Austin brunch spot Irene's closing after 8 years. Despite the ever-increasing number of Austin brunches, the scene is losing a classic. Irene's on West 6th Street announced November 12 that it will be closing at the end of its lease this month.

Irene's Austin cocktail One of Austin's most popular brunch spots is throwing in the towel when its lease ends.Irene's/Instagram

5. $15.2 million Austin sanctuary is in the middle of a nature conservancy. The Sanctuary on Barton Creek is a 24-acre estate completely surrounded by a 4,100-acre nature conservancy to provide a peaceful and private escape from city life.