“Skip the small talk” is generally good dating advice. Why bother trading insipid anecdotes about your commutes, discussing how it was actually quite warm today, and asking how many siblings you have when you can dive right into what you masturbate about? It might sound strange, but this is exactly the tactic being adopted at singles nights in France.
Launched last year in Paris by Léa Toussaint, a sex therapist, the events are aimed at helping single people under-40s, the idea being that encouraging people to speak about their sexual preferences early on can help foster a culture of openness and honesty. Participants pay €25 and have a series of seven-minute-long conversations with other attendees, using suggested questions provided by Toissaint, such as “Do you prefer having sex in bed or outdoors?” and “Would you like to initiate sex more or less often?”
