And men like this are not worth a woman's time

Mr. Brilliant has many wonderful traits, not the least of which is his demented, snarky sense of humor. Another of his wonderful traits is that he appreciates women who are smart and funny and who can make him laugh. This makes him different from most representatives of his sex, apparently, who seem to feel that a woman should be simply an audience; a receptacle for their own witticisms instead of a witty person in her own right:

Hundreds of men and women in their twenties were questioned. Asked if they found a sense of humour to be attractive in women, most men said yes. But when they were asked if they would want to be with a woman who cracked jokes herself, the answer was a resounding no.

"When forced to choose between humour production and humour appreciation in potential partners, women valued humour production, whereas men valued receptivity to their own humour," said Dr Martin.

More than half the men who took part in the survey revealed that a witty woman was not what they were looking for in a partner. Dr Martin said the findings suggested that men see themselves as the ones who should be delivering the lines and feel threatened by humorous women.

The revelations came as no shock to some of Britain's funniest females. Meera Syal, who co-wrote and starred in the BBC comedy show Goodness Gracious Me, said: "The idea that men are more interested in having an audience rather than sharing banter doesn't really surprise me.

"Women see men with a sense of humour as dangerous and sexy, while men see it as threatening. Basically, what it comes down to is that humour is a mark of intelligence. Many men don't really want to be the recipient of a cutting remark in public that will make them look small or stupid."

Good Lord, are men really that insecure? Another reason to be glad that I am middle aged and are fortunate enough to live with the kind of guy who, when asked at various times who he finds sexy, has answered people like Linda Ellerbee and Emma Thompson. Oh sure, he appreciates a bikini-clad babe as much as any red-blooded male, but he knows that if you're going to live with someone for two decades, it's much easier when that person can make you laugh.