The resident social conservative of The New York Times Op-Ed page, Ross Douthat, on Sunday seized on a statistic that implies that young Americans are waiting longer to have sex, and from it spun a column about “Why Monogamy Matters.” And here at SexIs, we sort of let it fly right on by because that is more or less what we expect Douthat to say—it’s his job—and also because monogamy does matter. We just tend towards thinking that it’s a choice people make, rather than an absolute societal good.

Douthat noted that the number of 15-24 year olds who report that they’re still virgins is up to 28 percent, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control … and from that and other research, he infers that “young Americans have been growing more sexually conservative since the 1980s.” From this perhaps dubious premise, Douthat goes on to defend abstinence-based education, attack Planned Parenthood and imply that sexual restraint (he does not mean BDSM) makes people happier.

Well that's the way he thinks. As I said, we let it go.

But Susie Bright just couldn’t, and if you happen to read Douthat’s views, you shouldn’t miss her rant about Ross at The Huffington Post, “Why Lying About Monogamy Matters—Ross Douthat's Happy Ending.” If you read ‘em both, let us know which one you like better. We’re kind of digging on Susie right now, ourselves.