Whenever I give a talk or lecture about the human animal, one woman or another inevitably feels the need to comment, "Well, men are animals - that's for sure."

Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it. Ladies, please, before you go accusing men of being the more primitive sex, consider this photo. If this guy asked you out, would you even think about saying yes?

The man was a Nobel Prize winner. Easily the most famous scientist of the 20th century. One of the most brilliant minds ever born in the history of humankind. But not exactly a looker.

Of course, fame can be highly attractive in its own right, and Albert Einstein did have his share of groupies. My point, however, is that we women deal with our own set of preprogrammed instincts. We may not appreciate everything about the male culture (and it IS a different culture), but men are not a different species.

The next time you see an underwear model - and I mean a MALE underwear model - think about how long you stared at that ad compared to the cosmetics ad on the previous page. And give the guys a break already. The human mind is an animal mind. A complex animal mind, to be sure, but an animal mind nonetheless. Like it or not, we're all in this together.

[Photo: Eddie Bauer - Men's Water Shorts]