Can a man really tell the difference between the Big O and the big zero? We had four women fake climax three times over the course of two weeks, then asked their men to guess which orgasms were real. How would your guy score?
Jennifer, 30 archivist
Kevin, 31 research associate
Married three years
Kevin guessed correctly 4 out of 6 times
Jennifer: Kevin and I viewed this experiment as an opportunity to pack as much sex into two weeks as possible. Too bad we were so busy! Our libidos were so supercharged that we nearly got off just by making sexy faces at each other over free weights at the gym.
It's a credit to Kevin that I almost forgot to fake it. One Sunday afternoon, I came home from a two-hour road trip with a friend. When I walked through the door, it was like a scene from Animal Planet
Clothes were flying off as we rolled around in bed. Once the frenetic foreplay slowed into incredibly satisfying sex, there was no need to pretend.
I had better control next time. I attacked him on our couch and started nibbling him through his clothes. Things progressed, but it never quite clicked for me. Having never faked it before, I was nervous, but I tried to imitate my usual style: I made some drawn-out moans, took a few ragged breaths, and yanked urgently on Kevin's shoulders right as I was "climaxing." I thought I was brilliant, but I don't think he bought it. His face fell slightly after my last deep breath. During the two weeks, Kevin would get a puzzled look on his face whenever we finished, like he was desperately trying to decide whether I was for real that time. I thought he'd be better at telling the natural orgasms from the impostors. We have been married for three years!
Kevin: I'm lucky to be with a woman who's honest enough to tell me when something isn't working for her. Unfortunately, during this game, I was clueless!
One night, we were relaxing in bed after a tiring weekend with family. Jennifer was lying on her tummy reading, and I playfully climbed on top of her. She rolled over to kiss me, and soon we were making love. I thought she might have been faking when she started thrashing around, making noises that don't exist in nature. But then I figured she probably didn't have the energy to fake it. So I marked that one down as real. Oops -- I was wrong.
I got it right sometimes, though, like the day Jennifer looked away from me during her "moment of truth." It was as if staring into my eyes would cause her to crack. Busted!
In the end, I decided not to let it stress me out. Most men are never 100 percent sure if their partners are having orgasms. Instead of "Is she faking?" the question should be, "Why would she want to?"
Next: Alison, 24, advertising-sales and Mark, 25, residential-property manager
Alison, 24 advertising-sales coordinator
Mark, 25 residential-property manager
Dating one year
Mark guessed correctly 7 out of 7 times
Alison: Mark and I had an intense chemistry from the moment we met. We quickly fell into a steamy routine of having sex four to six times a week. From tryst one, he knew just how to please me; I've never had to fake it with him. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about some of my past relationships. More than once, I've had to rely on my acting abilities to save a boyfriend's pride.
My natural orgasm style is so quiet and sedate that Mark has asked me before whether I'd "finished" or not. So I didn't expect this challenge to be too taxing. On the second night, we climbed into bed and turned to each other. Just 10 minutes after we started, I grabbed the sheets and dramatically tensed up my body as I pretended to climax. Watching Mark stare at me so intently was such a complete turn-on. And more importantly, I was certain he bought the act, judging from the sweet way he held and kissed me afterward.
I faked it two more times over the next two weeks. Every time I did, I was sure that Mark believed every sigh and groan. So I am surprised that he really guessed correctly every time! None of the other men I've faked it with could tell
Mark: Right from the start, I was fairly confident I'd ace this challenge. Alison might think she's a great actress, but no woman can fake muscle contractions down there.
Still, there were times during our two-week stint that I second-guessed myself. Whenever she so much as squirmed during sex, I'd take it as a good sign. But then I'd think, Wait, is she really enjoying herself
Eventually, though, I caught on. After dinner one night, Alison was so exhausted that I knew I had to put the moves on her fast. I seductively removed all her clothes and we started fooling around, but halfway through, I wondered, Am I the only one enjoying this? Then, suddenly, her eyes opened wide and she got very vocal. I immediately became suspicious. In my experience, the only thing that goes from zero to 60 that quickly is a Porsche 911 Turbo. So, when she started crying out, I knew she was putting me on. After that, guessing the authenticity of her passion was a piece of cake.
Next: Jacki,35, Designer and David, 40, Creative Director
Jacki, 35 Designer
David, 40 Creative Director
Dating three years
David guessed correctly 5 out of 7 times
Jacki: After three years, David and I know each other very well. I'd never faked an orgasm before, so I desperately wanted to get it right. To calm down, I had to remind myself, It's a fake orgasm, not nuclear fission. Turns out, it was actually pretty fun!
The night of my first performance, David was snuggled up to me in bed, caressing my legs and arms. Though I was horny, I was too beat to spend an hour making love. Aha! I thought, I can simply fake it and get to sleep a bit earlier. I closed my eyes and clenched my hands until the tips of my fingers were red
But as it turns out, I wasn't as good at faking orgasm as I thought
David: This experiment wasn't all fun and games. In fact, it inspired me to mentally revisit every relationship I've ever had, trying to figure out if the woman was a faker.
Guessing Jacki's manufactured moves was pretty easy. One time, I initiated lovemaking by kissing her neck and spooning up behind her in bed. The vibe was playful and silly
Next: Siri, 26,photographer and Chris, 24, property manager
Siri, 26 photographer
Chris, 24 property manager
Dating one year
Chris guessed correctly 4 out of 7 times
Siri: Although Chris is good in bed, I feel there are a few things he could work on. I knew this experiment would be a good excuse for us to push the envelope with our sex life. We're not prudes, but we'd certainly never done it in, say, a subway station.
Psyched about the challenge, we took a risk at a deserted subway stop at 2a.m. I leaned seductively against a stone pillar and shot him a look that said, "Get over here!" The sex was good, but a little more handiwork on Chris's part would have prevented me from faking it. Luckily, my face was pressed into his shoulder, so I was able to moan without laughing. I really hammed it up: I bit his hand, grabbed his waist and was quite vocal
In the end, I'm amazed Chris was able to make any accurate guesses. Screaming doesn't necessarily make me more orgasmic, but it seems to go a long way toward making Chris think I am.
Chris: I know I'm a spectacular lay
For two weeks, I studied Siri's reactions, holding back when I thought she was on the verge, just to gauge her response. That night on the subway platform, I knew we were both concerned with one thing
I was certain she'd gotten what she came for. Whoops
My instinct wasn't always off, though. Toward the end of the challenge, we had an impromptu afternoon quickie. Siri had promised that if I "took care" of her, she'd give me a ride to work (I work nights). Conveniently, I was already naked, so she unzipped her dress and hopped on top of me! The sex was really hot, but when Siri barely made a noise as she climaxed, I worried that it was so bad she couldn't even fake it convincingly! A second later, when she started quivering, I knew her orgasm was 100 percent real. Redemption!
