Girls, Guys, and the Panda — The Battle of the Sexes at the Zoo

Tai Shan is the new “chick magnet” at The National Zoo in Washington, DC. Tai Shan is a giant panda cub, and The Washington Times reports that women all over Washington are swooning.

“He is too cute, say he is,” quipped Aqsa Khan, 24, of Woodbridge, VA. “The panda is cute, tell me he’s cute. He’s adorable.”

But guys aren’t buying it. “He’s just not that cute,” said Richard Wertheim, 32, of Arlington. Visitor Judy Mcgurick commented: “Guy’s don’t go for the cuddly stuff,” she said. “Men just don’t really like cutesy.”

More: “Dennis Lucas, 47, of the District said Tai Shan is interesting because the cub is exotic, but disagreed with his fiancee, Tamika James, 32, when she calls Tai Shan ‘adorable.'”

“I think the panda is cool because of his color combination and because he’s unique,” he said. “But she likes the panda because it’s cute. It’s kind of like watching our 5-year-old son. I’m like ‘he’s cool,’ and she thinks he’s adorable.”

Some guys see romantic potential in the panda. “I wouldn’t go out of my way for a panda, but I’d go out of my way for a girl,” said Thomas Holland, 17, of Alexandria. “Girls love cute things. [Forget] the movies, take a girl to see the panda.” Give the lad credit. He sees the advantage of cuteness when it counts.

Tai Shan seems unperturbed and unimpressed about all this. According to zoo officials, he is spending most of his time climbing rocks, gumming bamboo stalks, and roaming around his enclosure.

Remember Tai Shan the next time someone argues that there are no real differences between the sexes. Just call it the “Great Panda Divide.”