The following “local color” journalism appeared in the September 13, 1958 Democrat & Times of Davenport Iowa (daily circulation 13,750) by staff writer Gloria Breisacher:
Memo to Dr. Kinsey:
Women Deny They Are Nudists At Bedtime
Quad-city women are rebuking Dr. Kinsey on his “estimate” that half the women do not wear pajamas, nighties — or anythin’ to bed at night.
I took the part of an investigator, and pried into the innermost of “feminine secrets,” [that sounds like fun, is there video? — Bacchus] to find out what women of this area are wearing when they “lay me down to sleep.”
Some were coy, but when I told them I wouldn’t use their names, they usually spoke up.
And everybody said about the same thing. Namely:
“Kinsey is wrong. Way wrong.”
Of the women surveyed, every single one of ’em said they wore something besides their birthday suit to bed at night. Several dozen women were contacted.
A Rock Island woman exclaimed:
“I’d freeze to death at night without pajamas. Who ever heard of such a thing. I think Kinsey is silly to have asked women such a question in his survey.”
One woman, a housewife in Moline, said she couldn’t understand how a man could think up such a thing to write about? “People might take these reports jokingly, but to me when the subject of the book is brought up it’s downright embarrassing. Kinsey should see my clothesline on Monday morning. A good portion is hung with pajamas and night gowns.
A young girl of Davenport commented that Dr. Kensey gets a lot of his ideas from reading too man “she and he magazines.” “So far as I’m concerned, she said, “the idea of person being minus night clothes in their wardrobe is utterly repulsive. Maybe Kinsey is supposed to be doing something for the betterment of understanding among human beings, but I have my doubts.”
The mother of six daughters and a resident of Rock Island says Kinsey better keep his surveys in his family circle. “My daughters are still in the adolescent age, and practically every day they come home with some tid bit about the newest book sensation, “The Kinsey Report.” The heard about this no night clothes business, and believe me I got that out of their heads and mouths in no time flat. If Doc Kinsey would show his face around here, I’d wrap a rolling pin around his head.”
Another Quad-city woman, a Davenport nurse, said that Kinsey must have interviewed all kinds of women like Marilyn Monroe. “I’ve read that all Marilyn wears to bed at night is perfume. Chanel No. 5, at that.”
“Maybe Kinsey thinks all women are movie crazy, and follow the various rages of Hollywood glamour girls like they did back in the 20s. Being a nurse,” she said, “I have first hand information that the ladies today are still very old fashioned when it comes to the question of night gowns. They still like them high necked and full length.”
Kinsey, however, does have one fan — a casual one — in the area. She’s a five foot, white-haired lady of Moline, 82 years young, who has six flannel night shirts. “I think the man is alright. He’s just trying to earn a few extral dollars.”
Oh, yes. To make this survey official, what do I wear. Well — shorties in the summer, and flannel PJ’s in the winter.
