University of Sussex homepage

DJ Chris Stark

Sussex psychologist Dr Richard de Visser becomes labelled as ‘Dr Lad Points’  in a BBC Radio 1 documentary being aired tonight (Tuesday, 7 October).

Dr de Visser, whose research looks at the health behaviour of young people, is the academic expert in a programme exploring how and why young men award each other points for antics such as binge drinking and womanising.

Radio 1 DJ Chris Stark, who is credited with introducing the world to the term ‘lad points’, talks with Dr de Visser, a group of young farmers in Shropshire and a bunch of men on a night out in Chelmsford.

 “I wish I could have come to one of your lectures,” says Chris, when he introduces Dr de Visser as “Dr Lad Points”.

Dr de Visser describes how this has become an area of academic study. “We are looking at it because there are potential physical risks involved, whether that’s not going to the doctor because you think that’s a 'particularly girlie’ thing to do, or to drink heavily because that’s how you think you’ll get lad points.

“What we have found  is that  people get the most lad points for the traditional masculine behaviour – being able to hold your drink, being good at sport, not showing weakness and not showing vulnerability.”

While the programme hears from young men about how sleeping with friends’ sisters earns lad points, while at the same time moving into a flat with a girlfriend also scores highly, Dr Visser  points to how changes in society have made it less clear what it is to be a man.  

He also  describes how lad points become man points with age, with the scoring moving away from appearance and socialising, to the state of your wine rack or what car you drive.

And while the achievement of some points may be only fleeting, others become part of your capital.  As Dr de Visser says: “Once  you have them in the bank you have them forever.  For example, David Beckham  can be worried about his hair or his appearance because he already earned the lad points for what he did on the football field.  He can be less masculine. He is living off the interest of his lad points.”

‘Lad Points’ is on BBC Radio 1 at 9pm.  Web link: http://bbc.in/1nWOgxM