Although there is great deal of variation within each gender, on the average men and women discuss a surprisingly different range of topics. According to some studies women and men ranging in age from seventeen to eighty described the range of topics each discussed with friends of the same sex. Certain topics were common to both men and women: work, movies, and television proved to be frequent topics for both groups. The differences between men and women were more striking than the similarities. Female friends spent much more time discussing personal and domestic subjects, relationship problems, family health and reproductive matters, weight. food and clothing. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to discuss music, cu rrent events, sports and business. Women were more likely to gossip about close friends and family. By contrast, men spert more time gossiping about sportsfigures and media personalities. These when men and women try to converse with one another.