Scottish Housemate and I, and others along the way, have been debating the concepts of speed dating, internet dating and other types of arranged dating activities - as well as the would you/wouldn't you conversation.
The most frequently repeated comment from men and women alike is that they have done it or would do it "for a laugh". My retort is always, "That's not fair!" Someone is genuinely looking for a possible partner and is most likely placing a great deal of faith and hope [and some serious angst] in the process. In my eyes, it's just plain mean to enter into this dating fray if your intentions are not honorable. I imagine how hurt I would feel [and possibly humiliated if I actually quite liked him] if I shared my time allotted self only to find out that he was there for a laugh. I object!
Observation tells me that internet dating to the majority is nothing more than a grown up version of 'Hot or Not'. Let's not pretend that the hopeful lads consider qualities, interests and hobbies. In my office internet dating and subsequent dates are discussed openly. Those women who never make it to the actual date stage are displayed on the monitor for all to see because they dared to express some level of interest and are mocked mercilessly for it. With comments such as "what a minger" the boys rule them out one by one based on looks: and looks alone. Let me point out that these "boys" are aged 28 and upwards, and as the idiom goes, are no oil paintings themselves. God help us.
Now there is another kind of arranged dating activity, one which was the original purpose of this post. Scottish Housemate tells me, courtesy of the London Lite, that there is a new phenomenon sweeping the bars of London town. That was for dramatic effect...one bar somewhere in South Ken is hosting something called Down With Dating. An anti-speed dating if you will. People can go and legitimately take the piss. On the dreaded wall of faces, photos are replaced by your own hand-drawn-with-crayons self-portrait...and your 3 minutes of me me me is an opportunity for you both to talk about things that really piss you off. This I could do. I shall start making a list right now: things high up on shelves in shops; American English; people who walk really slowly in front of you; the fact that Quality Streets come in giant tins; phone contracts; customer services "your call is important to us" on hold mesasges; South African accents....This is too easy. Suddenly "for a laugh" sounds very appealing to me.
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