Online dating

Some thoughts on social networking and online dating profiles from a grizzled veteran of both:

1. I could not give less of a shit what bands/movies/books/tv shows you like. The correlation between the fact that we both like, say, Neil Young, and our compatibility as a couple is extremely low. Same for the social networking sites; the shit you like does not make you an interesting person. It's just crap I have to skip over to get to stuff that might actually indicate whether or not you suck or rock as a person. I would much rather hang out with a funny, nice person who listens to crappy music than with an asshole who listens to good music. Perhaps, 5 years ago, I would have bothered to read through these endless lists of other people's art that you have enjoyed, but after looking at thousands of online profiles on dating and social networking sites, those lists start blending together into an interminable parade of meaningless names.

2. Let me guess: you like hiking? How about movies? OMG...you mean you ACTUALLY like BOTH going out on the town AND having a quiet night at home? How can you possibly like both of those things at the same time? You are SO COMPLEX!!!!

3. While on some level I appreciate the honesty, admitting that you only want to go out with hot and/or rich guys does make you sound like an asshole.

4. I don't need to know your Meyers/Briggs label or your astrological sign.

5. Wait...you work hard, but you play hard too? What a paradox!

6. The shit that actually matters for compatibility is pretty much impossible to discern through an online dating profile. Think about the people you actually fell in love with in your life; how many of them would you have contacted if all you'd seen was their online profile? It's good for getting dates, but you're not gonna know anything until you meet in person and hang out for a while.