The following is for men's eyes only, unless there are women out there who want to see grown men get scolded in newsprint:
So I go to these dating events. I've gone to 8Minute Dating and Flash Dating and Turbo Dating - all variations on the speed dating theme of having a lot of short conversations with a lot of women of the same age in just one night.
You sign up, go to a bar, sit down for about 10 dates that all last a few minutes, and then go home. You never have to ask for a phone number, because you tell the organizers who you liked. If that woman likes you, information is exchanged.
It's the fast-track to love and lust.
But gentlemen, you'd be amazed by the problems with these things.
The women are tough on the eyes, you ask? Absolutely not.
The women are obnoxious? Nope.
The women all have deep-seated psychological problems from their last relationship? No - nothing apparent, anyway.
In fact, women are not the problem at all. The problem, according to organizers and my personal experience, is men are reluctant to attend.
It's amazing. There are a plethora of well-advertised services that enable single men to talk to at least eight other women their own age who are all single.
It's an extraordinary deal, right? Then why are you still sitting there?
Here is a perfect way to go out with friends, have some drinks and talk to 10 single women - that's more single women than any of you talk to in a given month.
And yet most of you would never even try one of these events. Women are so much more likely to attend that they sometimes get shut out of the events because there aren't enough men to date.
Guys are too cool to do try a dating gimmick like this. It seems absurd and weak to acknowledge that you want to do as much as possible to find a girlfriend.
Well, get over it.
This is not a guaranteed success. You may not get lovin' out of it, you may not even get a phone number. But what would you do otherwise on an average Thursday night? Would you rather go drinking and talk to new women - or go drinking and stare at the same waitress at the same neighborhood bar and talk to NO women?
Of course, some nights are better spent going to the bar with your friends and ogling cute waitresses. For me, most nights are better spent this way. But if you're not dating anyone, and you go to the bar with actual hopes of getting that waitress to go home with you (no chance, pal), then you might as well try out speed dating.
In November, I went to The Mansion in Voorhees for an event billed for upscale young professionals. Called Flash Dating, there was butlered (and unlimited) wine and cheese in a beautiful setting.
I met Ann Marie, who had an adorable nose ring and cute hairstyle. She was confident and cool, and very attractive.
But because there weren't enough guys, I also spent 10 minutes with Jamie and Nikki. They talked about bad dates they've had, and I was sitting there like Dr. Phil. It was awful.
So basically, guys, I can't handle all these ladies myself. I'm not man enough. Get off your butt, check out the following web sites - http://www.njflashdating.com/, http://www.8minutedating.com/, http://www.pre-dating.com/ and http://www.minidate.com/ - and help a brother out.
You'll thank me for it.
The Date Line appears Tuesdays. Reach Matt Katz at (856) 486-2456 or mkatz@courierpostonline.com
