I recently read an article entitled "Why 'Normal' Is Such A Catch," and it befuddled, yet humored me, so I thought I'd share the experience with readers.
Regardless of whether or not I'm dating someone at the time, I find it painfully humorous (yes, there is such a thing) to read articles surrounding dating/love advice. Why? Because they're typically more cliche-ridden than a film released on Valentine's Day by the name of Hallmark Card, and while I typically loathe cliches, I also often times find them to be unintentionally humorous due to how ridiculous they come across, especially if taken from a literal rather than a figurative angle.
The author of the before-mentioned article is a "dating coach" and authored a book by the title of Stop Looking for a Husband: Find the Love of Your Life. ...and the award for most horoscope-sounding book title of the year goes to...
So, back to the article, where Marina Sbrochi writes the following:
"...The question is, what do you want?
It's funny, because when you ask people what they are looking for in a mate, you most often hear adjectives like 'smart', 'good looking', 'great job', 'must have chemistry', 'similar interests' -- you know, the basics. However, I was having this discussion with a recently divorced girlfriend who had been out on tons of dates, but felt that none were even remotely impressive enough to warrant a fourth date.
The other day I got a phone call. I could feel the excitement on the line. Julie told me that she had met someone she really liked -- finally! I was super excited for her, so we made plans to meet for lunch to talk about the guy.
'So, tell me about him?'
The first word that came out of her mouth was 'normal.' 'He's pretty normal,' she said calmly and confidently."
Sbrochi later writes:
"It's a compliment beyond all compliments. There are tons of hot people out there; they're a dime a dozen, especially if you live in Los Angeles. There are tons of talented people out there. Tons of smart people too. But normal -- not tons. In fact, Julie told me that out of the last six guys she has dated that this was the only normal dude..."
Not long after, the author writes the following:
"Normal! Seriously folks. Bells and sirens are going off in the background. Ladies and gentleman, she has won the prize -- a normal guy!"
Sbrochi finally closes with this:
"You should revise your perfect mate wish list now. Be sure to add normal to the top of the list.
What does 'normal mean to you?"
The biggest problem I have with this article is that it appears the author is attempting to suggest that "normal" is objective, yet then goes on to contradict that with her final line, which appears to acknowledge it's subjective.
I think it's virtually impossible to universally define the word "normal," especially with regard to individuals' personalities, interests, and the kind of relationships they're pursuing. The last thing I'd ever do is define a woman I'm dating as "normal," because while she may seem "normal" to me due to our common interests and the like, she may be anything but "normal" to another, and the same goes for everyone. No two people are exactly alike, so how can we accurately describe one as "normal" and another as not? My current girlfriend is big into: Video games, cars, sports (somewhat), rock music, action movies, etc. Is this "normal" for a woman her age? My own personal survey says... I don't care. Is it "normal" for a guy my age to enjoy: Poetry, foreign and independent films, oldies, etc.? Again, I don't really care. I don't care how "normal" a woman is, if she and I don't share a grand chemistry, connection, and attraction with/toward one another, then I'm sorry, but it's not going to work.
When finishing Ms. Sbrochi's article, I had to chuckle, as I immediately thought of a scene from the award-winning film As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, and Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Toward the very end of the film, Helen Hunt belts out the line, "Why can't I just have a normal boyfriend?"
Her mother promptly responds with, "It doesn't exist."
Exactly...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marina-sbrochi/why-normal-is-such-a-catc_b_2903899.html
Regardless of whether or not I'm dating someone at the time, I find it painfully humorous (yes, there is such a thing) to read articles surrounding dating/love advice. Why? Because they're typically more cliche-ridden than a film released on Valentine's Day by the name of Hallmark Card, and while I typically loathe cliches, I also often times find them to be unintentionally humorous due to how ridiculous they come across, especially if taken from a literal rather than a figurative angle.
The author of the before-mentioned article is a "dating coach" and authored a book by the title of Stop Looking for a Husband: Find the Love of Your Life. ...and the award for most horoscope-sounding book title of the year goes to...
So, back to the article, where Marina Sbrochi writes the following:
"...The question is, what do you want?
It's funny, because when you ask people what they are looking for in a mate, you most often hear adjectives like 'smart', 'good looking', 'great job', 'must have chemistry', 'similar interests' -- you know, the basics. However, I was having this discussion with a recently divorced girlfriend who had been out on tons of dates, but felt that none were even remotely impressive enough to warrant a fourth date.
The other day I got a phone call. I could feel the excitement on the line. Julie told me that she had met someone she really liked -- finally! I was super excited for her, so we made plans to meet for lunch to talk about the guy.
'So, tell me about him?'
The first word that came out of her mouth was 'normal.' 'He's pretty normal,' she said calmly and confidently."
Sbrochi later writes:
"It's a compliment beyond all compliments. There are tons of hot people out there; they're a dime a dozen, especially if you live in Los Angeles. There are tons of talented people out there. Tons of smart people too. But normal -- not tons. In fact, Julie told me that out of the last six guys she has dated that this was the only normal dude..."
Not long after, the author writes the following:
"Normal! Seriously folks. Bells and sirens are going off in the background. Ladies and gentleman, she has won the prize -- a normal guy!"
Sbrochi finally closes with this:
"You should revise your perfect mate wish list now. Be sure to add normal to the top of the list.
What does 'normal mean to you?"
The biggest problem I have with this article is that it appears the author is attempting to suggest that "normal" is objective, yet then goes on to contradict that with her final line, which appears to acknowledge it's subjective.
I think it's virtually impossible to universally define the word "normal," especially with regard to individuals' personalities, interests, and the kind of relationships they're pursuing. The last thing I'd ever do is define a woman I'm dating as "normal," because while she may seem "normal" to me due to our common interests and the like, she may be anything but "normal" to another, and the same goes for everyone. No two people are exactly alike, so how can we accurately describe one as "normal" and another as not? My current girlfriend is big into: Video games, cars, sports (somewhat), rock music, action movies, etc. Is this "normal" for a woman her age? My own personal survey says... I don't care. Is it "normal" for a guy my age to enjoy: Poetry, foreign and independent films, oldies, etc.? Again, I don't really care. I don't care how "normal" a woman is, if she and I don't share a grand chemistry, connection, and attraction with/toward one another, then I'm sorry, but it's not going to work.
When finishing Ms. Sbrochi's article, I had to chuckle, as I immediately thought of a scene from the award-winning film As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, and Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Toward the very end of the film, Helen Hunt belts out the line, "Why can't I just have a normal boyfriend?"
Her mother promptly responds with, "It doesn't exist."
Exactly...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marina-sbrochi/why-normal-is-such-a-catc_b_2903899.html
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