Romantic relationships in general

RedEyedAbyss

Inspiration for this thread.

A few things that bug me about that one thing that endlessly fills the radio waves (and the only thing I ever had to go to peer support for):

• Dating rules. I figure that love is spontaneous and fun, not this ritualized game of passive-aggression. Apparently, this is an American thing, but a lot of Americans say it's really an American television thing. Can anyone confirm?


• Dating advice. Usually, at best, it's as legit as evo psych. About the only legitimate dating advice I know of boils down to "tell the truth." When you're deciding to spend your entire life with a person, doesn't your significant other deserve to know what they are getting into?


• "Being friends" as a bad thing. Early in my university life, I had no friends. This is a step up.


• Romance in novels, movies, etc. They're unrealistic. A lot has been said that would fill a topic on its own, but one thing I particularly take issue with is that they focus almost solely on "getting the guy/girl" when maintaining a relationship is a story on its own.


• And anything else anyone wants to discuss.

InsanityAddict

+1 on most of those. Also, lack of amiable break-ups/divorces in the media(both in fiction and in reported stories), and sex as either magical or horrible, but never something inbetween. 

Anyhow, there's dating advice that takes in the geek/feminist angle(yes, it's written by a dude, but the comment section is filled with dudettes who slap him down if he fudges up): http://www.doctornerdlove.com/ ;

Also, speed hating events sound ideal for the members of this site.