Dating Disasters

Bad Examples From Hollywood Chick Flicks

Sometimes, romantic comedies make dating look too simple. How often, after all, does your crush really stand below your window, holding a boom box above their head in a sweet, slightly pathetic attempt to woo you? (Plus, today he would probably just hold up his mac laptop and have Genius choose a song on itunes, which doesn't really have the same effect.) Instead of looking for perfect dating examples in chick flicks, sometimes it helps to look back on the cheesy romantic movies for dating advice on what not to do.

He's Just Not That Into You


Although Ginnifer Goodwin plays the adorably desperate Gigi Philips in this recent chick flick, her endless phone calls and oblivious pestering almost make you look away while she naively navigates through painfully awkward moments throughout the movie.

Clueless



Although this movie will always reign as the queen of 90's chick flicks, Clueless' happy ending comes only after a series of dating disasters. Though Cher ends up with Josh (her sort of half-brother, which always seemed a little creepy, but goes unmentioned throughout the movie), she first attempts to entice Christian. Try not to follow Cher's slightly faulty radar when it comes to choosing men, and avoid her first dating disaster when she invites Christian over to watch a movie, falls off her bed and fills the house with burning smoke.

My Best Friend's Wedding



Julia Roberts has managed to play nearly every likeable character, from the sweet younger sister in America's Sweetheart to the hard-working, ingenious single mother in Erin Brockovich. Yet Roberts shows a new, less angelic angle in My Best Friend's Wedding, when she tries (and fails) to entice her soon-to-be-married best friend away from his fiance (played by Cameron Diaz). Roberts continuously attempts to embarrass the fiance in ways that merely seem to make Diaz appear more adorable. Though Roberts still comes out likeable, her man-stealing attempts only backfire in her face.

Old Dating Rules You Can Break

Some rules are meant to be broken!

The rules of dating are meant to last through the ages, right? Wrong! The dating rules of years past don't always work in our modern-day relationships, and quite frankly, some rules are meant to be broken. Here are some common old-school dating rules that you can update to fit into your own modern-day love story.

Old Rule: You have to fix every problem immediately.


New Rule: You can allow some small conflicts to go unresolved.

We've all been told you should never go to bed angry, but sometimes it's better to just sleep on the problem. This isn't to say that you shouldn't let your man know how you feel, but you should accept the fact that you won't always be in perfect agreement on every matter.

Sometimes disagreements occur that can't be resolved instantly (or even resolved after some work). If it's something small like he doesn't hang up his coat when he gets to your place and instead throws it on the back of a chair, mention it once in a joking way, but let it go.
Most likely, it's a habit that won't end, and there's no point in fighting over it.
But if it's something big like his total disrespect of your family, take it up with him and hash out the situation.

Old Rule: You can't check out anyone else.


New Rule: It's OK to observe the scenery.
There's nothing wrong with noticing a hot guy when you're out, and just because you notice someone else doesn't mean you aren't into your man anymore. But that's not to say that you should stare at every guy that you see throughout the day.

If you notice your man checking out another girl, don't freak out. You could even comment on the girl by saying she's cute, which makes you sound more confident about your own appearance and adds to you own appeal.

Old Rule: You have to give him a complete run down of your day.


New Rule: Give him the highlights and let him ask more questions.
Sometimes it's better to give your man the Cliff Notes version of your day instead of talking about every single thing that happened. Mention the big stuff, but let him dig for the smaller details if he's interested (and trust us, he will be). If you torture him by telling every single detail of Jane's new haircut and Bobby's new suit, he's going to get bored easily.

Try to give your man a quick summary or even just phrases like "I saw your friend Mark today", but don't give him anything more. He'll be intrigued since you aren't letting him in on every single detail, and he's bound to ask about what else happened during your day. Plus, since he's asking the questions, he'll be much more interested in what you have to say.