# this is either really good or a tad odd **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-either-really-good-or-a-tad-odd/113928 "2002-06-13T21:12:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-either-really-good-or-a-tad-odd/113928/1 "2002-06-13T21:12:48Z")
I’ll admit, I have a bit of a love-hate/guilty-pleasure fascination with those dating shows. You know, Blind Date, Elima-Date, the 5th Wheel, etc? It’s not like I schedule my television viewing around them, but if they’re on (and notice how the different shows always seem to play back-to-back?) and I’ve got nothing better to do, I’ll watch them. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, time for the real purpose of this post. I started dating this guy about a week ago. So far things are going well–he laughs at my jokes (the last ex didn’t seem to find me funny), I enjoy spending time with him, yadda yadda. Our dates seem to follow the general plot of go for dinner, go to a show or movie, then go back to his place for a bit. Because of the timing, when we get back to his place, one of the aforesaid shows will be on. It appears that he may be a sucker for them, too, because he’ll leave them on. It seemed a bit unusual the first time it happened, I mean here we were, sitting on a couch together on _our_ first date, watching other people on blind dates. Especially when we started asking each other some of the “get to know you” questions the people on the shows were asking each other. But hey, I’m not a pathetic loser no, really, I’m not!, and I get a kick out of them. And in all other respects, he seems to be a pretty cool guy. It’s not as though he takes them seriously–he laughs a lot, too. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-either-really-good-or-a-tad-odd/113928/2 "2002-06-13T21:29:40Z")
Hmmm, well, I’d say you’re safe as long as: a) he doesn’t schedule _his_ television viewing (or life) around these shows, b) he doesn’t pick fights with you about the elimination of Melissa, who was his favorite but who obviously had no more than a 5th grade education c) he doesn’t _call_ you Melissa the first time you… erm… and d) he is not addicted to _Lifetime_ movies as well. ---
**Author:** ![runforrestrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@runforrestrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runforrestrun)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-either-really-good-or-a-tad-odd/113928/3 "2002-06-13T21:30:31Z")
That would be awkward. Maybe instead of watching tv and chancing another uncomfortable moment, you could have a drink or two and chat about friends, exchange life stories, etc. Television isn’t exactly romantic unless there’s a good movie on, like “When Harry Met Sally…” ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-either-really-good-or-a-tad-odd/113928/4 "2002-06-13T23:52:12Z")
**runforrest** , we have been doing those things, too. The TV thing is just background noise that’s on–I assure you we’re generally occupied with other things. I thought that it was funny that I’ve stumbled across a guy who shares one of my guilty pleasures. and **auntie em** : a-nope (not that I’ve seen, anyway) b-we haven’t seen one with a Melissa c-not yet d-I’ll have to ask next time I see him ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-either-really-good-or-a-tad-odd/113928/5 "2002-06-14T02:16:46Z")
I also have a thing for these shows. I’m fascinated by either a) how dumb and socially inept some of these people are, or b) how totally slutty some of these people are. Watching one of them on a date would be weird for me, because I can’t imagine having the TV on while I’m on a date. But I don’t think it’s particularly weird for other people. It sounds like it was a good ice breaker for you on the first date, even though it happened near the end. And, fwiw, I’m not a pathetic loser either. [sub]Although this may be debatable[/sub]