101 Dates
I've just finished writing 10 episodes for a short online comedy series I'm making later this year. The series is called 101 Dates and follows a Wellingtonian called Alice who has given up on her local dating scene and decides to start video dating men from all over the world. Unfortunately, Alice seems to have quite a talent for going on dates with the socially inept!
Playing the role of Alice is the hilarious and talented Sarah Harpur; her comic brilliance can best be described by saying she founded the "Dead Dads Club" on Facebook with her cousin as they both have dead dads (I joined immediately). They felt there needed to be a club where those with dead dads could join together and know that having a dead dad isn't the end of the world. Sarah's warped sense of humour means these subjects and more just kind of work, because it's Sarah and she's bizarre but also funny as hell. Have you seen Sarah Harpur live on stage? If not, grab tickets to her Comedy Festival shows in Wellington this Friday or Saturday night at Fringe Bar here.
In developing the concept for 101 Dates, I was looking at online dating services and decided that the natural evolution of these will mean people may well start Skype-dating in the not too distant future. Too often, the connection through the written word doesn't match up when seeing and hearing the voice of the other person. Has online dating worked for you? Have you had an amazing connection with someone on the page and then found there to be no spark when you met in person?
The gay online dating world is an entirely different creature - online dating sites are dominated by guys looking for a one-night stand or hook-ups rather than people looking for a real connection. It's also much the same if you choose to talk to someone in a gay club or bar. So, that only leaves meeting people through chance or through friends, which means dates can be few and far between. When was your last date? Some people are serial daters with more than one date a week - they turn them around like revolving doors. On the other hand, there are those who end up with months or even years between dates. Which are you?
Coming up with the different characters and "bad dates" for Alice to go on has been a lot of fun. When I've talked to friends about the project, I've sparked quite a few hilarious conversations at the mention of bad dates as they've immediately given me that knowing wide-eyed stare and said "oh, I could tell you some fun stories about bad dates...". What's the worst date you've ever been on and why?
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I saw Sarah Harpur's show last night! Hilarious! Love her song about her old boss Leslie.
@ Chaz
I have to say that I stay away from gay clubs and Gay online dating services becuase, just as you mentioned in youir blog, all they lead to is one night stands.
Found this one guy online, met up with him, thought everything was going great until he stated taht I wasn't much of a looker but at least he woudl be getting "something" tonight.
Well I just don't work that way. I have to go on several dates before any bedroom action is even on the agenda. Left pronto and never again have I doen onlien dating.
I met someone off a dating site (yes, sigh) for coffee. All she could talk about was how much she missed and loved her ex-boyfriend and how she was hoping that would get back together. So there I am sitting thinking "WTF? Why are you here!?!?"
And then there was the time ...
I just want this guy I met last Friday night to give me a call so I can actually go on a date with him. And its now looking unlikely that i'll ever hear from him again. Boo
@Scott #2 - The Leslie Song is fantastic, and it's also on YouTube along with The Vegan Song which is also hilarious! The Dead Dads Club theme tune has to come in a close second though ay - love it! :)
@N the Middle #3 - AGREE!!
Hi Chaz..
Oh your comedy series sounds good! I havn't had actually many bad date stories kinda new to it all... really just the standard ones like lets go for a drink and see what happens... but usually nothing eventuates... I think i am going for the bad ones! Where are all the goood ones!? But kind of hestitant about the online dating... it sounds a bit scary.. Im defintely not keen on just the whole one night sort of thing...
I decided to try online dating last year when I was unemployed and bored. I think the world of online dating is mostly about one night stands but there are a few good ones out there who are looking for more. I met my b/f online about 7 months ago, we are now living together and its great, he was very striaght up about the fact that he was looking for something more than a one night stand, which was nice to hear. We are saving to buy some land at the moment so we can live self-sufficiently and not have to work … we are going to be right hippys. Im really looking forward to mooching around all day in the bush and making things … but that’s another story. As for bad experiences, I had a couple, one guy who was clearly about 10 years older than he said (the difference between 31 and 41 is big when you are 25) and the photo he gave me either was his younger hotter brother or one taken when he was about 20. One was just a jerk and said I wasn’t what he wanted (before I even sat down) and left. The others I could tell just weren’t going to work, but at least I gave them a chance.
First date: he talks non-stop about himself, his fantastic high-paying job, and where he wants to go on his honeymoon.
Second date (yes, somehow I agreed to one): he talks about himself non-stop again, then asks me home. I politely decline. Five minutes after arriving home, he texts to ask when I'll sleep with him, or if I'm a 'good girl' (like good girls don't have sex?). I reply, in my own sweet time - I'm still sussing him out. He texts back to ask if I like it in the backdoor.
No third date.
101 Dates sounds awesome!
I've never tried online dating. I think that when I was younger I had a perception that it was "sad" and "desperate" and that looking for love online would be an admission that I couldn't get a BF/GF. And I was a student, so one-nighters were easy enough to come by without needing to start up a computer :-)
Now that I'm older and in a relationship, I've revised my opinion. I'd still only try online dating as a last resort, but now it's because my friend who uses these sites regularly tells me there's a high percentage of crazies on there.
I wonder if other people also see online dating as a last resort, and whether that might explain the crazies?
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I've had some hits & misses with online dating. I'm starting to think there's a bit of selection bias in the straight guys on the sites - there's a large number of guys who (how to put this nicely? Nope, can't do it) are morons.
As an observation, there are a huge number of straight male profiles who feel the need to have a disclaimer/statement pointing out that they don't want to receive emails from gay guys - do these gay guys really think they're going to get anywhere by sending photos of their genitals to someone who identifies as straight? I guess there's the occasional person who would take up their offer, but is it really worth their time?