NY Post Dating Bonus: Dating Up, Dumbing Down

HOW TO DATE FOR FUN AND PROFIT (March 17, 2005)

This article, written by a familiar face (Mackenzie Dawson Parks), is little more than a cheap advertisement for a dating book by Leil Lowndes. No, I'm not going to mention the book by name, because that would be even more cheap advertising! The book is about shooting for the moon on the dating scene. An example quote from the story:

Lowndes contends that daters should forget about "peasants" and set their sights on "royals" — individuals who have a combination of money, charm, intellect and stability.

*barf*

Hear that, all you peasants out there? Just kill yourselves on Darwin's altar already. You've been forgotten by all the readers in the Post.

Sample tips:

• * THINK LIKE A HORSE TRADER ("Recognize that people have a "value" and a "price."")
• * CHANGE YOUR LOOK ("Isn't this faking it? Yes, but it's for a good cause")
• * DITCH YOUR APARTMENT

About the only sensible tip in the entire article is "Don't wear glitter." I'll second that motion; I wouldn't advise that you in any way dress up like it's 3rd-grade Halloween. That said, the rest of this article is trash.

I almost feel like writing a letter to the Post on this one, reminding them that they're not addressing their readers anymore. Articles like this are made for people dumb enough to think this way, who often do not or cannot read. Meanwhile, everyone else must stand the indignity of a 25-cent newspaper (any cheaper would be free!) telling them that they need to find a partner with more money - implying that they don't already have enough.

You're right, I do need more money - so I can buy the Times instead of this crap.