Intro by Lauren K. of Love Kudos
Submitted by Guest Blogger: Adam R.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012, was a big day in my life. Not
only did I run out of the peaches and chipotle cheese that I bought from H-E-B
the week and a half before, which caused me to open my fourth case of Texas
peanut butter for a nice afternoon garnish, but I did something I thought I
would never do in my life.
I joined JDate.
The term “JDate” alone makes some cringe. It evokes the
scene of Jewish mothers, sitting together at a Mah Jong game, conjuring up
creative adjectives for profiles unbeknownst to their sons or daughters,
setting their children up for a date filled with more awkwardness than Kris
Humphries at the Kardashian family reunion.
It’s a guy that may or may not look like a mix of Seth Rogan’s body type
with the social skills of Brick Tambland that is trying to make himself sound
like a member of the Rat Pack, or a girl who swears she’s outdoorsy, when all
she really means is she likes to watch the Real Housewives on her apartment porch, iPad and cold drink in
hand with an apartment view of the local bar scene.
So I definitely exaggerated on that last paragraph. Point
is, JDate , like most dating sites we see commercials for, is intimidating,
especially being that its business focus is one small demographic. While JDate
can essentially be equivalent to Craigslist casuals in places like New York
City, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv, the problem arises in cities with smaller
Jewish populations, where your “matches” are essentially the men/women you go
out with on the weekends, with little hope of actually dating, or having an
interest in dating them.
“Wait!” You say. “Why did you join JDate then, being that
you live in a city with a smaller Jewish population than the amount of kids Octomom’s
household, and where most of the Jewish girls already know you from your
partially witty status updates and not so romantic photos on Facebook?”
Simple. JDate allows another side of you that isn’t your
Facebook. Yes, my JDate profile does resemble me in that it’s slightly
sarcastic, mildly over the top, complete with conjured up rap lyrics that would
make even Tupac jealous, but it is serious as well. It signifies to some women “hey,
I won’t use verbs that I found from synonymous for
howtomakemelookandsoundlikeaar
Yes, some of the women in my small Jewish town might read it
and laugh, but others may say “Hey, I never knew this side of him, maybe I’ll
give him a shot”. This works both ways, when guys view girls’ profiles as well,
even though many of us take one look at the photo and simply click “No.”
Even better, for some folks that aren’t exactly
Shakespearean in their word diction, there’s a “flirt” option, which allows for
slightly cheesy dialogue that is sure to make the opposite party crack a smile
and maybe give an emoticon back. Being that I’m a paid member now, I tried this
button twice on two different girls. After 4 days it has not worked, probably
because A) when I flirted at the time, I had no picture, and had the term “body
paint myself for UNT football games”, which probably made the girl think B) I
was grossly overweight with more chins than the 2006 graduating class of
Shanghai University and C) an overzealous sports fan with a hardcore alcohol
addiction from August 30 (Chick Fila-A college kickoff) to February 3 (Super
Bowl). Or they didn’t like a 24 year old. Either way, the flirt button is a
great tool for those too scared to compose an e-mail.
What about those IT guys, whose eyes are constantly staring
at a 30 computer inch monitor all day chatting with angry customers on
technical support? Well never fear, you can chat real-time with people. Unfortunately
for those in small communities, you’ll see that 95% of the JDate women online are from New York, Maryland, or Los Angeles,
but when that person from your small Jewish town gets online, it’s a great
chance for you to show off your words per minute speed and make an impression
on a girl who might not have viewed your profile before. I might’ve gotten in
trouble on my first day on JDate, since I was IM-ing women in New York about
how the Giants are a horrible football team, but regardless, this option allows
those a reprieve from daily work activities and a chance to make that online
connection that wouldn’t have happened if you had just been talking to Ramesh
from Outsource Inc all day. And heck, one day, with the right opening IM, that
woman who you’ve been eyeing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, might get back to you with a
follow-up emoticon.
All in all, JDate is an adventure, which is why I signed up.
One year, less than $200 (50 cents a day really) with a chance to meet a bunch
of new friends, or meet the person you spend the rest of your life with. It’s a
low-risk, high-reward proposition, unless you’re the type who has a penchant
for screwing up dates or conveying a false online persona similar to the man described
in the Brad Paisley song. Will I have these same feelings about JDate on
September 18. 2013, as I’m gearing up for a Cowboys Super Bowl repeat? Stay
tuned for new updates on my Jdate adventures.
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