HOT DATES—VOLUME 1
Selected Personal Ads from New York Magazine (1989 - 2005)
“I’m old, but in this case I can say I’m not that old. I sometimes bought magazines to read about bands and always picked them up when they were around to observe and learn about the polished world (New York?). I thought I’d peer into what cool adults were up to, but I really had no clue. I definitely didn’t use magazines to socialize—unless that meant using my new knowledge as social currency.”
“Those sparsely set-up grids in the back of a local magazine felt as mysterious and off limits and over my head as the social life of my youngest and hippest adult aunts and uncles (I’m trying to describe the Athens GA rock scene. Also I think I maybe only had one really cool younger aunt that was into older REM).”
“Magazines! Personals. That party is over. It’s not in print anymore, but the print is available on eBay.”
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“How can looking for dates be less of a drain? Write a few details about yourself. Make it fun. Make it a little sassy. Show off a little wit. Get to the point. Be direct and efficient. We show off and try to be attractive in ways that make more sense with the technology we’ve been guided to.”
“But maybe those old personals were on to something. The Personals generation was more engaged in wordplay. Mental pick up sticks. Take away the filters and all that room for data and we’re left the challenge of tuning up our words. It works though!”
“It turns out constraints are good for us. It might even spill into the rest of your life! Impress colleagues and coworkers alike, delight your friends and earn the respect of your family.”
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