Here's a thought...
Sep. 15th, 2003 08:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
msfledermausSomeone on my friend's list was talking about a personal ad he set up, feeling that he came across as much more of a true geek than he really is. It was an interesting topic to me, because I have this love-hate relationship with personals. I've never entered one, except as a joke. (Tentacled Lovecraftian monstrosity seeks same, must live in the Rhy'lah area code. No sushi freaks!)
I love them because they're like so many other horrible things I love, like b-movies and cheeze-whiz and bad reality tv shows. Th mix of vunerability, cataloging, wishful thinking and out-and out-scariness just fascinates me no end.
I hate them because they seem to go directly to distilling people into categories that may not be accurate, or often are a cover for people with terrible intentions.
9 out of 10 personals directly edit out people with different body shapes or interests or backgrounds, and the guys in their fifties trolling for trophy women are a little disturbing. Also the ones who need "discretion"--meaning they're married.
Granted, these are generalizations, but they're accurate enough over a wide spread that I've never wanted to do a personal of my own. I mean, what would I put?
Single White(ish) Female, Semi-pro painter, obsessive knitter,glitter fixation, non-prof dayjob,non-skinny Scary pagan with big squishy gargoyle in living room seeks someone who won't scream in abject terror and bolt when I pull out the accordion. Or the anime'. Or the two-part epoxy. Or the marshmallow peeps....
See? doesn't work. And probably a good thing, too:)
A while back someone on my friend's list had mock-up personals people made, just for fun. I'd be interested to see what people I know would put, just while we're on the subject.
On yer marks...get set....
I love them because they're like so many other horrible things I love, like b-movies and cheeze-whiz and bad reality tv shows. Th mix of vunerability, cataloging, wishful thinking and out-and out-scariness just fascinates me no end.
I hate them because they seem to go directly to distilling people into categories that may not be accurate, or often are a cover for people with terrible intentions.
9 out of 10 personals directly edit out people with different body shapes or interests or backgrounds, and the guys in their fifties trolling for trophy women are a little disturbing. Also the ones who need "discretion"--meaning they're married.
Granted, these are generalizations, but they're accurate enough over a wide spread that I've never wanted to do a personal of my own. I mean, what would I put?
Single White(ish) Female, Semi-pro painter, obsessive knitter,glitter fixation, non-prof dayjob,non-skinny Scary pagan with big squishy gargoyle in living room seeks someone who won't scream in abject terror and bolt when I pull out the accordion. Or the anime'. Or the two-part epoxy. Or the marshmallow peeps....
See? doesn't work. And probably a good thing, too:)
A while back someone on my friend's list had mock-up personals people made, just for fun. I'd be interested to see what people I know would put, just while we're on the subject.
On yer marks...get set....
