Romance is Dead?

By way of a coursework break today, I watched some of an episode of Dinner Date, the most awkward dating programme ever invented. For those not familiar with rubbish daytime TV, a contestant picks three dates from five by looking at the menu they've prepared for their date. The picked guys/gals have to cook their three course meal for the contestant and after all three dates, he/she gets to pick one to take out for an actually edible meal - the other two get a hand delivered ready meal. Real romance right there.

Today, Sian dated a man who rolled across the floor to impress her, Gavin who served cheese on toast followed by scones someone else had cooked... And finally a man who clearly loved himself a lot but did make a cracking cheesecake and seemed to actually know how to talk to a woman... Unsurprisingly, he won the girl. What was surprising is that a month on, Sian & dreamboat aren't dating, rolling man is still rolling solo, and Gavin is in a relationship. What!? Oh Gav. His response to not getting a date was "I just fancied a night out really so no harm 

done, I really like mushroom ready meals". (bless!)

I'm not saying daily deliveries of flowers/chocolates/wine are needed (although I can't imagine they'd ever go down badly. Unless you had hayfever/diabetes/were a recovering alcoholic..). A few weeks ago, a really nice guy gave me his coat to wear way home from a night out - my friend Yaz (the official love of my life) said "THAT'S romantic. I thought that only happened in films!". That's not cheesy or tacky, it was just bloody cold. When someone lends me ten pence for a mars bar from the sixth form vending machine, That's love. I worked on Valentines day, and I swear to god one of the couples were at their table for about an hour, and said around eighteen words to each other. Why bother! Don't fake romance and go out for a meal if it's not your style. Yaz got me a Cosmo magazine & a drink for Valentines - least tackiest present, but exactly what I wanted. 

Maybe I'm just being cynical (I have just spent an afternoon writing an essay on rape and necrophilia...), but maybe people should lower their expectations. If you get a lovely text instead of a love letter, just think of the money you'll save on stamps replying! If they fall asleep half way through the notebook, at least they tried. (And no man will ever live up to Ryan Gosling anyway...). And if they make you cheese on toast rather than a cheesecake, maybe don't discard them - maybe if Sian had been less picky it would've ended happily ever after!