Columns

As someone who exploited internet dating to such an extent that it enlightened my sexuality and made me an author, I now see it as a two pronged activity serving two very different purposes. Firstly, there are the dating members who are looking for a long-term relationship – a conventional, committed union with a view to setting up house, acquiring mutual friends – who they secretly loathe, sharing a 4X4 and spending the rest of their time ferrying Junior around in it. 

Imagine this: in a passionate mood, a charming Irishman, with the accompanying oh-so-charming accent, sweeps an American lonely-heart off her feet by flying over the Pond to propose within two weeks of meeting, with the confident command of "you're marrying me". How romantic. The twist: they met online. Is this a 21st century love story with that elusive fairytale ending? Well, it’s a true story; Nigel McGill from Limerick and his North Carolinian sweetheart, Rio Rox, married the very same day that Mr McGill proposed. So with success stories like this, should everyone be internet dating, or do you just need to have a knee-trembling Irish accent and confidence beyond measure?

Back at the beginning of the millennium many of us hoped we had entered an era of new enlightenment. Sadly, the world became barmier than ever as the crazies broke out. Most recently the media showcased an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect. This one wants to ban women from singing in public and travelling on the same bus as men.

New Yorkers are always talking about relationships. If you listen in on conversations, on the streets and on the subways, you’ll overhear a constant chatter: “she wants to be friends. I still like her but I’m not ready for that”; or “we fucked for 12 hours,” “no wonder she wants to see you again, man” (this, accompanied by a slap on the back). As I write, sitting in a cafe on a Sunday afternoon, a young man at the table next to me is discussing a dating ad with his friend: “how’s this – ‘I’d like you to come over to my house, and hang out, naked?’”