As much as I’d love to think there ain’t no mountain high enough or river wide enough to stop my children seeking me out for dating advice, the hard hitting truth is they view me as a dinosaur in a digital age. There is no way they would ever think their father, the man responsible for 50% of their chromosomes, was also once an awkward adolescent trying to make sense of the world, especially in the world of dating.

I don’t have many serious concerns when I hear someone is trying to meet a kindred spirit in today’s era because whether it be the prehistoric or information age, human nature has always found a way to keep humanity thriving and populating the planet. My main gripe is the modern world we inhabit attempts to make us feel that exactly who we are is not enough.

I recently watched a series of YouTube videos with provocative titles such as; How To Be A Bad Boy or How To Get Her To Choose You. Of course there is nothing wrong with helpful tips and guidance but the real question is, should you have to get her to choose you? Or should a love interest utilise free will and make up their own mind? Should you have to change who you are to attract a potential mate? Or should a potential mate accept the core essential elements of who you are?

So I write this post to counterbalance all the negative headlines formulated to make a person feel they are not enough and as a certified former comic book collecting nerd (before it was even a classification) I’m going to declare warfare on anyone who says you need to accumulate “Bad Boy character traits” to capture the person of your dreams.

But if I am going to declare war I have to accept the realities of the battlefront…

Without question a bad boy is a more attractive prospect than a nerd, with the seductive lure of nonchalance, rebellion, primal sexuality and a better sense of style which is far more desirable than a detailed knowledge of the origins and adventures of fictional super powered beings or sci-fi characters. Undeniably bad boys present a deliciously enticing aroma of persona, so on that front attempting to directly oust the bad boy from his pop culture  throne is probably not the best idea…

If you choose to fight fire with fire you create an uncontrollable inferno, but fight fire with water you have the potential to extinguish the competition, whilst still retaining individual properties unique to you. During my adolescence I used to hide my comic book credibility like a bad crack habit, as I foolishly made the assumption I couldn’t possibly secure the affections of a potential mate because why would a wonderful woman want a man who read the serialised comic book adventures of Superman, Batman and…errr…Wonder Woman?

I don’t want to issue false hope, my current partner could not understand why anyone would want to actually pay money to watch Captain America: Civil War and I seriously doubt she cares too much about Luke Cage coming to Netflix…

But….

Nerd culture, which was once on the peripheral, is big business and although Jeffery Albertson (Comic book Guy from the Simpsons) or Sheldon Cooper (from televisions Big Bang Theory) aren’t doing much to break down stereotypes, mainstream culture has melded with nerd culture in such a way that a Batman T-shirt is as much of a universal go-to fashion item as the little black dress.

So puff out your chest a little as you wear your Superman T-shirt, display your collection of Star Wars memorabilia with pride. The bad boy market will always retain its universal appeal, however there really is something for everyone because the market of relationships is diverse enough for every type of consumer.

Until next time.

“I think, that if the world were a bit more like ComicCon, it would be a better place.”
― Matt Smith