Most of the articles floating around about cyberdating portray it another of life's potholes to be swerved around as quickly as possible. We hear of broken marriages, sex addicts living in squalor because they won't leave their computers long enough to take a shower, and my favorite: a guy who dated his mother for six months without knowing it.
Cyberdating, like any form of dating has its pitfalls. Back in 1977, Hollywood turned Judith Rossner's best selling novel Looking for Mr. Goodbar into the quintessential baby-boomer cautionary tale. Dedicated teacher by day, sex-starved denizen of singles bars at night, Diane Keaton's character finds her life sprialling out of control: Drugs, Danger & Mr. Wrong. Made us all think twice about going to singles' bars.
In Sea of Love, 1989, Ellen Barkin plays a divorcee with a thing for poetic personal ads in the New York Daily News. Trouble is, all her dates end up dead. Who will be the next victim? Drinking, Danger & Ms. Wrong?
1998's You've Got Mail was pretty benign but of course Tom Hanks' and Meg Ryan's characters had already met so we couldn't blame AOL for their complete lack of on-screen chemistry. Kinda Boring, Mr. & Ms. Good Enough.
Fast forward to the new millenium and the latest form of dating and what do we have in store? Perhaps Christina Ricci and Joaquim Phoenix in Virtual Strangers? High Speed, High Drama, Bad Connection. Maybe they'll finally get those Academy Awards they deserve.
I'm here to tell you that internet dating is no more (or less) dangerous than any other form of dating. Use your common sense. Don't give out personal information too soon, don't meet strangers in dark alleys, don't send $3,000 to that charming gentleman whose million dollars is just out of reach in some bank vault but he'd be happy to share it with you if you would just get that money to him. Use your noggin and play safe.
Oh, and get a cam so that you can be sure that you are getting it on with a Swedish model and not........well not your mother, for Pete's sake!
By the way, for you women seeking women out there. The best place to find real women is on Pink Sofa. This is a lesbian-owned site where you can meet women from around the world.
<a href="http://www.thepinksofa.com"><img src="http://www.thepinksofa.com/guest/images/LOGO_linktous/PS_medw.gif" alt="Lesbian Dating, Lesbian Chat, Lesbian Personals" width="210" height="61" border="0"></a>
