the boob tube

"When a man goes on a date, he wonders if he is going to get lucky. A woman already knows."

-Frederick Ryder

Good luck masking your "One Tree Hill" addiction.

This essay describes the way in which TV dates -- literally watching TV with your significant other -- have transformed from makeout preludes to a genuine way to size up a romantic partner. The author writes, "Until recently, a TV-based first or second date would get a person blacklisted. But today, somehow, it seems to be okay."

Now more than ever, the article notes, TV habits are considered make-or-break factors at a relationship's onset. Especially in MySpace-based love connections, when mention of a passion for "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns can be enough to make you delete the "getting to know you" message you planned on sending.

In college, the closest I came to watching TV on a date was an inability to find the remote control pre-hookup session. Then, we'd watch late-night television by default, and lapses in our "mmms" and "oh yeahs" always awkwardly coincided with Viagra commercials.

Once I hit the real world, though, I became more aware of TV's role in solidifying romantic ties. It's a way to test the limits of someone's sense of humor without directly having to ask them if they'll laugh at your fart machine. I remember being strangely turned on by a former fling midway through an episode of "The Andy Milonakis Show," when we both laughed at a scene involving obscene quantities of food. A hookup ensued shortly thereafter.

More importantly, though, TV dates offer an almost unrivaled opportunity to gauge someone's willingness to compromise and/or escape their comfort zone. Watching your partner's favorite TV show isn't just a collective effort to fill 30 minutes...it's an invitation to enter someone else's life.

Yeah, it may lack the significance of meeting parents, but sitting through a TV show you'd otherwise hate is often a major rite of passage.

With luck, you'll find yourself more turned on even after the TV is turned off.