Mediocre Dating Ideas

The ideas in this section, although very common, aren’t necessarily your best choice for a first date. Of course, they aren’t your worst choice either.

• Movies or plays: On the not-so-good-as-a-first-date side, going to the movies or a play doesn’t give you much of an opportunity to talk, and if your tastes differ, you may have a hard time finding a show that pleases you both. On the other hand, having seen the same movie or play gives you something to talk about afterward, and, well, it is kinda fun sitting together in the dark worrying about whether or not to hold hands. It can also give you time to calm down a bit before you actually have to talk to or look at each other. Make sure your date hasn’t already seen the planned event or loathes the genre. If you plan to go risky — horror flick, avant garde performance piece, or nude review — check with your date or save the shock technique for date four or five.
• Dinner: A dinner out is a classic, but as the focus of a date, there is too much potential for an upset tummy: deciding what kind of food, the potential to spill, and that old broccoli-in-the-teeth thing, for starters. If you’re not the one footing the bill, figuring out what to order that’s not too expensive is also a challenge. If you’re going to eat, make it a side activity rather than the date itself, or try a casual approach rather than the Ritz. Any place that has headwaiters is going to be too expensive, emotionally as well as financially.
• Party: How good a party is as a first date depends on who’s hosting the party and where it is. If your date will be the only person who doesn’t know everyone, and you don’t know your date, it’s a bit tricky. My advice is to make other plans for your first date. Of course, going to a party is a great date for later on.