Dating is a liability at the best of times. Throw apps into the mix, and a seemingly bountiful list of possibilities brings out the worst in behaviour, and leaves the majority feeling hopeless.
And as ever, a trusty place to untangle the murkiness of it all is the girls group chat.
But admittedly, sometimes having a male perspective can be valuable to get us all out of our silo and provide a much needed reality check, so we called in The Inspired Unemployed.
Jack Steele and Matt Ford are an Australian comedy duo whose comedy skits are hugely popular online, and the pair have been able to leverage their popularity to create several successful businesses and podcast, which they have just relaunched after an almost two year hiatus.
Despite all their success, the pair remained exceptionally candid about their desire to meet someone and their dating experiences, so now they’re paying it forward.
After posing a number of common dating dilemmas, Jack and Matt told WHO what advice they’d give to a female friend if they were facing the same issue.
I’ve been texting a guy for a week but he hasn’t asked me out
We’re starting strong with a relatable one.
Many daters find themselves simply being a ‘pen pal’ to potential love interests on the apps when conversations seem to continue without leading anywhere.
If this is the case, the best thing to do is just go for it.
“It’s like, mate, stop wasting my time,” Jack told WHO. “I think it’s cool when she asks. That’s attractive.
“But then also, if he’s just beating around the bush then send him on his way.”
He asks me out but then says, “What would you like to do?”
Jack called Matt out for being guilty of this one, so he stepped in to explain himself.
If the guy is “nervous” or “indecisive”, which Matt claims is often the case, the best thing to do is give him a little nudge in the right direction.
“Just give him a few examples and then let him see where he goes with it,” Matt explained.
He only broke up with his ex 3 months ago
The guys were in agreement with this one, claiming it depends on the situation and “who got hurt”, but if he’s “emotionally mature”, there’s nothing to worry about.
“Three months is absolutely fine in my opinion,” Jack said. “I think that can be just enough time.”
He unmatches on the dating app, but keeps texting you
This is a sneaky one that initially caused confusion, but after giving it some thought, Jack and Matt reckon if a guy you’re dating decides to do this, it could signal that he’s changing his profile in a bid to keep looking elsewhere, and just doesn’t want you to see it.
“That’s shady, call him out on it!” Matt said.
He uses his baby voice in the first date
Something the pair have became infamous for is their baby voice skits, often doing it to each other, their mates and their partners in videos and on the podcast.
When asked whether it’s a red flag if a guy drops his baby voice on the first date, Jack and Matt couldn’t disagree with the sentiment more.
“Marry him!” Matt said in response. “He’s vulnerable [and] he’s open.”
“Normally it comes out three months down the track,” Jack chimed in. “At least you know straight up this is what your baby voice is, can I handle it.”
The Inspired Unemployed podcast can be heard on LiSTNR, with a new episode published every Wednesday.
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