Day: December 14, 2024

  • Dating sucks! Pitch-a-Friend Tampa Bay is trying to change that

    Dating sucks! Pitch-a-Friend Tampa Bay is trying to change that

    ST. PETERSBURG — They arrived in tight dresses and halter tops, cowboy boots and dark wash jeans.

    With friends in tow for emotional support, they sipped red wine from glasses, kombucha from cans. They scanned the patio for other green wristbands, a declaration of singledom — the reason they were here.

    It was a Thursday in 2024, and this was a bar, so Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” was blaring through the soundsystem. Some attendees nodded along, others tried to shake off their nerves.

    The slideshow presentations began just before 8 p.m.

    “Listen up,” said a woman in a blazer, addressing the crowd, which filled the outdoor area of Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe. “Standing up in the front is one of the most beautiful human beings you’ll ever meet. She’s literally like bottled sunshine.”

    At the edge of the patio, a woman in an orange dress waved. The projector screen to her right read: “Have ya met my friend Allison?”

    Welcome to Pitch-A-Friend Tampa Bay.

    Ryan Wells is the event organizer form Pitch-A-Friend Tampa Bay. Here, he runs the projector while attendees give 3 to 5 minute powerpoint presentations on their single friends.
    Ryan Wells is the event organizer form Pitch-A-Friend Tampa Bay. Here, he runs the projector while attendees give 3 to 5 minute powerpoint presentations on their single friends. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

    Ten years after the launch of Tinder, singles around the country are experiencing dating app fatigue. In a Forbes survey, 79% of Gen Zers and 80% of Millennials reported feeling burnt out by online dating. TikTok trends bear subject lines like “why I deleted the dating apps” and “dating app horror stories.” Though apps remain one of the most common ways to meet, more than half of women reported having a negative experience, a Pew Research Survey found.

    In a world of endless swiping, ghosting and the feeling of meaninglessness that swaddles too many matches, Pitch-A-Friend invites singles to partake in an antidote: come meet in person, in the company of community, for a night that — if nothing else — will get you away from your screen.

    Debuted in Philadelphia earlier this year, Pitch-A-Friend offers people looking for connection a new way to see and be seen. The events, typically hosted in bars, ask attendees to pitch their single friends in 3 to 5 minute slideshows. At the end of the night, contact information is shared and connections are hopefully made.

    Ryan Wells, a 30-year-old St. Petersburg resident, was struggling to date in the region when he saw posts from the Philadelphia event on social media and reached out to founders about organizing Pitch-A-Friend locally.

    “Everyone has an online dating horror story, but at the same time, it’s so hard to walk up to a stranger in a bar and do a cold open,” said Wells. “Pitch-A-Friend takes the pressure off of the single person. Now people know you’re available. Now you have something to talk about.”

    Allison Aucar dances in front of the projector screen while her friend, Maria Rivero, gives a pitch. "Allison is 30-years-old, she’s never been married. Kids? Maybe one day," Rivero said of Aucar. “She’s looking for someone who’s authentic and in alignment with who they are. None of these boys who haven’t figured out their life yet. If that’s you, do not apply.”
    Allison Aucar dances in front of the projector screen while her friend, Maria Rivero, gives a pitch. “Allison is 30-years-old, she’s never been married. Kids? Maybe one day,” Rivero said of Aucar. “She’s looking for someone who’s authentic and in alignment with who they are. None of these boys who haven’t figured out their life yet. If that’s you, do not apply.” [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

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    Since its debut, Pitch-A-Friend events have popped up in more than 30 cities around the U.S. Wells has organized four in bars and breweries around Tampa Bay. More than 80 people showed up to the first one, he said.

    At the most recent event at Hawthorne in St. Petersburg, nine singles and one dog (for adoption, not dating) were pitched.

    There was Madi, a 22-year-old vet tech with a truck and a Zach Bryan tattoo looking for a tall, adventurous man, preferably with a federal pension — a joke… sort of. There was Rachel, a photographer, seeking a partner to line dance with. Danny, a 25-year-old engineer under contract for a home in Largo, hoped to find a match who’d be willing to wakeboard on weekends.

    Between each presentation, attendees exchanged war stories of the fruitless efforts that had landed them here.

    “I’ve been on and off of the apps for the last decade, and you know what’s funny? You see the same people over and over again,” said Maria Rivero, who came to Hawthorne to pitch her friend Allison Aucar. “So four years later, it’s like ‘Oh, fancy meeting you again.’ You start to wonder if maybe you’re the problem.”

    Rivero said she’s tried meeting people while out on the town, flashing eyes at strangers like a ’90s rom-com and making introductions. It’s been dead end after dead end.

    “People don’t talk to one another anymore,” Rivero said. “You have to be brave and open, and that’s what I’m trying to do. But I guess I haven’t figured it out yet.”

    Kathryn Coduto, an assistant professor of media science at Boston University, said that while dating apps have increased the possibility of connection, research has also found that they’ve exacerbated some social anxieties.

    “Dating apps can help overcome some of that awkwardness that may come with approaching somebody in real life,” Coduto said. “But the tradeoff is that a lot of people aren’t finding what they want.”

    And that, said Coduto, can increase feelings of loneliness and isolation, “like you’re not good enough.”

    So much of our lives is conducted through screens, Coduto said. There’s an app, or several, for banking, for ordering food, for tracking exercise and doing work remotely.

    “There’s dating app fatigue, but there’s also just general technology fatigue,” Coduto said. “So there’s this feeling of wanting to have more experiences beyond the 5-inch screen.”

    Robert Galiardo gives a pitch for his friend Austin Consigny during the Pitch-A-Friend event at the Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe. The presentations, often funny, serve as conversation starters and a way to break the ice for singles in Tampa Bay.
    Robert Galiardo gives a pitch for his friend Austin Consigny during the Pitch-A-Friend event at the Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe. The presentations, often funny, serve as conversation starters and a way to break the ice for singles in Tampa Bay. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

    Across the bar from Rivero, Austin Consigny waited to be pitched by his friend Robert Galiardo.

    Consigny, 28, said he’s been on and off the apps since 2018.

    “I’ve tried just about all of them,” Consigny said. “As a guy, it feels like speaking to an empty room.”

    Consigny said he’s ready for something serious. He has a house, a stable job, a solid group of friends and community. But finding a partner has been difficult here, in part because of Tampa Bay’s transient population and the warped expectations that come from constant swiping.

    “There’s this illusion that you have so many options,” said Consigny. “When really, out of 100 people, there’s maybe one that will go anywhere.”

    Still, Consigny said he finds himself returning to the apps.

    “There are times where I’ve deleted the apps and downloaded them again because I was bored,” Consigny said. “It’s almost compulsive, like doom scrolling on Instagram.”

    Liz Price attended the event with a group of friends. Even if love doesn't come from the powerpoint, Price praised Pitch-A-Friend for being "something different" — part dating event, part entertainment.
    Liz Price attended the event with a group of friends. Even if love doesn’t come from the powerpoint, Price praised Pitch-A-Friend for being “something different” — part dating event, part entertainment. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

    Morgan Anderson, a clinical psychologist whose research focuses on love and attachment theory, said there’s a chemical reason why the apps have a grip on so many.

    “A lot of us are lacking dopamine,” Anderson said. “Dating apps are a quick way to get a hit. It’s intermittent, unpredictable reinforcement, and that can be addicting.”

    The disillusionment, she said, comes because of feelings of limited return on investment. When, after looking through hundreds of profiles, you still haven’t found something.

    Jess Carbino, a relationship expert who used to work as a sociologist for Tinder and Bumble, said much of the frustration that people experience — at its core — is less about app fatigue and more about the exhaustion of dating, generally.

    “Finding a romantic partner is inherently onerous and demoralizing,” Carbino said. “It is really hard to find somebody.”

    But online dating, said Liz Price, a 28-year-old St. Petersburg resident who attended the Hawthorne Pitch-A-Friend, has exacerbated those feelings.

    “The apps are a dark place. It’s rough out here if you’re single,” said Price, waiting with a gaggle of friends for her try at love.

    Pitch-A-Friend events are free and open to the public. You don't have to pitch or be pitched to attend. Ryan Wells, who organizes the events around Tampa Bay, encouraged anyone looking for a fun evening out to keep an eye open for future event announcements.
    Pitch-A-Friend events are free and open to the public. You don’t have to pitch or be pitched to attend. Ryan Wells, who organizes the events around Tampa Bay, encouraged anyone looking for a fun evening out to keep an eye open for future event announcements. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

    Pitch-A-Friend was appealing because it was different, she said, and even if nothing came out of it, it was better than sitting at home swiping, she said.

    Was she hopeful she’d find love, tonight?

    She shrugged.

    “I’m hopeful I’ll have a good time.”

    • • •

    To pitch or be pitched:

    Get notified about future events by visiting the Pitch-A-Friend Tampa Bay Website or following Pitch-A-Friend Tampa Bay on Instagram.

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  • Women go wild over ‘sweatpants dating theory’ that experts claim will attract a better quality man

    Women go wild over ‘sweatpants dating theory’ that experts claim will attract a better quality man

    Sometimes to level up you have to dress down – and women are swearing they’ve never been hit on more after swapping heels for hoodies. 

    A now-viral trend encouraging women to dress comfortably on a night out may be the secret to finding the perfect man, with women reporting they’ve never been approached more on a night out while wearing sweats.

    ‘Normally [my friends and I] wear the typical “college bar girl” outfit out. For example, mini skirt, boots, going out tops, etc,’ University of Arizona student London Carter told the Dailymail.com.

    But, after donning an oversized hoodie, baggy jeans and sneakers to the bar, the college junior and her friends were stunned to find they were approached more than usual by multiple men who complimented their outfits.

    ‘We got more stares than usual and talked to way more people than normal,’ she recalled. 

    ‘We got asked to play pool with these guys which never normally happens,’ she continued. ‘We even got our drinks bought for us while playing pool.’

    TikTok user Eleanor Rose Kreamer also tested the theory, posting a video showing her in ‘comfy’ clothes and heading to a bar.

    In a video posted online, the 23-year-old showed herself and her friends dressed in leggings or jeans and sweatshirts at a bar, as men continued to come and talk to them.

    University of Arizona student London Carter and her friends tested the 'sweatpants dating theory' at a bar

    University of Arizona student London Carter and her friends tested the ‘sweatpants dating theory’ at a bar

    ‘It worked all too well,’ she wrote in the caption.

    According to Jaime Bronstein, a relationship therapist based in California, dressing in comfortable clothing can attract a ‘better’ type of man – but said it’s important to not go overboard.

    ‘There are extremes that you want to avoid,’ she warned.

    ‘Showing up in a sweat suit and hiking boots will not do the trick – save that for your day dates together or hanging at home,’ she suggested.

    The relationship expert said casual clothes can make an individual feel more confident, which in turn makes you look more approachable. 

    ‘Wearing casual clothing at a bar shows that you are confident enough in yourself and your personality and that you don’t need to attract a man by showing as much skin as possible,’ she told the Dailymail.com.

    ‘Quality men are drawn to women who prioritize their own needs and self-expression. Choosing comfort over dressing up shows that you’re self-assured,’ Jaime noted.

    ‘Quality men, as much as they like when a girl dresses up (at the appropriate time and venue), often report that their favorite look on a girl is the casual, laid-back t-shirt and jeans with natural makeup, so the dressing comfy theory to attract a “better” man makes perfect sense!’

    London and her friends wore an oversized hoodie, baggy jeans and sneakers to the bar, and were stunned to find they were approached more than usual

    London and her friends wore an oversized hoodie, baggy jeans and sneakers to the bar, and were stunned to find they were approached more than usual 

    London agreed, hypothesizing they were approached because they looked less intimidating.

    ‘Wearing a sweatshirt to the bar is perceived as low maintenance and more “cool girl,”‘ she mused.  

    As for London and her friends, they enjoyed testing the theory but haven’t given up on the cute outfits for a night out.

    ‘I don’t think it’s wrong to dress up as well though, and I understand why girls get approached that way as well, it was just a fun social experiment,’ she pointed out.

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