This is barely even a holiday. What is there to hate?
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By Frank Kobola
There’s this misconception that whenever Valentine’s Day rolls around, guys freak out or fake their own deaths just to get out of doing something even moderately romantic for their girlfriends (a person they’re supposed to be romancing). Guys aren’t supposed to be romantic. They’re supposed to be oblivious assholes who would rather watch The Big Game than go out on a nice date. Because apparently we draw all our stereotypes from sitcoms on old Nick-at-Nite reruns.
The truth is, guys don’t really hate Valentine’s Day. Sure, it’s a made-up holiday and, depending on the expectations being set, it might mean we can’t get away with using our Red Lobster gift certificate that night. But it could also reasonably be called “National Sex Day.” It’s pretty minimal effort and a chance to be romantic. Even if a guy isn’t into it, at worst, it’s just a few steps out of his comfort zone.
This stuff pretty much falls into our laps. Restaurants have pre-planned romantic menus. Most stores have what might as well be Valentine’s survival kits and there are flowers stores everywhere. Hell, you could do most of this stuff online with one hand (I’m not telling you what you can do with the other). Even if you’re not a romantic guy, you’ve got the blueprint right in front of you. As long as you make a reservation somewhere a week in advance and live within 100 miles of a Hallmark store, you’re done. Get some nice jewelry too, just to be safe. You don’t have to be good at picking it out. It’s the thought that counts, etc., etc.
Even if your girlfriend is one of those people who “doesn’t want to celebrate Valentine’s Day because it’s garbage,” she’d still appreciate a nice dinner and a back rub or some small gesture of love, and guys love surprising their girlfriends. There is nothing we love more. Other than red meat.
Valentine’s Day is the sassy, worldly, knowledgeable, advice-dispensing friend of holidays. We don’t need to take the advice, but we know we should. We might be like, “Oh, hey, come on, man. Quit giving me such a hard time.” But we really appreciate that it’s reminded us we sometimes need to do a little more.
Also, you get candy and sex.
Follow Frank on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.
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Photo: Flickr/ahmed mando
What is there to hate? the huge and ridiculous importance people give to this retarded day making them feel pressured to give something to their loved ones showing them how much they mean to them…when you already have other 364 days to do just that.
It’s a COMPLETELY unnecesary “holiday”.
Well I hate Valentine’s Day, it’s stupid but I get it on a widespread level. If it was called “Nationa F*ck Day” I’d probably be a little less hostile towards it but it isn’t so I hate it. I’d appreciate my Lover, partner, girlfriend a good amount of our time together.
But I might just take on Lars Fischer’s approach, ignore it all together. Not raise my BP over it.
Why would I hate Valentines day? It’s just a day. I’ve never bought anyone a gift or a card or done anything else for it, but why would I hate it? I can ignore it just fine.
And anyway, if you need one special day of the year to be romantic, is that because you’re not romantic the rest of the year?