The Dreaded V-Day Update
- Friday, February 05 2010 @ 09:54 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 2,619
Valentine's Day is coming up quickly, and a reference to Valentine's Day might appear to be the quickest and most obvious way to update your online profiles. However, as you sit down to compose your update, beware! Valentine's Day is a holiday loaded with meaning for many, and often the meaning is quite different depending on who you're talking to.
For example, a simple “Looking for a Valentine” is probably heartfelt and topical. Get any more specific, though, as in “Looking for a date this Valentine's Day” and the reader begins to wonder: are you desperate? Are you only worried about a date for this arbitrary day? And if you're letting an arbitrary day get under your skin that much, are you superficial in general?
Then it's possible to go too far in the opposite direction. You might want to give the impression that you're confident and unaffected by silly holidays, so you might toss out something like, “Looking forward to Valentine's Day... when else can I sit alone on my couch with a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine?” Some might find something like this funny, but it walks dangerously close to coming off bitter. Humor is always tricky on the Internet, and with a profile it's a extra hard, as there's no additional context like previous emails to get the tone of the writer.
So, what's the safe middle ground? Go for silly, happy and cheesy. Maybe mention that you're glad to have an excuse to wear that tie with purple and red hearts this month, or that you're going to bombard your office with superhero Valentine's cards. You could wonder aloud why supermarkets sell Valentine's Day-themed stuffed animals that are often monkeys or elephants. Stick to the fun of the holiday, without assigning meaning to it, and you'll avoid being misunderstood.
Still, the easiest answer is: Don't tread into that Valentine's Day land mine at all. Update with something more innocuous and less loaded, like you're already searching the ground for the first hint of spring or how you're so excited at a thaw that you're running around in shorts. Lame as it may sound, the weather is current, safe, and easy to apply your own flavor, whether it be romantic or funny. Leave Valentine's Day to the kids with the stuffed animals.
For example, a simple “Looking for a Valentine” is probably heartfelt and topical. Get any more specific, though, as in “Looking for a date this Valentine's Day” and the reader begins to wonder: are you desperate? Are you only worried about a date for this arbitrary day? And if you're letting an arbitrary day get under your skin that much, are you superficial in general?
Then it's possible to go too far in the opposite direction. You might want to give the impression that you're confident and unaffected by silly holidays, so you might toss out something like, “Looking forward to Valentine's Day... when else can I sit alone on my couch with a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine?” Some might find something like this funny, but it walks dangerously close to coming off bitter. Humor is always tricky on the Internet, and with a profile it's a extra hard, as there's no additional context like previous emails to get the tone of the writer.
So, what's the safe middle ground? Go for silly, happy and cheesy. Maybe mention that you're glad to have an excuse to wear that tie with purple and red hearts this month, or that you're going to bombard your office with superhero Valentine's cards. You could wonder aloud why supermarkets sell Valentine's Day-themed stuffed animals that are often monkeys or elephants. Stick to the fun of the holiday, without assigning meaning to it, and you'll avoid being misunderstood.
Still, the easiest answer is: Don't tread into that Valentine's Day land mine at all. Update with something more innocuous and less loaded, like you're already searching the ground for the first hint of spring or how you're so excited at a thaw that you're running around in shorts. Lame as it may sound, the weather is current, safe, and easy to apply your own flavor, whether it be romantic or funny. Leave Valentine's Day to the kids with the stuffed animals.
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