Do men prefer naughty or nice online dating profiles? Find out
Do nice girls really finish last in the race for love? Bridget Jones's Diary author Helen Fielding seems to think so after she undertook an online experiment.
According to an article in the Daily Mail, Fielding, the creator of the iconic singleton, decided to test the theory that nice gals are no match for naughty ones when it comes to attracting male attention as research for her latest book in the Bridget Jones series, Mad About the Boy (read an excerpt from the new book here).
For the experiment, the author set up two fake online profiles on an Internet dating site. One profile was a nice girl the other was a bad girl.
The nice girl profile followed a fairly straightforward route. It featured a photo of a woman dressed in a “sensible sweater” and her profile went on to reference her equally sensible affections for reading and cooking.
Profile number two traded sensible for sexy. Fielding went all out for this one, naming the profile “SuperLuckyBitch” and peppering her description with characteristics that only beefed up the haughty “don’t mess with me” persona.
Guess which profile triggered the Pavlovian reflex in the men seeking a partner? If you’re wearing a sensible sweater you may want to use it to cover your eyes because number two won out.
“SuperLuckyBitch got all the replies,” said Fielding at an event in Los Angeles in which she disclosed her research experiment.
Should the avid readers and recipe-clippers among us shed their homemaker persona and instead choose to do their best bad girl impression in order to get a date? That depends. Perhaps you have to ask yourself the question: how badly do I want to attract a moron?
If the answer is a resounding yes, then break out the fishnets and double entendres because the world is definitely your oyster. If you’re still holding out for a sentient soul that also enjoys books and great food and understands the style inherent in a sensible sweater then stick to being yourself. During the long lonely nights at least you’ll be able to console yourself with a good book and a great meal.
SuperLuckyBitch doesn’t know what she’s missing.
In your experience, do you think men prefer good girls or bad? Let us know in the comment section below.
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Flannery Dean is a writer based in Hamilton, Ont. She’s written for The Narwhal, the Globe and Mail and The Guardian.
