Speaking Volumes: Here's to love and dating
By Kimberly Barbour
Special to the Herald
Dating and love are two thoughts that occupy our minds daily, whether we'd like them to or not. As mass consumers, we are constantly faced with romance -- on television, in movies, in books or in advertising. Because of this bombardment, we have become fascinated by the fairytale endings of romance and less interested in the notion of dating for dating's sake.
With technological growth, there are now social media and smartphone apps focused on romance and dating. Due to this shift, people are less inclined to settle for less than happily ever after. What caused this modern fascination with dating? Perhaps a television show marking its 50th anniversary today.
Dec. 20th, 1965, "The Dating Game" premiered and lasted in syndication through the mid-'90s. The format was simple: the bachelorette would asked three hidden bachelors questions, and by the end of the show, the bachelorette would make her choice. After the end of "The Dating Game," numerous dating shows have aired along with count
less romantic comedies, books and dating websites. Since the early 2000s, people have been enthralled with "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette." One man (or woman's) journey to find true love on television. Websites eHarmony and match.com are big names in the online dating world, there to help singles across the globe to find their perfect partners.
One unlikely place to learn the new rules of dating and romance? The public library. Our vast collection includes various materials that touch upon the dos and don'ts of dating in the modern age. Greg Behrendt's dating book, "He's Just Not That Into You," was a 2009 New York Time's bestseller and was adapted into a movie starring such A-list celebrities as Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck. Following the lives of couples and singles in the city, the book turned movie teaches us what people say, and what they really mean. Both the book and DVD are available for checkout at the library. Comedian Aziz Ansari's "Modern Romance: An Investigation" is a 2015 New York Time' bestseller which explores dating in the digital age and its effects on love and romance.
Reality television star and entrepreneur, Bethanny Frankel, has just published a very candid look into her personal life in the humorously titled, "I Suck at Relationships So You Don't Have To: 10 Rules for Not Screwing up Your Happily Ever After."
Speaking Volumes, written by Manatee County Public Library System staff members, is published each Sunday. You may also access the library via the Internet: mymanatee.org/library. Kimberly Barbour is a librarian at the Rocky Bluff Librarian.
This story was originally published December 20, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Speaking Volumes: Here's to love and dating ."