Once a key to success, wingmen have become so commonplace (there are even books about their rules and various codes) that even the women preyed on by bros and their wingmen know their lingo and their tactics, making their hard work a big waste of time. If guys want to improve their game and up their chances of wooing a lady, they are gonna need to change up their Bro Strategy.

Enter: the Wingwoman.

Wingwomen are the future. Whereas most women are hip to the movements of wingmen, wingwomen are the stealth operation of the “game,” and the key to successful mingling between the sexes. And not just for the guy we might be wingin’ for; for ourselves, too!

For all of you skeptics out there, I have here for you, the five reasons that wingwomen rock:

1) We are better with the grenades. So let’s say that this skanky girl is chasing your guy friend around the bar and he can’t seem to shake her loose. Trying to pawn her off on one of his bros has proved futile, either because she only has eyes for him or because even they won’t take that hit. What’s a bro to do? With the wingwoman in their arsenal they need not do anything at all. She just stands near him, performs a simple neck stroke or arm-around-the-waist maneuver and that hippo knows this guy is not for the taking. Read More »

While spending some much needed time with my guy friends, I’ve noticed something rather peculiar about them lately.  Besides learning that I will be physically removed from the room if I utter a word during episodes of Lost, I have come face to face with their overly homoerotic relationships they hold with one another.

OK, they’re not making out, but they’re getting pretty damn close. In one example (true story) I witnessed a group of hockey guys actually doing body shots off of one another. Yes. Whipped cream and all.  Talk about a physically pursued bromance.  In other examples, I have been exposed to drunken snuggle fests (including fights for big spoon), long embraces, and the occasional butt slap.

Like dudes, whoa, save it for the locker room.

Was this some sort of sociological discovery? Were guys actually more intimate and emotional with one another than we had all thought? Was I going to be honored with some sort of Nobel Prize for my “research” in gender studies?

Hm, maybe not. While guys may hug it out from time to time, they’re still not sharing any sort of feelings. At all. In fact, two of the very same guy friends who have weekly Bro Dates built into their schedules were hooking up with the same girl at the same time and had no idea.

How could that be? Considering how much time they spend together, how could that never come up? What the hell are guys talking about? Read More »

[Got a Dude itch you just can't scratch? Sick of getting the pity-eyes as you sift through the Self-Help section at your campus bookstore? Over wondering what those boys are thinking?  We got your back, girlfriend. Send your question over to askthedude@collegecandy.com. The Dude won’t sugarcoat it, beat around the bush, or any other weird cliche that means lie to you. Like a nice, juicy hot dog, he’ll be 100% real beef, 100% of the time.  So bring it on, ladies.]

Dear Dude,
For the first time since 8th grade, I’m single. This is great right? It gives me a chance to explore, experiment and really get to know myself and it turns out I’m pretty cool.

Awesome, except all of my guy friends seem to think that I should experiment with them. And it extends beyond that; guys I meet at in class, at parties or even at work all only want to date or hook up. When I explain that I just want to be friends (and mean it!) they basically stop talking to me.

Is it me? Am I only interesting when sex is on the table? After eight years of being someone or another’s girlfriend, I would really like to just be me. Does this mean I have to sacrifice guy friends to avoid a boyfriend?

Signed,
Single and Staying That Way Read More »

Yes, we're even better than Barney.

The wingman: a legendary tool of bros worldwide.

Once a key to success, wingmen have become so commonplace (there are even books about their rules and various codes) that even the women preyed on by bros and their wingmen know their lingo and their tactics, making their hard work a big waste of time. If guys want to improve their game and up their chances of wooing a lady, then, they are gonna need to change up their Bro Strategy.

Enter, the Wingwoman.

Wingwomen are the future.  Whereas most women are hip to the movements of wingmen, wingwomen are the stealth operation of the “game,” and the key to successful mingling between the sexes. And not just for the guy we might be wingin’ for; for ourselves, too!

For all of you skeptics out there, I have here for you, the five reasons that wingwomen rock:

1)   We are better with the grenades. So let’s say that this skanky girl is chasing your guy friend around the bar and he can’t seem to shake her loose.  Trying to pawn her off on one of his bros has proved futile, either because she only has eyes for him or because even they won’t take that hit.  What’s a bro to do?  With the wingwoman in their arsenal they need not do anything at all. She just stands near him performs a simple neck stroke or arm-around-the-waist maneuver and that hippo knows this guy is not for the taking. Read More »

Presenting: the epitome of "I don't like your boyfriend...er...husband."

There is a stop on the Chicago Red Line train with a mosaic of passengers’ thoughts, photographs and stories expressed on individual tiles arranged on a cement wall. While browsing the collage the other day, the following remembrance struck me: “I’ll never forget this stop. This is where my best friend told me she didn’t like my boyfriend and we have never been the same since.”

I had two reactions to this: one, you’re an idiot for opening your mouth; and two, you’re an idiot for letting it ruin your friendship. Upon further review, however, this situation is a little trickier, and a little stickier, than I originally thought.

We have all been in this situation: one of your friends is dating a total jackass. Standard procedure is to discuss his McDouchery with the rest of the group, nickname him something awesome like “fart stick” or “lady balls,” then wait a couple months until he’s out of the picture, and she too can laugh about his pompous political discourse.

But what about the girlfriend who has is still dating that jerk? When is it appropriate – and wise – to tell your friend that her boyfriend sucks?

Here a few crucial factors to consider before opening your mouth.

Read More »

A very good friend of mine recently had her heart torn into pieces by her ex-bf. Now, in my humble opinion there are two foolproof ways to try and get over this. The first option is to hook up with Jude Law. The second is to have a good old fashion ladies’ night. Since the first option is pretty implausible (though apparently possible if you nanny his children), a few of us decided that a night of female only fun was definitely in order.

I guess maybe I should have been more specific when I said, “Don’t invite any guys. It’s going to be only girls. Just women. People with vaginas. Thanks.” The first friend pulled the, “I hope you don’t mind but I invited this foreign exchange student I just met. He needs more friends!” The second sprung the the, “My boyfriend is in the area so he’s going to meet us” (By ‘meet us’ she meant come hang out for 15 minutes before they both left). The friend we planned the failed extravaganza for…you guessed it, ended up calling her ex to pick her up.

And, I’ll admit, I’m the pot calling the kettle boy-crazy… I spent a large quantity of the night in a corner texting my latest love interest. Read More »

Last night, as I sat in a bowling alley surrounded by twelve guys, I realized that I don’t have many girl friends anymore (at least ones that aren’t 3,000 miles away). Yet, even though I spend a majority of my free-time with the male species, I am still a very single lady. It is not like I don’t like my guy friends – they are good looking, funny, smart, successful, sorta perfect – but I just don’t like them like that.

People are always asking me why I haven’t dated any of these guys yet, or even made out with any of them. I had never really thought about it before and once I did I realized it is weird. I mean, how many times have you made out with a close guy friend? And how many of your friends in relationships started out as “just friends” until they got drunk, made out in a dark corner and realized they loved each other? It seems like a natural progression: if a guy and a girl like each other enough to be best friends then, in theory, they should like each other enough to be more. I am just not sure I really believe that.

There is so much more to taking a friendship to another level than mere feelings. And it is those things that have kept me a friend-to-all-men. Maybe it’s an insecurity thing (“They would have made a move if they were interested”), maybe it’s a fear of ruining a really quality friendship (“It’s hard to find guys you feel comfortable discussing vibrators with!”) or maybe it’s just really f*&king weird to think about making out with any of these guys (“EW!”). They are like brothers to me; the thought of making it anything more is actually creating nauseating waves in my stomach. Read More »

I spent a good portion of my life being single. Maybe it was the few extra pounds (like 100) I carried around as a child or the big bangs I sported until my freshman year of college (and they were NOT trendy then), but I blossomed a bit later than others when it came to the dating game.

I don’t want to admit this – especially on a website read by quite a few ladies nationwide – but I did spend a good deal of time curled up in my bed in front of romantic comedies crying about the fact that I had never found love. Or staring down other couples wondering why they found each other and I remained alone. I may or may not have even perused the local pet store for the perfect cats to accompany me on my lonely journey through life.

I questioned what was wrong with me. Read More »