Dating woes? The writers of “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days” offer some advice.
Say you’re a young starlet on your first movie and you’ve made a steamy connection with your co-star. He’s a real hunk, a super good kisser and you really want it to work out.
You have visions of becoming one of those classic Hollywood couples who stay together no matter what. Who court the press while at the same time bemoaning their lack of privacy. Who never work on a movie at the same time but who both work constantly. Who own homes in two states and at least one other country. Who sue the tabloids for libelous rumors.
Yet, cracks begin to show. You’re afraid he really doesn’t like you forcing him to play with Pepe your pet Chihuahua. He thinks having someone in your entourage follow him around is kind of creepy. That carrying around an ice pick or quoting lines from Fatal Attraction just isn’t funny.
OK, maybe everyday dating rules don’t apply to the movie stars of the world, but what do us regular folks do–or not do?
Call in experts Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long, longtime best friends who wrote the book How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which became so popular it was turned into the new movie starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It’s chock full of all the wrong things to do when you first start dating and illustrated with the best stick-figure art around.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Hollywood.com asked these women, who’ve seen and done their fair share of dating faux pas, to explain the “universal don’ts of dating” and how the movie came about.
The Concept
One day these two very regular gals, who’ve been working, living and going out in Los Angeles for many years, decided it was time to impart some very valuable dating hints to their fellow single women.
As Alexander explains, “We had gone out the night before and were a little hung over. We were eating McDonald’s and watching football and Jeannie had just read this book on the rules of dating.”
Long adds, “At my friend’s house, I saw this book and I’m reading it saying, ‘Are you kidding?’ [The book] told women to do all these crazy things. It didn’t make sense to us at all. If you really like a guy, you can’t act like that.”
“So, [it] took about a week to write,” Alexander continues. “We wanted to make [the dating hints] into little mock books and give them to our friends for Christmas because we were broke. On Valentine’s Day 1998, we got a book offer, which was good because we didn’t have boyfriends and at least something good happened on Valentine’s Day.
“Then producers Christine Peters and Robert Evans were in our agent’s office looking at book properties, and at the end of the meeting, our agent showed them the little mock-up we did and [Peters and Evans] say “We love it! We want this one!” It wasn’t even in stores yet and we get this call saying they want to make a movie. We looked at each other ‘What is GOING ON?'”
“We didn’t know how they were going to make it into a movie either,” Long says. “Would it be a cartoon? With stick figures? How are they going to make [the heroine] likable? Because she’s kind of a stalker, ya know?”
Hire the adorable Kate Hudson, of course.
From Experience
In all honesty, lots of women have done many of the things detailed in this book. It’s
[PAGEBREAK]
not that far off base. Long admits, “At some point in time, you may have done all of it. Just not to the same guy.”
“And crammed into 10 days,” Alexander adds, “that’s when it’s bad. In fact, after we wrote it, we thought we’d jinxed ourselves because we couldn’t make it with a guy past 10 days. We have a book in stores, but we can’t find men.”
Still, in the book the girls describe doing what they call the “helicopter” move during sex in order to hook the guy for at least the evening. What is this, exactly?
Says Alexander with a smile, “It’s that signature sex move. Although, we have a disclaimer in the back of the book which says we’ve never done it.”
OK. Now, truth be told, the girls must have a girlfriend who just blows it every time, right? Long looks sheepishly at her best friend and raises her hand. “That would be me.”
The Top 10 Biggest Don’ts
In a nutshell, here’s what Michele and Jeannie say are the 10 worst-er, best–ways to lose a guy in 10 days.
10. Call him. Over and over and over.
9. Drive by his house. All the time.
8. Make plans for your future together, whether he wants to be included or not.
7. Invite him to a wedding two months away, or to your 10-year high school reunion.
6. Become friends with his friends.
5. Answer his phone when you are over at his house.
4. After sex, cry. Because it’s just that special.
3. Bring some personal belongings over to his place. Like a pillow. Or ask for dresser drawer to call your own.
2. Talk in a cutesy baby voice.
And the number one offense…
1. Have sex with the guy on the first night–and expect to be married 10 days later (meanwhile perfecting that “helicopter” move).
How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days is currently playing in theaters.
