Natty Chatter

As we all know, this coming Saturday (Feb. 14th) holds a rather unique value to all those who have developed significant romantic relationships. Typically, during the days and weeks leading up to this event, companies invest heavily into advertising to entice you to make your day (and night) that much more memorable. However, every now and then something comes along that just smacks of marketing gone AWOL.

Take for instance, a marketing e-mail titled "What your Valentine REALLY wants" from the good folks over at GameStop. Their pitch is as follows:

The playwright William Congreve penned the words "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." We're sure that Alma, the psychic entity from F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin has bigger reasons for her fury than not being asked to the Valentine's dance. She was the subject of some bizarre psychic experiments, and now she wants revenge.

So instead of spending a romantic afternoon/evening, the editor at GameStop would rather you play a suspenseful thriller game from the first person perspective. Now I'm not suggested that there aren't couples who enjoy video games in lieu of something more traditional, but I am suggesting that the probability is incredibly low.

In a similar fashion, the release of Friday the 13th on this coming Friday has an interesting timing as the release date is equal to that of the title, but the month selection is horrible. Given an "X" amount of money that will be generated on that weekend, it would seem more likely that romantic films or comedies would bring in the most revenue. From the perspective of men, it would seem easier for us guys to persuade a female to watch a romance or comedy versus a horror or thriller movie or even an action-packed blockbuster.

Disagree? Well compare the number of ladies who would much rather watch something like the Notebook, Casablanca or the Titanic versus Psycho, Alien, or the Shining. In a similar fashion which films would most guys rather watch (if they were going to watch a movie on their own)?

Given that this upcoming weekend will be spent by guys and gals as couples, I'd venture to say that the female choice is going to trump the guys choices (at least if they are smart).

My personal recommendation? For guys, this weekend presents a test of sorts to see how in-tune you are to your significant other. Yes, chocolates, roses and fancy jewelry might work in a pinch, but a well planned afternoon/evening with a personal gift that she will like and appreciate will yield a higher satisfaction. Remember, they have to put up with you for most of the year, so take the time to make the weekend a cherished memory.

-C