Paper Spines
Christine has noted Paper Napkin, which has brought back the feelings I had on the subject when it made CNN.com:
That such a service exists is a pretty poor statement on the state of today’s singles (of which I am one). Defenders couch Paper Napkin as being easy on both parties: you don’t have to worry yourself with rejecting someone, and they get to go home feeling like they met someone who likes them - embarassment averted!
Until they try to write you, that is.
There are plenty of nice ways to tell someone you’re not interested. I’ve been rejected before with these white lies and I respected the person for doing so. Paper Napkin only serves to soften spines.
Then again, perhaps we should be thankful for this service. It advises those of us in the know that the person who hands out a Paper Napkin address isn’t the sort you’d like to get to know better anyway: you can rest assured that they won’t tell you what they’re really thinking.
September 7th, 2004 at 7:38 pm
You know, I’m not single anymore so I have no need for the service. However, I could have used it in the past. There are just some times where someone doesn’t get the hint, no matter how hard you try to clue them in. Or they are just simply so annoying, that you find a little glee in giving them the address, knowing they will receive a rejection letter. For those of us that just can’t be so cruel directly but have the cruelness buried inside, it’s … well, fun.
But you are right about the fact that you should just tell them the nice way first.
September 8th, 2004 at 10:15 am
Christine reminds me that I don’t know what it’s like to be on the other side of the scene, and that there are individuals out there who are probably deserving of a kick in the head. Or a Paper Napkin hand-off. Thanks, Christine.