What??? An expert on Oprah saying the fault lies with women???? I had to read the online article covering that Oprah show, but here's what I found...
Patti Novak, one of America's toughest matchmakers, says you may be to blame for your single status.
But she doesn't hold true to that, as you'll see in the following, as she insidiously blames the man for the woman's problems and doesn't really address the real culprit.
After her first failed relationship, Jennifer says she met another man. "[He] was a family guy. Just all the pieces seemed to fit of a guy with a tender heart," she says. But as Jennifer began talking about the future, she says he withdrew. "That's not normal," Patti says. "You know that, right? First of all, you wouldn't let your best girlfriend treat you the way you've let these two men treat you."... "The kind of men that you've chosen is your problem," Patti says. "Why you choose them is even your bigger problem."
In other words, the guy was great but she rushed things and pushed and pressured him with her talk of the future, and so he withdrew, but the relationship expert doesn't examine that, saying instead that it's the men she's choosing that are the problem.
Why did the previous relationship fail? She was engaged to a guy who had a temper problem and acted abusively. Yet, she remained with him for six years, though she didn't like his behavior. Why didn't the relationship expert get more into that this woman is needy and insecure?
Patti says Jennifer accepts their calls, text messages and e-mails. "She still allows herself to be dusted off like a trophy," Patti says.
Because this insecure woman needs tons of validation, it seems, and keeps those exes in her orbit. But the expert makes it sound like it's the guys that are using her, not the other way around, that she's a very insecure woman who needs to fix herself.
Patti says to keep the pickle jar effect in mind when choosing the restaurant for a first date. "We are clearly the most decisive creatures on the planet, women," she says. "And men, please no offense out there, they are the most indecisive. But stop letting them getting away with it."
Patti says to initially let the man pick the restaurant - even if you think your choice is better.
Wha???? One of the biggest gripes feminists have is that for eons, men have been in leadership positions, in business, government, military, home, you name it. For thousands of years, men have traditionally been the Decision Makers... and she says males are the most indecisive creatures on the Planet? What kind of hogwash brainwashing crap is THAT?
Plus, how does it build respect for their male dates, in telling women these idiotic things? And without respect for one another, what kind of relationship are they hoping for? How could a relationship coach advise disrespect?
"And if he takes you out for a hot dog, well, it is what it is."
Maybe better coaching would be: "Let him lead and pick the restaurant and you go ahead and enjoy it, because you're not there for the restaurant, you're there because you want to spend some time with him, regardless if it's for hot dogs or filet mignon. And maybe the place he picks will be a new experience for you and it may broaden your horizons."
You can't fix them. You can only potentially fix you. So you have to work on you."
Closeted in this is yet another insidious swipe at guys. She's implying that the men need fixing, even though she goes on to say that truth that one can only fix themselves.
Patti says you should only spend 10 seconds determining physical attraction and 30 minutes or longer judging emotional chemistry. "It isn't always about beauty or lack of beauty or whether you're a size 5 or you're a size 14," she says. "It's not always about that.
I wasn't aware that physical attraction is something that's determined consciously, as in, "Let's see now... he's tall, in shape, nice smile, blue eyes... Hmmm. Let me think now.... [taps fingers thoughtfully] Okay. I made up my mind! I've decided I will be attracted to him physically!"
And she's telling these large women that it's NOT about "whether you're a size 5 or you're a size 14"???? Physical attraction isn't part of the equation is what she's telling them?
Look at this picture of the woman, Allison, who went on 150 dates. They picked up on that she had an "unkindness" about her; picking up insignificant actions on Allison's part, such as her correcting her date's pronunciation of an Italian city and commenting about her own wine collection when one of her dates mentioned his... and totally ignoring the fact that this woman dresses like a frump and has quite a number of fat rolls apparent all over her.
http://images.oprah.com/images/tows/200802/20080201/20080201_206_284x218.jpg
Ah so, just more of the same. Men are idiots. You can be fat and insecure, we won't mention it. It's really the guy's fault anyway.
No real help. Nothing's changed.