Being young people in the digital age where our world is dominated by technology, it is no surprise that dating has locomoted to the internet too. There’s some silliness to plopping your Bumble, Hinge, etc location in some random place and seeing what cute guy or gal you click with as well as texting the groupchat with whatever unhinged profile you come across. Family Guy has been a mainstay of American television since the late 90s and has evolved to keep up with the times, as in the later seasons characters have iPhones and in one episode, Peter’s ragtag crew parties with Rob Gronkowski when he moves to Quahog. But one night I wasn’t doing anything so I sat down and stumbled across an episode entitled The Dating Game where the crew sets out to buy a castle at an auction and Quagmire discovers Tinder. Intrigued, I gave it a watch.
Peter, Joe, Cleveland and Quagmire are at the Drunken Clam like any other time, when they tell Quagmire about Tinder. If you haven’t seen Family Guy, or aren’t familiar with the characters, Quagmire is one of Peter’s best friends and neighbors who is a serial womanizer and always seems to have sex on his mind. This moment is like showing a caveman a Bluetooth speaker. Quagmire eventually goes on his first Tinder date where he shows up to the house with flowers and nicely dressed. The woman opens the door, absolutely astonished, and Quagmire, equally stunned at how he doesn’t have to break bread with her, gets a high off of the modern capitalization of hookup culture. The episode then shows a montage of the already sex-addicted Quagmire going on countless Tinder dates when after days of being off the grid, Peter and the guys find him in a Gollum-like trance swiping left and right. Eventually they destroy his phone so he has no choice but to start talking to women in the real world again. The last scene where Quagmire is deciding whether or not he wants to employ one of his plays or just retreat to Tinder, the angel on his shoulder reminds him that he is able to hold a conversation and that is a gift.
Now I’m not saying dating apps are all evil nor a last resort. I know quite a few people who met their partner online and are very happy. But there’s no denying that these apps have drastically altered communication with the opposite sex. This episode of Family Guy came out in 2017, yet this scathing depiction of modern dating is sadly not that removed from the reality of dating today 7 years later. The dating scene nowadays is dominated by the situationship, ghosting, and being drained of pennies monthly because the goal of finding love or even a one night stand costs as much as $30 a month. There’s already this sentiment of how we lose sight of how much we’re on our phones, then add dating apps into the mix. It’s not even unheard of for people out on actual dates at some point during the date going back on a dating app and continuing to swipe. Guys (notice how I say guys, and not men, because in my mind they’re different things) aren’t showing up to your door with flowers, he’s snapping you ‘wyd?’ at 2am on a Thursday. There’s this devaluation of real human beings in the equation because these apps give an illusion of there being hundreds of options to choose from. Hookup culture has become so deeply entrenched into our society that for many it has become the status quo of college dating. At a young age, especially in a college setting, exploring one’s sexuality is completely healthy and normal. However, for many, the desire for deeper connection becomes repressed since people assume no one actually wants a relationship.
People then begin to question their own worth, and ability to form lasting connections. In turn, they become more lonely. The aftermath of being so enveloped in situationships and one night stands is being fully accustomed towards a person’s lack of ability to commit to you. At some point or another that dynamic creates an internalization of feeling unlovable. Many people in my generation loathe how transactional and appearance-based the college dating scene is, yet are still caught up in perpetuating the cycle because it’s all they know. The only way to stop is to actually get out there, meet people the old fashioned way and take time to get to know them. There was a time where people were more selective yet managed to open their hearts more easily. Mankind has the capacity to love deeply, whether or not they lead with love rather than ego or some superficial entity is up to the individual. Someone who wants a healthy relationship will not seek you out solely for looks. They won’t lovebomb you either. They’ll want to take their time, get to know you, what makes you unique and most importantly, embrace it. You’re capable of love.
About Evelyn Young
Evelyn is a senior from the Chicago area majoring in Digital Media Practices and Jewish Studies with a minor in French. This past summer, she studied creative writing in Paris. Evelyn has held a variety of positions within the Crescent and is incredibly excited to begin her role as Senior Editor. After graduating from Tulane, she hopes to move to Los Angeles to pursue her film career.
Evelyn is a senior from the Chicago area majoring in Digital Media Practices and Jewish Studies with a minor in French. This past summer, she studied creative writing in Paris. Evelyn has held a variety of positions within the Crescent and is incredibly excited to begin her role as Senior Editor. After graduating from Tulane, she hopes to move to Los Angeles to pursue her film career.
