What is up with people not showering, not even for dates?
Like, seriously. I have questions. I want to know what’s going on.
Because a friend of mine keeps running into this — she talks to a guy for a few weeks and gets to the point where she feels safe enough to meet up with him, only to discover when she finally she does — that his hygiene is atrocious.
And we’re not talking about a lack of metrosexuality. Not some super judgey standard. She’s not tsking about a lack of manscaping or cologne or hair gel or anything like that.
No the issue is that these guys aren’t anywhere near clean. It’s clear they haven’t showered in days, let alone anything else.
She keeps getting stinkfished.
Talking around with other people, this is getting more common. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. It makes me wonder what forces are at play — are people showering less in general due to pandemic life? Is this part of the “shower less” movement (to preserve skin oils and save water or what have you)?
(For what it’s worth, I have it on good authority that for my friend at least that these don’t seem to be particularly ecologically concerned individuals.)
It seems a bit odd in any event. A very odd trend.
I mean, I’ve been known to run the odd errand here and there early in the day without washing my hair beforehand. I’m not the highest maintenance or fussiest person in the world, not by a long shot. But the hair does get washed regularly, and I can’t imagine going for extended periods of time without bathing or showering. My skin starts to itch, and it’s super uncomfortable. When it starts to feel like that, I’m compelled to bathe somehow — take a bath or a shower.
I can’t imagine going out to meet someone for the first time in that condition. I’ve endured it on camping trips when running water wasn’t readily available — but even then I found I’d have to use baby wipes and dry shampoo at a certain point.
But to each their own, I suppose. Is stinkfishing a new trend? Or has my friend just had a bunch of bad luck? I suppose we’ll see…
(P.S. Literally a friend of mine. Not a situation where “a friend” is me — I haven’t done online dating in years.)