From power suits to pickup artists, the 1980s and 1990s saw dating advice become a commercialized industry—often at odds with our evolved instincts. Seminars, tapes, and workshops turned romance into a skill to be bought and sold, promising quick fixes while sidelining genuine connection.
The man who did everything right and still got it wrong In 1982, Bruce Feirstein published Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche, a satirical bestseller targeting a new species of American male. These men wore sweaters, sipped white wine, discussed their feelings, and prepared elaborate French dishes for their girlfriends. They…
How dating language moved from the sociology textbook to the smartphone screen—and what it reveals about modern relationships Fifty years ago, the people who named our romantic experiences were sociologists, psychologists, and self-help authors. Today, they’re TikTok users. The shift from “cohabitation” and “biological clock” to “situationship” and “rizz” isn’t…
Why 1990s dating anxiety never went away In February 2025, Renée Zellweger returned as Bridget Jones in Mad About the Boy, the fourth film in a franchise that began over 20 years ago. The fifty-one-year-old Bridget is now widowed, navigating dating apps and Botox, still charmingly hapless. Critics noted something…
The pre-romantic me, back in the decade of flux Ah, the late 1980s—when I was just hitting my teenage years, navigating the awkward thrill of first crushes amid a whirlwind of big hair and bigger dreams. Here’s me back then, wide-eyed and hopeful, with a massive crush on a girl…
Author of Costly Signals: The Evolution of Dating Advice. PhD researcher with 500+ dating guides from the 1800s to today. Why do we take romantic advice from strangers? I have answers.
Whether you’re a journalist, podcaster, or an event organizer, I’d love to hear from you. I speak on modern dating, evolutionary psychology, and the surprising history of dating advice.
© 2026, Andrew King