The most viral post in the history of Evangelical Dark Web is in response to a Mormon dating show, noting a pattern among young men and what they perceived as undesirable. A video clip that showcased a Mormon girl introducing herself behind a curtain, only to have no takers. The caption of the video villainizes the young men for rejecting her, stating that she was “too cool” for any of them.
While many judged the young lady’s physical appearance, she could not be seen by the men. And while she was pretty, she dressed intentionally ugly, denoting a lack of seriousness in her approach, a criticism of the men as well.
But the introduction to “Rylie” came with it a masculine energy, delivered anxiously, whereby expensive hobbies such as scuba diving and skiing were the main factors, and she stated her desire for an “adventure buddy” while touting an upcoming trip to Australia.
So, the internet was stunned that this girl was not considered a catch by the young men on that show, but the reality is that single men have seen many women like her on dating apps, because she is not unique.
The term “travel girl” is used to describe someone who makes traveling (vacationing) their personality. This phenomenon was 100% on display here. Eat Pray Love is the most prominent literature about this. The travel girl is vain, fleeting, whorish, and typically comes with massive amounts of credit card debt. That’s not to say that “Rylie” was all these things, as perhaps she comes from a rich family, but, statistically, when young people cannot afford houses, the globetrotting adventurers are most often those who failed the marshmallow test. But young men who struggle to find work that allows them to outearn their female counterparts are not able to sustain being an adventure buddy, nor are they willing to, sight unseen. Single men have encountered the travel girl, and to many, it’s an automatic left swipe. Compounding this was an interest in theme parties.Â
My commentary was that “travel” became a red flag among young men, and that the men weren’t wrong for this preference. This amassed 5 million views, pointing out an observation men seemed to all know but never acknowledge.
As there is so much going on in that clip, Rylie’s appeal was not to men, but to women. Whereas peer pressure may have contributed to her rejection, her entire pitch was built on what women wanted to hear instead of what men wanted to hear. Men heard that she’s expensive. They heard nothing about what she contributes, but rather that she is interested in a helpmate. This is the inverse of Genesis 2. She’s looking for a woman.
A lot of the guys in that video looked like bums, and they probably could not articulate the phenomenon of the travel girl, but there is an instinctual reaction. This video became a cultural fault line because it was a powder keg of so many issues that relate to dating, primarily the disconnect between men and women, largely driven by feminism.
One Response
Her voice is annoying. I wanted to stop listening at “Ok, I’m Riley.” But scuba diving and skiing cost lots of money too. So ugh. And that accent is definitely not a Texan accent. Minnesota accent maybe.