How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a 2004 cult romantic comedy
If you somehow missed this cult romantic comedy from 2004, remember that it tells the story of Andie (Kate Hudson), who runs an advice column in a women’s magazine. The ambitious journalist, however, dreams of dealing with more serious topics.
An opportunity for promotion is to write an article in which will make readers aware of mistakes made in emotional relationships. To gain experience in this field, she decides to find a random man, make him fall in love with her, and then make him abandon her. He chooses advertising manager Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) whom he met at the restaurant. He doesn’t know that he made a bet with his boss that he can make any woman fall in love with him in 10 days.
The idea for Andie’s article was inspired by Michelle, her friend who had just been dumped by a man named Mike. As a good friend, Andie assures Michelle:
If I did the same things you did, I’d be dumped too.
Based on Michelle’s behavior, Andie creates a 10-day plan to scare the man away. This is how the whole story begins.
The journalist decided to perform the experiment from the film in real life
Journalist The Cut Julieanne Smolinski decided to transfer the plot from the film to real life. That’s why she agreed to sabotage her private life and recreate the iconic experiment from the film How to lose a boyfriend in 10 days.
Fortunately for the journalists, the woman had just started dating a guy who happened to be visiting Los Angeles for work. This made him the perfect choice- their relationship had an expiration date anyway related to his departure. So the journalist decided to make him a guinea pig.
How was the experiment in real life?
The woman started dating the man and planned 10 more dates. Implemented it on the first day too much calling and texting. This is, according to the film, the thing that men hate the most. Smolinski began texting the boy she was seeing all the time. To her surprise, he wrote back regularly and was not overwhelmed by the amount of contact.
On the second day, following Andie’s action plan from the movie, the journalist decided spoil something a man loved very much– watching sports. She herself had suggested this activity, but during it she regularly interrupted him, waiting for his reaction. This, however, did not come, and her “guinea rat” patiently endured her behavior.
On the third day, Smolinski was supposed to scare her partner women’s affairs bringing tampons to his house. However, it turned out that the apartment he rented on Airbnb was equipped with all toiletries, including tampons. So the plan didn’t work.
On the fourth date, he was supposed to scare the man away movie marathon. That didn’t work either, and the date turned out to be pleasant.
On the fifth movie date, Andie eats lobster with her hands, drinks beer from a bottle and exudes masculine energy. The journalist claims that she ate meat many times on previous dates and it was hard for her to put this point into practice. So she decided not to finish the sandwich the man made her, which was the first thing that annoyed him.
The sixth date was about complaining and teasing. In the film, the character complained about cigars. The journalist also tried, but the man immediately turned her malice into a joke.
The seventh day was supposed to be terrible sex. In the film, the heroine tries to make a man lose his erection. However, the journalist decided not to do this, she had no intention of ruining her sexual reputation.
The next two dates, despite the journalist’s attempts, also ended successfully. Only the tenth and last one finally affected their relationship.
The man she had been trying to scare off for a long time had left as planned, back to New York. The experiment and thus their relationship ended.
The journalist summed up the experiment with the words:
I lost my boyfriend and it gave me no pleasure.
The seemingly essential message of this film is that to find love, you have to be yourself. But that only works if you’re “yourself” as laid back as Andie in the movie. Her behavior has served as a textbook for straight women around the world. Be like Andie to get a man, be like Michelle… and you’ll scare him away.
However, when it comes to love, I think each of us is a little embarrassing. Sometimes he will say or do something stupid. And that’s okay too. Because that’s what makes us human, among other things. If we find the right person, like Julieanne Smolinski, it won’t hurt our relationship.
More interesting texts can be found on the home page
Source: The Cut
Source: Gazeta
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
