I have a female friend who refuses to let men pay for dinner on dates, no matter how much they insist on picking up the tab. She’s not alone: many women feel that if they want equality and agency, they have to hand over their credit card at the end of a romantic meal. I, on the other hand, feel surprised and a little affronted on the rare occasion when a man expects me to go Dutch, for one simple reason: women spend such a disproportionate amount of time and money getting ready for dates, we shouldn’t be expected to pay extra for dinner.
This week, a Twitter hashtag called #HowToGetReadyForADate started trending. Most of the tweets were jokes, but many also referenced the amount of time women take to prepare for a date versus men. From a man: ‘Showering is overrated.
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