After moving back to Denver from Atlanta in 2019, Wild started looking at Tinder, and "as I made my way through the men of Colorado," she writes, "most looked the same: a white, fit, dog-owning mountain guy who loved drinking beer and has plenty of money to spend. Variety? Not so much."
Some readers wondered what she was really looking for, and whether Denver was the right place to find it. And almost everyone agreed that no matter what, Tinder was not the place to be looking. Here's a sampling of reader comments:
Says Nik:
This is one of those “I can’t believe the lion bit my hand off after I shoved my hand in its mouth.” WTF? I left Denver a few years ago, but last I checked, there’s plenty of non-white guys there too. The whole article is literally “I keep swiping on the exact type of guy I know I can’t stand but, can’t figure out why I hate every guy I go on a date with.”Responds Alexis:
Honestly, this article made me laugh. As a person of color, dating in Colorado was hard. Her depiction of men here isn't too far off the mark, either. As for the "Colorado does have culture" remarks, I would say expand your horizons: There is definitely a lack of depth to what is considered culture in this state.Replies Nate:
I just wanted to express how much I appreciated hearing Marie Wild's perspective. I'm a white guy who is very frustrated with dating here and have a hard time looking at the apps without feeling cognizant of being in a huge racial bubble, especially after George Floyd and BLM protests and stuff. Totally right about having to ask up-front questions like, "Trump? Masks?" I thought the monetary perspective was also extra interesting, and a great point! I feel bad I fall prey to those bikini pictures myself. But, boy, after even just a couple different dates all I want is someone weird and interesting; it's so hard to understand how people are so content being so samey!Notes Derek:
This is lowkey racist shit. Reverse the script place it in Atlanta and make the writer white. What garbage.Adds Mike:
Black girl moves to a mostly white city/state and is mad that there are mostly white guys?Suggests Kevin:
Woman: I'm sick of seeing fit, puppy-loving mountain men who are successful.Replies Nevaeh:
She ain't lying, though....Colorado men are whack...and they're proud of it.Adds Michael:
Denver is full of people who aren't emotionally available so why the fuck would you look for love there? More people seem interested in sinus sauce and whippits then real emotional connection.Comments Chris:
Oddly, I am nothing like the guys she describes. and I found it hella scarce out there to find women like she describes herself as on dating sites. Trust me, it's a nightmare for men too: 95 percent of women on dating sites seem like bougie clones of each other seeking the very men she complains about.
And Brandon concludes:
That's a lot of words to say "tinder is gentrified, too."If you missed Wild's essay, you can read it here. Interested in writing your own essay on dating in Denver? Send a one-paragraph summary to [email protected]. Or simply post a comment.
