Thanks to television, women now have vivid depictions of standard, stereotypical American men. Although there are definitely shows that give women false hope that the perfect man does exist, most primetime sitcoms illustrate the kind of guy that women should be staying away from.
High Maintenance
Schmidt from FOX series New Girl
If a guy takes more time doing his hair than his girl does, there is a problem. If he takes more time doing his hair than it takes for his girl to get completely ready, then there is an even bigger problem. Besides the fact that Schmidt is completely obsessed with himself and is the most frequent contributor to the d-bag jar, he is incredibly high maintenance. He is a perfect rendering of a guy that is too much like a girl. While many girls do go for the sensitive, relatable guy, high maintenance is not something they seek out when picking a date.
Stage Five Clinger
Ted Mosby from CBS series How I Met Your Mother
Yes this term was first coined by Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers, but Ted Mosby is the perfect example of the male version of a stage five clinger. About five dates in, excuse me, about five minutes into the date he immediately feels as if he is falling in love. This kind of guy will tell a woman he loves her too soon and instantly begin planning their life together. God forbid his girlfriend does not answer a call he will usually assume the worst and panic, calling her over and over until her voicemail is full. Girls have a reputation for being clingy and needy, but they definitely need their space and most girls will not put up with a guy who will not give that to her.
Smart Ass
Ray Barone from CBS series Everybody Loves Raymond
While Ray is definitely funny to watch on television, most girls feel for Debra because she can never catch a break. No matter how she feels or what she is going through, she can always count on her husband to make some smart ass comment only making her more upset. This is the type of guy who turns everything into a joke. A serious conversation is almost impossible to have with him because he would rather make a sarcastic comment than discuss the situation at hand. Unless graced with the patience and understanding that his tv wife has, most women would not be able to make a relationship with this kind of guy successful.
Self-absorbed
Michael Scott from NBC series The Office
Michael Scott is an interesting person and most people would not want him as a boss never mind a significant other. While Michael’s intentions are harmless and overall pretty good, he manages to make almost everything about him. When things do not go Michael’s way he has a tendency of going to extremes to try and bring reality to his imagination. When dating a guy like Michael Scott, it is hard for the woman to feel special because she is constantly competing with her boyfriend for his attention. He would rather spend time making himself look good than making his girlfriend happy. On the show, Michael illustrates how a self-absorbed attitude will ultimately result in a failed relationship.
Player
Charlie Harper from CBS series Two and a Half Men
There are so many reasons why women should stay away from guys like Charlie Harper, but let’s focus on the womanizing aspect. Charlie goes from one girl to another to another and rarely gets attached. When he does, he finds it hard to stay committed. Guys like this are easy to spot because they are the ones at the bar girl-hopping until they find a girl that will go home with them. Unless a woman is looking for a one night stand, she should stay away from guys like this because the chances of this type of guy calling her the next day are none, and no girl wants to be that girl.
Your Dad
Ross Geller from NBC series Friends
Okay not literally your dad, but the kind of guy who might as well be. Ross has a tendency to play it safe and think about all possible consequences before jumping into something. As depicted in the show (many times), this strategy does not always work out. While Ross is sweet and charming, he is definitely father-like. Many psychologists will say that women ultimately end up marrying someone who reminds them of her father, but Ross takes it over the top. This kind of guy is usually ahead of most people his age in his career and shows it by acting a little pretentious. Most guys like this don’t act this way intentionally, it is just in their nature to take on the role of being more mature. Women pick out the personality traits that they like in their father and use that to choose a guy; this does not include the reprimanding or lecturing part. They leave that for solely their father, not their man.
