Candle lights, homemade dinner, and music to set the mood. Sounds romantic and sweet right? Or is it annoyingly too perfect and over the top? Both opinions could be absolutely right. When it comes to judging and deciphering guys, especially around this age, they generally fall into two categories. Jerky or Clingy. I think that this huge rift that we girls have become accustomed to has messed with our logical thinking and now is beginning to blurr the line between thinking a guy is being cute and affectionate and annoyingly clingy.

We have sadly become accustomed to the chase of winning over a guy’s attention. We are used to the one text message a week (maybe a phone call if you’re lucky and he’s bored), being the first ones to make plans, being ditched for better plans, and the general nonchalant attitude towards you. It’s what drives us to want to see them more and it’s also what drives us mentally insane. This is not how a real relationship should work and this should not be the accepted norm in our college lives. What ever happened to courting? To chivalry? Well, it’s gone and has been replaced by the cocky attitudes most guys wear around on their sleeves like they are a privilege. Now, when a normal guy who was raised with manners comes along we don’t know how to process the attention we are suddenly (and rightfully) receiving, and dismiss it as being clingy. Poor fellas don’t even stand a chance.

Recently, a good friend of mine has caught the eye of an attractive male. From what I can tell he seems to be quite smitten with her and is attempting to win her over. Most girls would be thrilled that for once they are not the ones exerting the most effort to stay in contact and make plans-thrilled! However, my dear friend has now placed him into the Clingy category. This is almost worse than being a jerk because you cannot, for the love-of-God, get this type of guy out of your hair, and once you see him as being annoying it is all pretty much over. In my personal opinion though, I think that this young male is actually being quite cute in his eager endeavors. There may be no right answer, as every girl is different in her preferences, but I’d like you to consider her reasons for this decision and decide for yourself if she has jumped the gun on this one, or maybe I’m just a hopeless sap.

HER REASONS FOR BEING CLINGY:

• Girl, he got my phone number and texted me later that night to hang out in the next few days
• Ok, so he met up with me downtown and then stayed with me the whole night…we’ve never even hung out before that. Weird.
• Ugh, he’s texted me like three times today. He’s so annoying.
• So, he wants me to come over and cook dinner for me. That’s just too much.
• I just like the chase, there’s no chase with him.

MY REASONS FOR BEING CUTE:

• What? You didn’t have to text him first? What? He was the one who suggested to hang out? Most girls would kill for that to happen to them, you crazy!
• Aw, well that was nice of him. He definitely didn’t have to hang out with you that long, especially if this was such a casual plan. He must really be into you!
• Ok, I vividly remember you complaining about your last guy who would never text you, it made you so mad! And now that you’re getting what you want you’re annoyed?
• That’s so sweet! I don’t think I know many guys who would do that for a first real date, in fact I don’t know many guys who actually take girls on a real date…
• Ok, now you’re just being ridiculous. You know that if it were the other way around you would hate it.

So now that I’ve broken it down for you a little bit, you can decide. Cute or Creepy Clingy?