The Notebook (and Therefore Nicholas Sparks) Almost Didn't Happen

Guys, The Notebook—and therefore the entire treacly Nicholas Sparks Sob-tainment Industry—very nearly did not happen.
Engagement Chicken: A History of Romantic Culinary Bullshit
We're just six weeks short of Thanksgiving, which means two things: First, if your Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year plans involve air travel, book your ticket now or suffer the financial consequences. Secondly, if you're looking to get hitched over the holidays and believe in magic, it might be time to bust out the…
Erotic Romance Publisher Spins Torrid Tale of Defamation
If your only encounter with romance novels was 15 years ago and involved someone's "throbbing member," you likely wouldn't recognize the genre today. And that's thanks in no small part to erotic romance publisher Ellora's Cave (pun intended, I'm pretty sure). But now the company has leapt into an embarrassing legal…
Television Is Resurrecting the Romantic Comedy From Its Deathbed
Have you noticed more romantic plots creeping onto your TV screen? And perhaps on shows that are comedic, rather than dramatic? Don't look now, but the rom com is perhaps pulling a Lazarus. It's just that everyone is very, very shy of the term "romantic comedy" after years of stinkers anchored by Matthew McConaughey.
Paris: Keep Your Love Locks Out, You're Ruining Everything
Parisians are over you and your need to express your love with padlocks on their bridges like some whimsical literary novel protagonist. You are not an imaginary person and those locks are heavy, dude — so heavy that their weight crumpled one Parisian bridge, moving City Hall to encourage selfies. In the grand scheme…
Axe Body Spray Gives Up on Sex, Because, Let's Get Real
Axe™ is a brand of male perfume named after the tool with which most women would like to strike the young men who adorn themselves with Axe™. FYI, gentlemen, Axe™ is now about more than not getting laid.
Man's Attempt to Play Gay to Help a Friend Backfires Spectacularly
It started out innocently enough (it always does) — one man pretends to be gay for a single dinner party to help a friend out. As lies do, this one sucked in the friend's family, free time, and living situation. And, before he knew it, the Helpful Man found that the lie had spiraled completely and entirely out of…
The Weirdest Way You've Been Hit On
Welcome to Pissing Contest, a weekly story sharing circle for the the ass-draggiest time of the afternoon on the ass-draggiest time of the last day between you and the weekend (or, in this case, national holiday). Every week, we'll ask a question, you'll share stories, and we'll pick a winner that's featured in the…
Romance Is Dead and This Is the OkCupid Message That Proves It
Trying to find love on the internet can be a harrowing ordeal. There are the creepers, the harassers, the well-meaning psychos and dudes who send you dick pics when a "hello" would have sufficed. And yet, this note, received by a San Francisco woman (and at least 10000 others) is the nail in romance's coffin. Because…
Facebook's 'Ask' Button Allows Friends to Bug You About Being Single
Apparently, Facebook really really really really really wants to know who you're fucking. The social network has introduced an annoying new feature it's calling the "ASK button" which will allow your nosy friends to, with the click of a mouse, directly ask you about the relationship status that you have deliberately…
