February 13, 2012
#1016: Valentine Dilemma
[[A man, hand on chin, thinking aloud to himself.]]
Man: Flowers seem so … trite. Something homemade? Easy to look halfhearted.
[[A woman sits at her computer, one arm leaning on the back of her chair, the other hand on her chin, thinking aloud.]]
Woman: Valentine’s Day is a corporate construct. - But hard to opt out of. - I don’t want to be a consumer tool
or
an inconsiderate jerk.
[[The man walks down the street, still thinking aloud.]]
Man: How do I fight cliché? I could get her a gift on a
different
day. - But what am I proving?
[[The woman is leaning back in her chair, playing with a stapler.]]
Woman: It’s such a contrived ritual. But maybe rituals are necessary social glue.
[[The man puts his hands to his face in panic.]]
Man: Forty presents. No,
none!
No, give her five items then steal two from her. - Ok, breathe. Keep it together.
[[The woman is also panicking, one hand to her face, the other still holding the stapler.]]
Woman: And what if he gets me something I don’t reciprocate? - Prisoners Dilemma! - AAAAAAAAAA!!
[[The man and woman meet. The man is holding a basket and a jar of hammers. The woman’s hand is stuck to her face.]]
Man: I got you Easter candy and a jar of hammers.
Woman: I panicked and stapled my hand to my face.
Man: We overthought this.
Woman: Yes.