In this conversation, Bella and Melissa discuss their experiences with Hinge profiles and play a game matching voice prompts to profiles. They discuss:
Voice prompts in dating profiles can give a better sense of a person’s personality
Clear communication is important in dating profiles to avoid misunderstandings.
Positivity is important in dating profiles to attract potential matches.
Avoid negative experiences and accusations in dating profiles.
Beware of bots and spam on dating apps.
Communication and setting boundaries are crucial in relationships.
TikTok’s “For You Page” (FYP) has an uncanny, clever, and sometimes alarming knack for showing you exactly what you want to see. So if you like reading books even the smallest amount and have spent some time scrolling your own FYP, you probably have stumbled upon the enchanting world of BookTok. Populated by people of all ages and life experiences, the Booktok community is filled with avid readers who offer up litanies of book recommendations, reviews, rants, and raves.
Falling down the rabbit hole of Booktok for the first time can be a lot of fun, but the excitement might quickly be dulled by overwhelm. If you’re wondering which books you should crack open first, here’s a list of five Booktok selections that come highly recommended and are worth a try.
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses (commonly shortened to ACOTAR) is the debut of a series that contains five books (so far!). A fun mix of fantasy and romance, ACOTAR has an avid fanbase and a treasure trove of world-building, likable characters, and an apt amount of comedic relief. ACOTAR will please new and veteran fantasy readers alike. If you’re ready to get talking about fan theories and plot twists with the Booktok community, look no further.
Sarah J. Maas/Amazon
2. Funny Story – Emily Henry
Emily Henry is a name that inspires songs of praise and adoration throughout the Booktok community. Her dreamy prose and cherished characters make her comedic romance books unforgettable. Funny Storyis Henry’s newest release, having just become available in April. Perfect for anyone who’s ever spent a day or three binging movies in the realm of The Proposaland 27 Dresses, Henry’s newest novel follows two roommates who have both been recently dumped. The twist? Their exes are now together. With plenty of amusing banter, Funny Story is indeed a funny story and will land well with anyone seeking a whimsical reading experience with a lot of heart.
Emily Henry/Amazon
3. Bunny – Mona Awad
First, a disclaimer that this book is not for the faint of heart. No other way around it: this book is eccentric, strange, and at times grotesque. If this isn’t sounding like the most shining review so far, hold tight. Bunny is, admittedly, not for everyone, but fans of horror and the macabre will eat this book up. Following a graduate student who holds a certain level of disdain for her clique-y classmates, this book is an addition to the “descent into madness” genre and is a good place to start for anyone who loves all things weird.
Mona Awad/Amazon
4. The Midnight Library – Matt Haig
If you’re in the mood for a good cry, The Midnight Library is an appropriate starting place. While not as light-hearted of a selection as some of the others on this list, this book is heartfelt and covers heavier topics in a tactful way. When Nora decides that she has nothing left to live for, she is taken on an adventure through alternate timelines that show her what life might have been like if she’d made different decisions. Popular among the Booktok crowd for a reason, this book is a great choice for anyone who is in the mood for a sentimental (but not too syrupy) read.
Matt Haig/Amazon
5. The Unhoneymooners – Christina Lauren
Another win for the romantic comedy lovers, The Unhoneymooners is about a pair of enemies who find themselves sharing a romantic Hawaiian vacation. Leaning more heavily towards the “com” of rom-coms, this book also offers a fun, tropical ambiance that would be perfect for some beach reading. It’s a light read that would be an ideal choice for someone trying to get back into reading, or maybe just needing a break from the labyrinthine world-building of fantasy or the tense aura of thrillers and horror.
Christina Lauren/Amazon
Wherever you decide to start, what really exemplifies the BookTok community is the people. Regardless of your genre of choice, as long as you love reading, you’ll find a place among like-minded bookworms.
Goal: Constructing the ideal modern buddy comedy using tropes and ideas that have been created for us through decades of buddy comedies leading up to this moment
Let us dive right in.
Types of Buddy Comedies
We can’t construct our own buddy comedy without acknowledging what already exists, so, let’s focus on the three most common types of buddy comedies. Although there are many different styles of buddy comedies, the most successful and memorable ones always seem to be encased in one of these three categories:
This type of movie is most commonly done in one of two ways; (1) Two characters are introduced to the audience separately in a fashion that showcases their most important character traits; (2) The audience is only introduced to one main character, and then introduced to the second character later on, having to learn about them in real-time through the POV of the first main character. These characters are then put into a situation in which they meet by chance and are forced to remain together for the rest of the film facing various obstacles that concern the both of them. They usually have different motives but need to work together in order to achieve their goals. Examples of this type of movie would be; The Nice Guys (2016), Due Date (2010),Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987), White Men Can’t Jump(1992),Step Brothers (2008), The Heat (2013) etc.
Step Brothers (2008)
The “Nothing More Than Work Acquaintances”
This buddy-comedy trope revolves around two characters who are nothing more than work acquaintances. They either don’t know each other very well or, they know each other but do not get along very well. Then, an issue arises that forces the two of them to set aside their differences and solve the bigger problem. This is most commonly done through the style of a “buddy cop” movie––examples being; The Other Guys (2010),21 Jump Street (2012),Tango and Cash (1989), Rush Hour (1998), etc.
The Nice Guys (2016)
Depending on the type of buddy comedy, there are usually some stereotypical characters involved. These characters sometimes have some conflicting ideology, but, in one way or another, help to balance each other out by picking up the slack where the other is lacking.
This could be in the form of a tough guy/smart guy duo like in The Other Guys; a seemingly normal/seemingly odd duo who each pull each other toward the center like in I Love You Man (2009); a scared-to-do anything/willing to try anything duo that still respect one another’s needs and boundaries like in Superbad or Booksmart; a charismatic and charming/blunt and rigid duo that are both a little more pensive than expected like in The Nice Guys.
Of course, there are more character types than just these, but almost all buddy comedy characters share portions of these qualities, either amplified or evolved in some way.
Genre Mash
The wonderful thing about comedies––specifically buddy comedies––is that they are so easily moldable into any other genre of movie. While this has always been the case, it seems to be more prevalent in today’s landscape than it has ever been before. The concept of a strictly pure comedy is almost non-existent, especially when it comes to big studio releases. The point is that it is essential to pick the correct genre mash-up when we are constructing the ideal modern buddy comedy. Let’s run through some of our options:
The Rom-Com
While this has been the most consistent style of comedy throughout movie history, it doesn’t feel right to include it in our buddy comedy blueprint. Even though most romantic comedies follow the buddy comedy archetype, the “buddy” aspect is removed once the characters eventually fall in love. Unfortunately, this disqualifies the rom-com genre as a whole.
Pretty Woman (1990)
The Action-Comedy
This style of movie makes for easy-to-tell stories that don’t have to rely too deeply on plot and mythos. Instead, it relies on guns, explosions, and ridiculous one-liners to keep us entertained––which it does, every single time. It’s no wonder why this is the most commonly used archetype for a buddy comedy.
The Horror-Comedy
There simply aren’t enough buddy comedy horror movies in existence. Although the list is small and this is a very specific type of movie, it is almost always effective. It’s almost identical to the action-comedy approach, but it uses zombies instead. Examples might be Zombieland(2009), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) (replace zombies with “really dumb and clumsy teenagers”).
These movies are probably the closest we come to just pure comedies, but as with most movies, there needs to be an emotional breaking point where the two main characters are pitted against each other, only to come back around and realize that the importance of having each other outweighs the conflict they are having no matter what.
So, given all the information we have, let’s construct our ideal modern buddy comedy.
(And by “our”, I mean “my”, since I am sitting here typing this in my office with no one else but my dog. And he is not a big fan of comedies).
Type of Buddy Comedy: A personal favorite of mine is the “Strangers” storyline. I enjoy when two characters come together by nothing more than a chance encounter, learn about each other, disagree on almost everything, and ultimately figure each other out just enough to accomplish whatever problematic situation arose before them. The end of a story just feels so much more satisfying when you can witness the full arc of a blossoming friendship. So, that is my pick here.
Buddy Comedy Character-types: It always works for me when two almost completely opposite characters learn to work together to solve their problems. I think this is most effectively portrayed through the character types of the charismatic and charming/blunt and rigid duo. These characters never get along at first, but through their trauma and adversity, they’re willing to take a bullet for each other by the end of the movie.
Genre Mash: As much as I love horror movies and would love to see more horror buddy comedies, I just don’t know if it makes sense to pick that. Actually, never mind that. A horror comedy is exactly what I am going to pick right here. Horror comedies can use all of the same tropes as action comedies but are allowed a little more creativity and freedom. Also, this whole thing is made up and subjective.
So, if you were given the choice, how would you construct your ideal modern buddy comedy? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Bella and Melissa catch up after a few months hiatus starting with the strange sexual requests Bella received recently. To skip to the sections that don’t need visuals, check out the timestamps below.
6:12 – Bad Pick-Up lines part 1
8:13 – Reviewing Tinder profiles to discuss the good, the bad, and the WTF. (No identities or bullying involved)
As a health and happiness coach, I’ve been a big proponent of pickleball for over a decade. Part of my goal has been getting more people to play pickleball. Now that pickleball has gone mainstream, people don’t consider me weird. After all these days pickleball is in commercial after commercial. It’s even been referenced on the Simpsons. Homer called it, “tennis where you don’t have to move…” Where Homer’s trendy new friend corrected, “You do have to move a little.”
That said, you can certainly work up a sweat playing pickleball. Exercising can be a big boost to both health and happiness. That’s one of the reasons I encourage other people to give pickleball a try. Here are some more talking points I use just in case you want to help convert your non-pickleball-playing friends to picklers.
Pickleball is social
Pickleball is a fun workout that can get the heart pumping. With a proper warm up it’s also quite safe. Obviously, you can get hurt playing pickleball but you can tailor your game to reduce the chances of injury. I for one refuse to run back for a lob over my head (especially in social). You make a nice lob over me and I give you a tip of my cap. Or if I’m playing with a younger partner, I let them know, “Any lobs are yours.” I also let them know, “If I’m deep any dinks over the net are yours.” Pickleball is also great for building communication skills.
Another big plus is the smaller court helps make pickleball very social. You are so close to your opponents that you can’t help but interact with them. A little, “Nice shot!” or “Good get!” goes to building friendships. Though I will admit if I am playing against people I know very well there is also some good-natured ribbing going on. This friendly banter can add to the fun.
Pickleball is like Backgammon
I often refer to pickleball as the backgammon of paddle sports as pretty much anybody can learn to play it though it takes a lot of skill to master it. Like backgammon though you can still greatly enjoy it without mastery. Most people catch on to the gameplay within minutes and love it. For others, the trickiest part of learning pickleball is learning to keep score, especially in doubles. I look at the scorekeeping as another way pickleball can help with mental acuity.
Pickleball is for all ages
Playing on a court that’s much smaller than a tennis court with a much slower ball makes the game accessible to people of all ages. I’ve literally been on courts with a twelve-year-old and an eighty-plus-year-old player. It makes for some unique and fun interactions. I’ve been schooled a couple of times by players who are my seniors (like in their 70s and 80s).
Pickleball is the great equalizer (sometimes)
There’s a famous story about a mom named Meg who was playing with three Pittsburgh Steelers and taking them to town. NFL player TJ Watt said, “Meg was serving heat. We had trouble all day.” The smaller court size makes it easier for a mom like Meg to keep up with three pro athletes.
Pickleball is awesome
It amazes me that there are a number of people who may see some factors of life differently, but we learn that we have a common bond with pickleball. Pickleball shows we can disagree on stuff and still be friends. In fact, now a lot of my off-the-court interactions are with fellow pickleball players who have gone from pickleball friends to everyday good friends. That’s a huge factor in making pickleball such a healthy activity and helps build a stronger community.
Once COVID hit in 2020 and we all started retreating to our little corners of the world, we soon realized that we were about to have significantly more free time on our hands than we were accustomed to. Some of us took up reading, others learned how to cook, and many decided to take up the skill of gardening.
Once things began to calm down in terms of fear of interacting with others socially, many of us continued to stay home. Some of this was due to the fear of catching COVID and businesses closing. By this point, many of us were deep into the commitment to hobbies we’d taken up during the early years of the pandemic.
Gardening was a renewed hobby for those who felt there was no time to do it but wanted to learn. because of the time Instead of going out to the movies or going to a bar with friends, we could all now devote ourselves to this skilled pastime. Because of the limitations social distancing played on our communities, gardening was something that people could spend significant time on that not only provided something for us to do but something to learn and improve over time. With the constant stress of wondering if we were next to catch COVID (in addition to the stress of day-to-day life wondering what the consequences of COVID would be on a global scale), gardening provided a stress reliever for many. It took our minds off the things we could not control and gave us something to focus on that we could control and grow our knowledge of plant/produce life cycles.
This increasing knowledge of how to grow plants/produce has multiple benefits. Aside from the general expertise of learning where our food comes from, what it takes to grow food, and what we are putting into our food products to grow them, it also benefits us by not having to pay so much for our groceries. We saw the insane prices that shot up in our local grocery stores during the pandemic, and prices have not come down much since 2020. And that’s only about buying groceries—that’s not even talking about the occasional opportunity to dine out.
Being able to grow produce from home and cultivate what is grown in our gardens is significantly less costly than buying groceries from a store and allows us to see what is being put into our food. In other words, we don’t have to add any hormones to the produce that we consume when growing it in a home garden, we have better control over the pesticides of choice that we spray on or near our food.
Most of us didn’t grow up knowing how to take care of plants, let alone start an entire garden. Also, without the space to grow a full-blown garden: so how can we partake in this rewarding hobby to cultivate our own plants/food?
Enter YouTube. The advent of people uploading videos on how to not just start a garden, but also to maintain and flourish one created an entirely new outlet that brings joy.
We were able to educate ourselves using these videos on the best practices for growing plants and food. And not only learning how to begin the process of gardening but also in learning what “zone” we’re in so that we can grow plants and produce in the most informed way. For example, it wouldn’t be the greatest idea to plant a citrus tree in the middle of the yard for someone who resides in Washington state; there isn’t enough sunlight and too much rain to properly produce a citrus tree. Additionally, YouTube provides insight on how to grow smaller gardens for those of us living in small living quarters like apartments where a landlord doesn’t permit us to uproot a shared lawn to grow plants. This allowed many of us to be able to grow a garden wherever we are; something our ancestors may have partaken in as well.
In a lot of ways, we’ve evolved from our antecedents in our levels of technology and ever-expanding knowledge of the world around us. But in other ways, we seem to be coming back full circle to our roots. We understand as a society the importance of community, and when something like COVID hits, we are reminded just how much we do rely on our social interactions to make each day a little easier to get through. When we lose the opportunity to maintain our normal levels of social interaction, we retreat to old traditions like cooking, sewing, reading, and gardening.
These are commonly shared traditions that everyone has some form of a connection with, and relegating back to these old skills and hobbies ends up connecting us more together in the end. As we are on the other side of the pandemic now, we can talk to our neighbors about how to best grow a tomato plant or visit our parents and help plant an herb garden of their own. Learning to cultivate a garden, whether we realize it or not, ends up connecting us all in the end.
Caitlin Clark’s rookie WNBA contract has sparked a lot of conversation and controversy about the pay differences between men’s and women’s sports. Clark signed a four-year $338,000 contract to play for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever as the first pick in the WNBA draft. In her rookie season, she will earn $76,535. This is a pre-determined amount that was negotiated between the players union and the WNBA teams so there are no salary negotiations between Clark and the Indiana Fever.
But isn’t this unfair? NBA players make 10 times as much. Yes, because the NBA is an established league that is highly profitable. The NBA generated $10.5 billion in 2023. The league and most of its teams are profitable. (Somehow the three NBA teams managed to lose money in 2023: the LA Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks).
In contrast, the WNBA’s revenue for 2023 was $200 million, which is double its 2019 earnings, but the WNBA still isn’t profitable. The league lost $12 million last year and has never made a profit since it started in 1997, losing on average $10 million each year. The NBA subsidizes its sister-league to keep it afloat. Most businesses close after three or four years of losing money, but the WNBA is still here after 26 years of not earning a profit.
The NBA owns 50% of the WNBA and each of the 12 WNBA teams combine to own the other 50%. James Dolan is the owner of Madison Square Garden, the NBA’s New York Knicks, and the NHL’s New York Rangers. He also owned the WNBA’s New York Liberty, but sold it because the Liberty lost money each year. The Knicks are valued at $6.6 billion and had an operating income of $169 million in 2023. But Dolan decided to sell the Liberty because it wasn’t profitable.
All businesses must earn a profit or they eventually cease to exist. From the neighborhood grocery store to large corporations, if a business isn’t profitable, it will close. WNBA players don’t make millions because the league doesn’t generate enough money to pay those high salaries. The public needs to regularly watch and attend WNBA games for its popularity to grow. This will bring major advertisers into the league and generate revenue.
Remember that revenue and profit are not the same thing. Revenue is money generated from a business’s primary operations. For WBNA teams, revenue includes things like selling tickets, team merchandise, and television revenue. Profit is the money left over after paying all business expenses and debts. For the WNBA, these expenses include things like salaries for the players and staff, leasing the arenas, and travel expenses.
But for now women’s professional basketball is not very popular in America. The 2023 WNBA Finals had a TV audience of only 750,000 viewers. This was for a championship game! An average Monday Night Football game has 17 million viewers. Cartoon Network’s prime-time viewership is 600,000 each night. Before getting upset with the numbers ask yourself if you regularly watch the WNBA. To be profitable, the WNBA must regularly attract more viewers than Scooby Doo and Teen Titans Go!
Many people supplement their incomes with second jobs or “side work.” Many WNBA players do the same by going to Europe to play basketball during the WNBA offseason. Star player, Diana Taurasi was paid $1.5 million to play in Russia. But those arrangements don’t always go as planned. Brittney Griner was arrested and jailed for 10 months in Russia for what many consider to be a minor legal violation when she arrived in Moscow to play for a $1 million contract. Since that experience, Griner says she will not play basketball outside America again unless it’s to play for the USA in the Olympics.
But these million-dollar European contracts are extremely rare. Only about 10 WNBA players make over $500,000 playing abroad. However, those players who play in Europe during the off-season say it helps to sharpen their game. And of course, the extra money is helpful too.
As with other popular athletes, endorsement deals allow WNBA players to earn money based on their stardom. Michael Jordan famously made almost three times his NBA salary in endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, and Hanes ($90 million in NBA contracts vs $2.4 billion in endorsements).
Caitlin Clark is on the same path as Jordan. She recently signed a $28 million deal with Nike and will have her own shoe. Clark also took advantage of the NCAA’s new NIL rule (Name, Image & Likeness), which allows college players to be paid to endorse products. While at Iowa, Clark made approximately $3.1 million by promoting Gatorade, State Farm, Nike, and Xfinity.
Economic inflation has become a problem in the US, but Caitlin Clark should be just fine.
How does Clark’s WNBA salary compare to the expected salaries of recent college graduates? In 2024, recent college graduates will average $58,500 for their first job. Caitlin Clark majored in marketing which earns about, $70,000 for the first year after graduation. So adding some real-world perspective, Caitlin is earning more with her WNBA salary than what she could expect from a marketing career. Keep in mind that the average individual salary in the US is $59,350, so she’s making more than that too.
For those who love sports, answer this question. If you could play your favorite sport professionally for ten years at $75,000 a year instead of working a regular job would you do it? The resounding answer is “Hell yes! Where do I sign?” A job requiring workouts, practice, and team meetings beats the daily grind of spreadsheets, board rooms and shipping deadlines every time.
With the popularity of the NBA, many people don’t realize that in the 1970s and early 1980s, the NBA Finals were shown on tape delay. That means the games weren’t on live television and fans would have to wait to watch a television replay of the championship series. Ratings were low because interest in the NBA was low compared to other sports.
But fans know a good thing when they see it. Many basketball fans followed Larry Bird and Magic Johnson into the NBA after they played against each other in the 1979 NCAA championship game. These two legends were very likable, extremely talented, and gave audiences quite a show. The popularity of Bird and Johnson lifted the NBA into must-see television. A few years later Michael Jordan entered the league and the NBA soon became as popular as the NFL and Major League baseball. It was these stars that paved the way for players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry to earn almost $50 million per season.
Women’s basketball has gained popularity in recent years. The 2024 NCAA women’s basketball tournament increased viewership by 200% compared to last year. People tuned in to watch Caitlin Clark and to see if the University of South Carolina could finish an undefeated season.
The good news for the WNBA is that attendance, television viewership, and revenues are increasing. If fans follow popular college stars such as Caitlin Clark into their WNBA careers, it will help the WNBA gain popularity which will lead to profitability and lay the groundwork for success.
Whether you’re a Swiftie, a fan or none of the above, you’ve probably heard all the buzz about Taylor Swift’s latest album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. The album was released on April 19th, 2024 as Swift’s 11th studio album. Taylor also surprised fans with a 2 am special edition of the album titled, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY with fifteen additional tracks. Overall, Taylor released thirty-one total tracks that night to the delight of her fans.
Fortnight featuring Post Malone
One track in particular on the album has been getting quite a lot of attention online: Fortnight featuring Post Malone.
Taylor Swift – Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) (Official Music Video)
Taylor Swift’s Easter Eggs in the Fortnight Music Video
Both the album and music video have been receiving a lot of attention for various reasons. The music video features many Taylor Swift Easter eggs. Track sixteen on the album is titled, Clara Bow which pays homage to the silent film actress from the 1920s. In the music video, Taylor is shown with eyebrows similar to Clara Bow’s. Along with this, Taylor is shown getting a type of shock therapy, which Clara had also endured as well.
Also featured in the music video are actors Ethan Hawke, and Josh Charles. Both of whom were in the 1989 Drama film, Dead Poets Society. Poetry is a very important key factor in both the album and the music video, and it is safe to say that Taylor took lots of inspiration from the film.
Fortnight Music Video
Positive Reviews on The Tortured Poets Department
Swifties aren’t the only ones raving over Taylor’s new album. While many news outlets and reporters are reviewing the album, one that shined was Rolling Stone’s review. Rolling Stone adored the album and declared The Tortured Poets Department an instant classic. They describe the album as, “wildly ambitious and gloriously chaotic”.
Celebrities Dish About The Tortured Poets Department
Post Malone, who was featured on Fortnight also had a lot to say about collaborating with Taylor. Post Malone stated, “It’s once in a lifetime that someone like @taylorswift13 comes into this world. I am floored by your heart and your mind, and I am beyond honored to have been asked to help you with your journey. I love you so much. Thank you Tay.“
Post Malone’s Instagram
Matty Healy – Taylor’s Ex Got “Swifted”
In 2023, there was speculation that Taylor Swift and lead singer of The 1975, Matty Healy briefly dated. While this was never confirmed or denied, it’s rumored that track 14 on the album The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived was about Healy. In a video that was leaked, paparazzi approached Healy. They asked him what he thought of his “diss track” on The Tortured Poets Department. Matty responded by saying, “I haven’t really listened to that much of it, I’m sure it’s good”.
Matty Healy. STEPHANE CARDINALE – CORBIS/CORBIS VIA GETTY
Ben Shapiro Says “No”
Not everyone was impressed with The Tortured Poets Department. Political Commentator, Ben Shapiro made a Youtube video titled Ben SHREDS “The Tortured Poets Department” for 47 Minutes.In the video, Shapiro states that he feels that Fortnight does not have a chorus, and says not much happens in the song.
What do you think?
Overall, it is very safe to say that there are a lot of differing opinions when it comes to The Tortured Poets Department. However, Swifties everywhere have been absolutely loving the album, and the album has been taking social media by storm. With Taylor Swift always putting clues and Easter eggs into everything she does, her fans are always there to see what else she has in store.
Imagine a blazing meteor streaking across the night sky, leaving a trail of vibrant energy. That’s the essence of Aries, the very first sign of the zodiac. Born between March 21st and April 19th and represented by the courageous ram, Aries individuals are the pioneers, the trailblazers, forever charging headfirst into life’s adventures.
Ruled by Mars, the fiery planet of action and assertion, Aries possess an unquenchable drive that’s both inspiring and a little intimidating. They’re the ones who rally the troops for weekend adventures, the first to volunteer for a seemingly impossible task and the life of the party with their infectious enthusiasm.
Born Leaders with a Competitive Edge
Forget waiting for someone else to take charge. Aries are natural-born leaders who thrive on taking the reins. Their confidence is undeniable, and they radiate an aura of “can-do” that motivates those around them. This leadership isn’t about power trips, though. Aries genuinely believe in the potential of every situation and person, and their infectious enthusiasm is a force to be reckoned with.
However, that competitive edge of Mars—the ruling planet of Aries—can sometimes manifest as impatience. Aries crave immediate results and can struggle with situations that require a slower, more methodical approach. But here’s the thing: their impulsiveness often leads to unexpected breakthroughs. They’re the ones who see a problem and instinctively know the best course of action, even if it seems outrageous on the surface.
Aries Possess Passionate Hearts and Blunt Honesty
Love with an Aries is an all-encompassing adventure. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, expressing their affection with unwavering honesty and fierce loyalty. They’re the grand gesture romantics who surprise you with flowers at work or whisk you away for a weekend getaway on a whim. Dating will never be dull—expect spontaneous candlelit dinners under the stars, impulsive karaoke nights, and a constant stream of new experiences to keep the spark alive.
However, that same honesty can sometimes come across as bluntness. They don’t mince words; their directness can be refreshing or jarring, depending on the situation. But here’s the secret: their bluntness stems from a genuine desire for authenticity and a dislike for sugarcoating the truth. They appreciate the same in return, so if you’re looking for someone who will always keep it real, look no further than the ram.
The Shadow Side of the Ram
While Aries are captivating companions, they’re not without their flaws. Their impulsive nature can sometimes lead them into trouble, and their competitive streak can morph into stubbornness if they don’t get their way. Additionally, their burning passion can occasionally flare up into anger, but thankfully, their fiery temper cools down just as quickly.
The Perfect Match for the Aries Spirit
If you’re an Aries, embrace your unwavering spirit and infectious enthusiasm. The world needs your pioneering energy to shake things up and challenge the status quo. Look for partners who can keep up with your pace, appreciate your honesty, and handle your occasional bursts of impulsiveness.
Don’t be afraid of the ram’s fiery energy. You might just find yourself catching their contagious zest for life. Just be prepared for the occasional adventure—they’re notorious for whisking unsuspecting souls into unforgettable experiences.
More on the zodiac signs when the next one starts! Can you guess without looking it up?
See what 2024 holds for Aries and other signs here.
Friendships, relationships, language policing, being laid off, and work-life balance – adulting is hard. Bella and Melissa discuss their post-COVID personal lives and the isolation that can come from going through difficult times and the need to prioritize personal life over work.
Apologies for the audio quality! I will be back in the studio next week.
Big Time Fresh 