Have you noticed that Valentine’s Day has become as commercial as Christmas? For one thing, I can’t walk into my local grocery store after December 26th without bumping into a pink box of chocolates. And all the new dating advice books have been waiting for months to make an appearance, only to be let loose just before V-Day. The whole season feels more like a marketing push than a holiday. Oh, and the movies.

Then there are the slew of articles aimed at singles which give advice on “how to be single” on V-Day. Maybe it’s me, but isn’t it just like being single on any other day of the year? And for those who have dates, isn’t it kind of a drain on the pocketbook to go out to a nice restaurant that charges for a fixed holiday menu? Even the ordinary parts of dating get dressed up as something more expensive. And let’s not get started on all the ads for online dating services.

I’m not very much of a romantic, and maybe that’s why the fuss surrounding V-Day gets a little old. Or maybe my head is spinning from all of the articles dissecting Lori Gottlieb’s new book Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough. Ahhh, now THAT’s a V-Day present for your special someone! I realize the title is purposefully inflammatory, but can you imagine having that sitting on your coffee table when your date comes by to pick you up?

She’s coming to L.A. this Wednesday to promote it, so I may stop by and see for myself what she has to say. I don’t mean to sound cynical for all of you who put effort in to making V-Day a special day. I like the idea of creating a romantic evening for you and your partner if you’re in a LTR or throwing a singles party if you’re not, I just don’t like that Hallmark forces us to do it on one specific day. That said, I kinda wanna see Valentine’s Day (the movie). But I’ll probably do it on Feb 15t