Is George Costanza Really a Sex Symbol?

After reading the comments to my previous post on nice guys, I read with interest this post on MSN entitled, Dating Advice for Shy Guys thinking I might get some good tips to pass along to any shy male readers. No such luck.

Instead, here is some of the sucky advice that two men! who are the authors of what looks like a rather funny book called Die Happy: 499 Things Every Guy's Gotta Do While He Still Can had to say to those of you too tongue-tied to ask a woman out:

Be eye-catchingly honest
Remember George Costanza’s approach in Seinfeld: “My name is George. I’m unemployed and live with my parents.” Hey, it worked for him. So why not try being straight up with women? Tell them you’re not much of a player. David Wells, 31, confirms, “When I was younger, I made the mistake of thinking I had to act suave,” he says. But since then, he’s upfront about the fact that he’s shy. “A lot of women think it’s charming!” he says.

Ask for help
Damsels in distress have been doing this for years; there’s no reason guys can’t take advantage of women’s desire to swoop in and save the day, too. Just be sure to pick a topic on which women will feel they can offer some assistance. You’ll rarely go wrong seeking style advice (“Excuse me, but I need a woman’s opinion on this jacket. Is it a keeper, or should it never leave my closet again?”) or relationships (“Hey, my pal and I need a woman’s perspective on how long a guy should wait before calling after a date. What’s your opinion?”). Asking for advice will diffuse the pressure of it being a pickup.

Just add a question mark
You’re starting to get to know this woman and suddenly you can’t think of what to say. Here’s an easy solution. Simply repeat the last notable thing she said and place a question mark after it. “Oh, you work as a female professional wrestler; what’s it like??” Bingo.

Seek out the yin to your yang
If you’re not much of a talker, someone who yaks up a storm may well love spending time with you. You know the old “opposites attract” adage. And how Jerry Maguire professed, “You complete me.” Be her best audience ever, and trust us, she’ll keep coming back for more.

Okay, you get the idea, just act like an oppressed woman with the vapors from the 18th century and according to these guys, women will start swooning. Yeah, right. Perhaps the authors of the article were just catering to a female audience at MSN but they aren't doing guys any favor with this pathetic advice.

These guys are teaching you to be the nice guy that women say they want but really don't. So how is this advice going to help? It's more likely to backfire.

My advice, show a little confidence and ignore the above advice.