There are some red flags I think we can all agree upon. If they are rude to waiters, have a history of “crazy” exes, or, worse, know a lot about astrology, you need to get out—stat. Now, we have a new one to add to the list courtesy of Olivia Rodrigo. The pop star recently told Netflix in an interview that she has an “oddly specific question” that she asks guys on first dates. “I always ask them if they would want to go to space. And if they say yes, I don’t date them,” Rodrigo explained. “I just think if you want to go to space, you’re a little too full of yourself.”
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While it could seem like a ridiculous way of sorting the wheat from the chaff, the singer is definitely onto something. The remark captivated the internet and sparked conversation, with many straight women—both single and attached—agreeing with Rodrigo. As she astutely puts it, it’s an indication of self-aggrandisement. If you recall the men in our current orbit who infamously want to go to space (see: poster boys Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos), you’d find some sense of truth in Rodrigo’s comment. Boys trapped in the bodies of mega-billionaires who would rather spend their resources on “winning” their very personal, two-man race than on, you know, helping humanity in actual meaningful ways? In fact, Grimes—Musk’s ex-partner and mother to three of his children—entered the chat to provide her own two cents. So, we’re taking notes.
But Big Rocketship Energy isn’t the only red flag you should look out for during the sifting process. Whether or not they’re into cryptocurrency is a relatively good place to start. Hanging onto some Bitcoin he bought in the 2010s is one thing, but no man is worth losing hours of your life to monologues about blockchain for. “Do you even know what you’re doing with your money if you’re not investing in crypto,” is an actual thing said to me by a man once. This despite the fact that he was completely unfamiliar with my finances and was definitely in no place to—it was our first time speaking. As I began to utter a response, he talked over me. The kind of speech—“I can take financial risks,” “I’m smart enough to do it,” “I’m too good for this,”—that breeds superiority and fosters a deeply, horribly, terribly unattractive hubris. This, coming from neither a finance bro nor one that’s 6’5” with blue eyes.
All in all, Rodrigo has a point, and all of my next first dates will be subjected to the same hot seat. However in the meantime, she probably doesn’t have to worry about men’s red flags these days, what with things between her and her boyfriend Louis Partridge looking rosier than ever.
