Two Girls for Every Boy

Ah, Archie, why are you such an asshole?


Archie Bunker is a "gentleman" my oldest friend met through an online dating service. They had several phone calls before finally meeting for lunch before Christmas. She came back a smitten kitten. Like her, he likes to write (he has a blog). He's a minor celebrity (a local sportscaster but he hasn't been on air much). Like her, he has health problems (primarily diabetes, and he's been on disability for months, hence his low profile). He complimented her face, her smile, her smooth shiny hair.

He has texted her repeatedly that he wants to see her again but can't because he's too sick. And, according to his blog, he has been in and out of the hospital for his blood pressure and diabetes. BUT through Facebook he keeps everyone up to date on his activities. First he worked on a float for the Rose Bowl Parade, and last week he posted a photo of himself, with a shit-eating smile, flanked by two blondes. Svelte, 35-to-40-year-old blondes. The one on the left is wearing a zebra print skirt and black hose. They are former coworkers of his from Pittsburgh, and he's showing them around LA.

My friend is a big girl. Like Lane Bryant/The Avenue big. It was mean of him to post photos of the float and especially those blondes, knowing he is leading her on, knowing he "friended" her and she can see the evidence of his feeble excuses.

I always thought he was an asshole. From his blog and FB page, I know he's forever angry -- at Obama, and OWS, and "coddled" young people, and (my favorite) angry people. My friend is a conflict-averse woman with a chaotic personal life, so I didn't want them to get together because I could only envision unhappiness.  

But I didn't want this, either. How could he be so thoughtless?  


I don't know know how she feels about this. I don't know for a fact that she's seen the photo, and I won't ask her because I don't want to embarrass her. But I do hope that I'll never have occasion to mention Archie again.