LiveWorld Transcripts

CosmoGIRL! presents

David Hankla
Teen columnist offers up some great advice on dating

February 10, 2000

CosmoGIRL! teen columnist David Hankla offers up some great advice on dating, getting him to notice you, and who should make the first move. By the time he's done with you, you'll be a dating expert!

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CosmoGIRL: Welcome to our chat with teen columnist David Hankla Share your feelings about Valentine's Day and get David's perspective on love and romance. This chat is sponsored by CosmoGIRL! --a magazine for REAL girls with REAL issues. Log on at www.cosmogirl.com Welcome David!

David Hankla: Hi! How is everybody?

Sigmagirl: How'd you get to be on CosmoGIRL!?

David Hankla: I'm a huge fan of movies, and I, just for fun--I still do--actually write movie reviews for myself and for my friends online, and a lot of my friends had their parents reading them, and a lot of their parents really liked them and sent them on to their friends, and one of those parents is Maureen Orth, who writes for Vanity Fair, and wrote the novel "Vulgar Favors" last year. And she sent it on to a bunch of her friends, some of whom work at CosmoGIRL! Magazine, and they emailed me one day and asked me to be their movie critic, and asked me to do this article as a precursor to that.

Bubberand: Do you have a girlfriend?

David Hankla: At this very moment no, I've been having too many problems with my family, my grandfather died recently, and he had been sick for a while. It's taken up too much time lately for me to have one.

Jannine: How do you feel giving advice on dating? I mean, like are you comfortable with it? Is it fun?

David Hankla: I didn't really find it fun, at all, and when they first asked me to do this article, I was really extremely nervous. Primarily, because I'm only 14, I don't know nearly as much as someone who's in college or older would know, so when they asked me to do this article, I did a poll, and asked people in movie theaters, friends of mine, older people, etc., and just asked them for their opinion, because I didn't feel right to give opinions for the entire male population since I'm only 14.

Chocoholic: Do you like it when girls ask you out?

David Hankla: Yes, actually I do. It's a lot easier on a guy's nerves if a girl will take the first step.

Molly: Do you like girls less if they are not skinny? Do you think it makes a difference?

David Hankla: I don't really think it makes that much of a difference, I think it's the person inside that really matters.

Mackman: Why is it so darn hard to ask out someone you really like? I always just freeze?

David Hankla: I think it's mostly because when it's someone you don't really care all that much about, you can talk to them, and not be so afraid of messing up, at least I'm not. Compared to if you really like the person, you're afraid if you say or do something wrong they won't think as highly of you.

GIJane113: Do you like girls who wear makeup or do you prefer the natural look?

David Hankla: I think it really depends on the girl, but I prefer a little makeup, overall.

Siggie: Is it ok for the girl to kiss the guy, or should she wait for the guy to make the first move?

David Hankla: It's fine for the girl to kiss the guy. Just make sure it's not too sudden.

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