7 Unique Dating Activities for Nerdy Couples

By Chris Cummins in Daily Lists, Nerdery
Monday, April 12, 2010 at 8:00 am
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​Ian Curtis wasn't bullshitting when he said that love will tear us apart. Dating is a brutal process that is often punctuated by differing expectations and awkwardness aplenty, yet it still beats sitting alone on a Saturday night alphabetizing your regrets. With tons of online sites dedicated to matching people up by interests, sexual preference, fetishes, and whatever, dating is theoretically easier than ever. Even if you are a bitter, overweight thirtysomething who knows more about the history of the Mego Corporation than the branches of the U.S. government, you can find someone who shares your obsessions with the help of a few mouse clicks. So let's say you meet someone and hit it off, how do you spend the time when not getting busy like Humpty Hump in a Burger King bathroom? Sharing in your nerdy passions -- comics, anime, cosplay, cons, etc. -- is obviously a no-brainer. But what about some idea that are a little more unique... and still totally nerdy? From the painfully obvious to special geekcentric events, here are seven unusual, wonderfully nerdy ways to spend some time with that special someone in your life.

Daily List suggested by The Gerudo Guy.

7) Record Store Day
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​High Fidelity was no exaggeration; music nerds are just as obsessive about their love for records as toy collectors are about their blue Snaggleteeth. For these MP3-shunning folks, Record Store Day is an early Christmas. Founded in 2007 as a way to help support indie record stores that have fallen victim to downloaders as well as the economic downturn, the annual event hosts giveaways, in-store performances and exclusive vinyl and CD releases created especially for the day. This year, Record Store Day is this Saturday, April 17th. If your significant other is the type of person who waxes poetic about the sociological impact of The Buzzcocks upon pre-Thatcherite Britain, better clear your calendar that day.

6) Laser Tag
Here's a trivia fact that might earn you some points on your next date: Milton Bradley's Star Trek Electronic Phasers were the very first laser tag toy released in 1979. Since then, the pastime has become the only sport most nerds will tackle without the aid of a gaming console. Found in dark corners of bowling areas or in the occasional strip mall, laser tag arenas offer couples the promise of geeky retro fun. Granted, you and yours won't look sexy while participating in the cheesy cosmic battle, but you will get to indulge in your Captain Power fantasies in a socially acceptable way for once. Since most laser tag facilities discourage players from running, you don't have to worry about getting too much exercise. Best to save your energy for the hot post-game lovemaking anyways.

5) LAN Party
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​LAN parties -- either intimate or large-scale gaming events -- are hotbeds of social activity where you could probably get some with a bit of effort. The past couple of years have seen the rise of everything from geek-themed speed dating events to social media sites like Nerd Passions, so it makes perfect sense that LAN parties would grow from their strict gaming only roots to become something more akin to a mainstream gathering. Those who already have dates can get hopped up on Red Bull and play Call of Duty 4 all night while the singles in attendance can try to woo over prospective lovers by making McDonald's runs. It's a win-win for everybody involved.

4) LARPing
Even if you're not the cosplay or D&D type, think about putting on your nicest robes and pointiest elf ears and going out on a LARP event together. If you're embarrassed by such things, that's mitigated by having a friend doing it with you, so you can concentrate on letting your brains have a joint vacation to The Burning Lands to free the Frost Queen (or whatever). And surely, assuming you two plan out your characters beforehand, all the, ahem, role-playing possibilities...

3) The Xbox 360/Netflix/Necking Trifecta
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​After a spirited game of Guitar Hero, suggest streaming a movie via Netflix on the Xbox 360 to your squeeze. Perhaps something romantic, like Harold and Maude or Eraserhead. After watching whatever flick you settle on for a bit, go in for a quick smooch that, with any luck, turn into a full-on face-sucking session. Then let nature take its course.. it's awkward, uncomfortable, emotionally maladjusted course (for best results read the preceding sentences whilst humming Paul Lekakis' "Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)" quietly to yourself).

2) Urban Spelunking
Geocaching is for wimps, the true finds are all underground. Those looking to show their mates how fearless they are should grab their special guy or gal and take an urban spelunking trip to see the forgotten wonders that lie in the sewers, abandoned buildings and disused subway stops of our nation's cities. Sure, you'll be breaking the law and your lover will probably go all Willie Scott on you once the rats and insects start showing up. But that's the price you pay for showing your devotion to decaying architecture and circular tunnels.

1) Zombie Pub Crawl
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​In 2005, some booze-guzzling zombie fans in Minneapolis decided to combine their love for alcohol and the undead. Thus the Zombie Pub Crawl was born. This inspired bit of culture jamming involves folks getting dressed up as zombies and traveling from one bar to another. Makeup tables are usually featured at several stops along the route so patrons can freshen up their ghoulish look and make the dried vomit on their clothes look a bit more like braaaaains. Other cities took note of the fun the Minnesotans were having and copycat events began spreading across the United States like the unnamed plague in Romero's films (not content with merely featuring one flesh-eating fest, Philadelphia now holds a Zombie Prom and a Zombie Beach Party annually). The best part about all of this is that years from now some parents will be telling their kids how they met while drunk out of their skulls and dressed like Dawn of the Dead extras.
Tags: Booze, LARPing, Love, Xbox 360, Zombies

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