Dating Tip: Ladies, Catfishing a Guy Is Never Okay!

Image Credit, Geralt

Alright, let’s talk about a real classic move that’s sure to land you in the “I can’t believe I fell for this” Hall of Fame: catfishing. Picture this: You’ve been chatting with a guy for a few days, right? His profile pic is straight-up fire, his texts are on point—he’s basically the perfect combination of Ryan Gosling and a slice of pizza. Things are getting spicy, you’re laughing at his jokes, maybe even sending a few emojis that you think are clever. You’re vibing.

Now, the moment of truth: the video call. You think it’s time to “reveal yourself,” and not in the way you should—by being your authentic, non-mysterious self—but by showing up as a complete stranger who looks nothing like your photos. Enter the real you: the one who’s been hiding behind an Instagram filter and that super cute angle where you always look 10 pounds lighter. And, whoops, surprise! The guy staring at his screen is now questioning if he somehow got accidentally swapped into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

He’s like, “Wait… were you the person in the picture? Is that… your sister? Your cousin? Your dog?!” And you? Oh, you’re not apologizing or explaining yourself. No, no, no. Instead, you go full defensive mode, like you’re the victim in this situation. “Well, I didn’t want you to know my real identity. I’m worried I’ll be recognized on the app! You see, this is actually for safety reasons,” you explain, acting like you’re the undercover agent of love. “It’s totally normal, right?”

Spoiler alert: It’s NOT normal, Karen. It’s not. There is absolutely no universe where it’s okay to trick someone into thinking they’re dating a supermodel when, in fact, you are the ghost of Christmas present who’s been hiding behind filters and angles like a magician hiding their tricks.

Let’s be real for a second. If a guy showed up on a video call looking like a completely different human being from his profile pic, you would be outraged. “Who does he think he is?!” you’d shout, while scrolling through his pics looking for the “real” him, only to discover it was none of them. So, you can’t pull the “But it’s for my safety!” card when he’s genuinely sitting there like he’s just been bamboozled by a dating app Houdini.

Listen, ladies, catfishing a guy is never okay. If your best defense is “Well, I was worried about being recognized” then, honey, maybe it’s time to reconsider your online dating strategy. How about this: try being real. No more filtering, no more angles, just you. The guy who’s genuinely interested will think you’re way more attractive than any fake, filtered version of you could ever be. And, believe me, that’s the person they’re really swiping right for.