Relationship Column: Friend or Foe?

Alex Parker Editors-in-Chief

This week’s column is inspired by an episode of MTV’s Guy Code that I happened to catch. One of the segments was about winning over your new girlfriends friends. I found myself intrigued; it was something I had never really considered before.

When a guy meets his new ladies girlfriends for the first time, he must find a delicate balance. He has to win over these ladies or it could be detrimental to his relationship. However, he can’t come off as being too flirty or overly friendly. It takes a smooth operator to navigate these rough and judgmental waters.

These women he is meeting have the potential to screw up his entire relationship. If they don’t like you, they will talk shit about you to your girlfriend. It will become their mission to make her know what a mega a-hole they think you are. You have to be funny but not annoying or insulting to any of them. If you’re going out for drinks, don’t be that guy that gets overly drunk and sloppy. No one likes to babysit their drunken boyfriend and it will embarrass your lady. It will also payoff in the long run to have these women on your side. That way, if you get into a little argument with your woman, they may take your side. After your girlfriend is done whining about how much you suck, the friends could say something like, “Yea but he is so sweet and loves you so much,” or, “But that doesn’t outweigh all of his other outstanding qualities.” Although they may seem like she-devils to you now, they could be saving your ass in the near future.

If you make those girls think that you think that you are the luckiest guy in the world for getting to be with your girlfriend, you’re golden. They will, in return, make your girlfriend think you are God’s gift to the Earth. One tip I picked up from the episode was to make sure you compliment your girlfriend to her friends when she’s not there. Maybe when she runs to the ladies room say something like, “It’s she beautiful,” or, “I am so lucky aren’t I?” Now, I think that’s kind of cheesy and unrealistic but hey, I’m no expert when it comes to Guy Code.

Bottom Line: Making a good impression with her friends may be more important than you think.