Advice from three of EMandLO.com’s guy friends. This week they answer the following: “What’s the best Valentine’s Day gift for a man?” To ask the guys your own question, click here.
Straight Married Guy (James Glazebrook): The last thing a man wants is anything sentimental, romantic, flowery or chocolatey — anything too valentinesy. As all giving should be selfless, you should treat us to something we would enjoy, something that shows you know what we like. If your man’s a metalhead then tickets to a metal gig; if he’s a dog lover then dog pendants or something to treat his pooch with; if he’s into action and sports then maybe a night in a sports bar, or a screening of the Die Hard quadrilogy. I think you get the idea by now. But relationships are all about give-and-take, so feel free to make similar demands of us: a day’s shopping, a brunch-and-bitch session or a trip to Paris. What we definitely won’t be doing is giving each other heart-shaped crud and competing with other couples for tables in overpriced restaurants or pole position on the PDA meter. Who really enjoys that?
Straight Engaged Guy (Mark Luczak): I don’t think you can go too wrong with any gift, whether it’s for February 14 or no occasion at all (we’re totally easy!) — any time of the year, I enjoy new gadgets, sports/entertainment, or even useful/boring stuff like clothes, and I appreciate just as much the thoughtfulness behind them. For the more romantic twist of V-Day, a special accessory or product like a nice watch or some sexy cologne, a more intimate meal (in or out), even having some fun dolling up your own self (out and/or underneath), can really set the stage for a fantastic Valentine’s Day, evening, and beyond.
Gay Single Guy (Daniel): Being the terrible romantic that I am, I don’t think you can give just one gift, but that being said, and just as I always recommend for Christmas or birthdays, give a man an experience. Does your man love hockey? Take him to a hockey game. He into cigars? There you go! What those gifts say is that you are paying attention and have some kind of interest in what he is interested in. And, especially if you aren’t into such things, that you are willing to put him in front of your own comforts and tastes sometimes because you love him. Try to keep it light and easy (unless he is a total bleeding heart too, then go crazy), and keep in mind the more important thing about Valentine’s Day: that it’s a marvelous reason to take time to think and care about each other.
Our “guys” are a rotating group of contributors. This week’s Gay Guy is one-time stripper and sex columnist Daniel; our Straight Engaged Guy is Mark Luczak, a tech geek at Carnegie Mellon University; and our Straight Married Guy is James Glazebrook, a British writer/illustrator working in Berlin with his photographer wife on their cool blog, Überlin;. To ask the guys your own question, click here.
