It goes without saying that in one of our favorite books, now movie, Gone Girl, Amy Elliot Dunne is fully aware of how to play a “cool girl”. What is a “cool girl” you ask? Well, in its simplest form a “cool girl” is a guys-girl, the girl whose boyfriends friends all say, “dude she’s the best!”.
“Cool girls” are the ones who look perfect at all times, even after “rolling out of bed”. They drink hard liquor and beer and never get sloppy drunk. They can talk sports all night and laugh at dirty jokes. All guys want a “cool girl”. And… why wouldn’t they? “Cool girls” are basically dudes that are attractive, have boobs, and are down for absolutely anything in the bedroom. “Cool girls” always get the guy. The thing guys don’t realize is that this “cool girl” does not exist. No girl is entirely this cool, she is simply a role well played.
Normal girls, are comprised with bits and pieces of this “cool girl”, and supplement the rest if this is the role they want to play. Is Amy Elliot Dunne the only girl in the world to figure out guys love a “cool girl” and how to act like one? Hell no! Speaking as two girls in their mid twenties we figured this out years ago, and have played the “cool girl” many times. After realizing how well it works, who wouldn’t try out this little trick?
Since we, like all other girls, are not 100% “cool girl”, we have some but not all traits. For example, we absolutely love sports. As daughters of a former NFL player, at about age 10 we knew the difference between encroachment and off sides. You can always find us near some kind of sporting event, we love it! Beyond being excellent at keeping up sports banter, dirty jokes are favorites of ours, and quite frequently we are the first to contribute them to the group. The bedroom business we would like to keep to ourselves. But, let’s discuss the other the others…
Yes, some of the characteristics we naturally have, so what have we supplemented? Well, first of all we are high maintenance. We try our best to be well groomed, but anyone we’ve ever dated knows it doesn’t take us 4 minutes to get dressed, ready, and out the door. The amount of crazy activities we have done to care for our appearances might shock a guy, but it’s normal to us, and we love it. Another thing we are less than thrilled to participate in while playing this role; the whole drinking beer thing. We hate beer. When handed a ice cold beer at the bar, we exchange looks of panic. However, tequila is always welcome.
In the short term, it’s easy to play the cool girl. We actually choke down that Miller Lite, and we pretend we just got out of the shower when really we’ve been getting ready for an hour. Sure, playing the “cool girl” might win you the guy, but you have to wonder, by playing this role, do you lose? We think so.
Let’s be honest, as girls sometimes you really do want to talk about your new designer bag, and not last nights basketball game. You want to order a vodka soda at the bar even though someone handed you a Miller Lite, but you don’t. You’re too caught up in your role to be the “cool girl” who gets the guy.
Method actors remind us constantly that it is possible to lose yourself within a role. What we have learned from experience is that any girl who loses sight of who she is for a guy is the ultimate loser. In your dream scenario, what happens a year from now? Are you still going to be fawning over some guy, and pretending you like beer while fighting down every sip? Our advice? Be yourself and embrace every characteristic that you have, good and bad. Those are what makes you your own “cool girl” and that’s way better then getting some guy who only sees half of the real you.
