In a text thread, a group of my friends got talking about online dating. One guy was preparing for a date, and someone sent a picture of him in the chat with an imagined profile bio for him. Another friend commented on how manly he looked in the picture with a leather jacket on and the motorcycle in front. He joked about how he probably smokes unfiltered Marlboro red cigarettes and most days wears a cowboy hat. I tweaked all this and the bio that we created came out entertaining and a character I can visualize.

Dan, 34
I smoke Reds, unfiltered. Known for mounting — harleys, horses, and whores. You can be my next causality.

It’s stupid and vulgar. But what I find interesting is how these short bios force you to capture someone’s personality in very few words. That description would never be posted live, but it says deeper truths about who Dan is.