There are two types of weirdos. You have weird weirdos (Joe Exotic or The Video Vigilante) who are really weird and annoying, and then you have cool weirdos (like Reed Timmer or Biker Fox) that you wouldn't mind being friends with.
I'm pretty sure the guy pictured above, Taylor Caraway, falls in the cool weirdo category. Earlier this week, the Oklahoma City man achieved overnight internet fame when Reddit and then The Huffington Post picked up on his strange OK Cupid profile image.
Here's his story via The Huffington Post:
This is Taylor Caraway's OkCupid profile pic. It blew up Reddit earlier this week because -- well, just take look at it -- why wouldn't it blow up on Reddit?...
In an email interview with The Huffington Post, Taylor told us he believes he's in the "top-ish tier of OkCupid success" -- meaning, "I probably get a response to around 80 percent of my first messages."
"My profile and my pictures are very polarizing, so they're not for everyone -- and that's what I like about them," he said.
As popular as the photo was on Reddit, the 32-year-old realizes that crazy ladybug prints from Hobby Lobby aren't everyone's cup of tea. And he definitely tends to have more success with the photo when he ventures outside of his hometown of Oklahoma City.
"When I travel, I get a lot better reactions to that picture and some of the other crazy ones," he said. "A lot of people think the picture is creepy, and I'll be the first to admit it definitely has a strange-ish vibe to it. That just makes me laugh, though. And I have had one or two women tell me they love me just based off the pictures -- true story."
So what's Taylor's best tip for being successful on online dating sites?
"Don't take the whole thing too seriously. I think a lot of people (especially men) tend to way overanalyze every minute detail of the messages they send," he said. "Just keep things lighthearted. Dating should be fun. If you're stressing about it, you're doing it wrong."
And in case you're wondering, Taylor is still single and no, he doesn't wear that ladybug shirt on dates. (Sorry, ladies.)
Uhm, if his profile pic is so cool and popular, why's he's still single? I think I know the answer.
Through the vast reaches of the Ogle Mole Network, I was able to get in touch with a cute girl who actually went on a date with this guy. After some initial hesitation, here's what she had to say:
We went on a date and he is an insanely sweet nice guy...But still single. But from what I understand just because he is really picky. Has always been insanely sweet to me.
Wow, now I kind of feel sorry for this guy. Nothing is worse than being labeled the "sweet nice guy" by a girl. It's the genital wart of male stereotypes. It's kind of like being the "cute funny guy," but only worse because you're sweet and the girl likes you so much that she doesn't want to get drunk and sleep with you. It's essentially a one way ticket to the friend zone, and a big reason why I go out of my way to be an asshole.
Because of Taylor's situation, I think we need to help him out and get him a babe. Perhaps we can get the KFOR Social Media Bandit to hook him up with Bree Steffen? Maybe they could go to the fair and try new foods, play carnival games, and if they're lucky, even meet Joleen Chaney or a Thunder player. We know Bree would like that:
Also, we should all chip in and give Taylor some pointers so that he doesn't become the "sweet guy." One thing that's always worked for me is clearly stating at the beginning of the date that you feel sex begins and ends in the mouth. It works everytime. Share your pointers in the comments.
