THE GAGGLE

THE GAGGLE captures the zeitgeist of today's “post-dating” world, where the rules for sex, dating, and relationships have completely changed. Instead of dating, women collect a “gaggle” of men who orbit around them, occupying both romantic and platonic roles, but ultimately revealing who and what they want.

Everything and nothing is a date these days. Instead of going out on a classic dinner-and-a-movie date, you’ve been subtly exploring your connections with men via non-dates, which encompass all your ambiguous interactions with men: from a positive brain-storming session with a co-worker to a drink with an old friend to a late-night Skype with an ex who’s still around. Sometimes planned, sometimes spontaneous, there are six recognizable types of non-dates (Networking, Group, Electronic, Surprise, Friend, Play) and you’ve probably been on each one of them. Unbeknownst to you, your love life is likely filled with non-dates. And what about all these guys you’re non-dating? Well, they’re the guys in your “Gaggle.” Your Gaggle might include: The Ex-Boyfriend Who's Still Around, The Ego Booster, The Hot Sex Prospect, The Career Booster, The Unavailable Guy. What all these men have in common is their connection to you. Ten types of gaggle guys, ten different paths to romance and excitement and self-discovery. The first step is to stop stressing about “dates” and labels and expectations. The second step is to start embracing the ambiguity. How? By thinking of each man you meet as a potential guy in your gaggle. Do this, and you’ll bring yourself closer to finding love in the post-dating world. And you’ll have a lot more fun in the process. A twenty-eight year old living in Brooklyn, Jessica Massa graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard with a degree in psychology. Her academic psychology fieldwork there led to a solid framework for a rigorous investigation of the contemporary dating landscape, which soon turned into the popular blog WTF Is Up With My Love Life?! The site is a forum for exploring the quandaries of modern day love and romance in the postdating world. From that, Jessica and her best friend (and now business partner) Rebecca Wiegand came up with the idea of THE GAGGLE, which has been optioned for movie development at New Line Cinema. Jessica is a founding partner of J&R Creative Media and her work and opinions have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Variety, Jezebel, Sirens Magazine, CNN.com, the UK’s Glamour.com, and The Daily Beast. She writes a weekly blog on The Huffington Post.