FEATURE VALENTINE
Crazy little thing called love
ove is in the air. Love is all around us. Yet when you‘re on your own. pining for that certain someone. life
As the Valentines bug bites. The List‘s I Saw You column celebrates its first birthday. Brian Donaldson discovers why it has become the heart of the classified section.
still when your object of desire is a distant memory or perhaps someone who caught your eye (I wonder if they saw me?) for one lleeting yet fateful moment.
What to do‘.’ One option is to sulk for a few weeks and dream of a hopelessly unattainable superstar. For those who wish to take more positive and non-threatening action to make the connection. help is very much at hand.
Scan the classifed section of many a magazine or newspaper and you‘ll find that you‘re far from alone. Why else would there be
reams of page space dedicated to ads with names such as Soul Mates. (‘hat & Date
and Zygosis: The
Bringing 'l‘ogether'.’ Opinions vary as to the reason behind this expanding individual marketing strategy.
For some. we are su fferi nng (/8 siéc/c malaise where the
good old certainties have disappeared as
traditions and community collapse into a rupture. Others. well Barbara Cartland really. see it as evidence of a return to romantic Victorian ideals where boys called Darcy and girls called Angelinabelle pen innocent missives to each other and exchange furtive glances. Either that or more
7,; Viva/([1 ff '
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in 1945's To Have And To Have Not
sure can be a rough ride. Tougher
state of
and more people are simply gagging for it. Whatever the reason. our own beloved publication spotted the trend and opened the I Saw You file exactly one year ago. The inspiration was the success of the identically- monikered column in Seattle‘s weekly free newspaper The Stranger. lt rapidly gained cult status with an average of 40 ads appearing each week. many successfully
There may be a select hand of individuals for whom a reply to their ad is their only means to salvation. For the majority it’s all just a dad of harmless fun.
answering the pleas of the lovesick who had perhaps suffered the trauma of discovering that the phone number you had so meticulously noted down at the end of the night was utterly illegible in the cold light of the next day.
The List column has now gained its own cultdom. with 48 I Saw l’ous placed in last issue's column. Where would all those lost souls be without us'.’ As our classified guru Jo Kennedy explains. an east/west divide even exists in the lovelorn ad-writing realm. ‘It‘s weighted more on the Glasgow side. They seem to be wackier in Glasgow.‘ she says. “Maybe it‘s because they go out more but I think they‘rejust more extrovert in the west.‘
There may be a select band of individuals for whom a reply to their ad is their only means to salvation. For the majority it‘s all just a dod of harmless fun. The thrill of seeing your ad in print may well be enough. A positive response is a bonus. ‘lt‘s not as serious as the personal section. it‘s good fun.’ explains Kennedy. ‘lt's easier to do and also it's free, don't forget.‘
We all seek attention and love - we just don‘t all get it. Obviously this can lead to all sorts of misery. The solution is achingly simple: don‘t get sad. place an ad.
v I saw you in Cottier‘s. You look trombone! Let‘s meet.
The best of I Saw You
You were looking for square tea
These little beauts were spotted nestled in The List’s classified section. Were you the target of desire?
6 The List 9-22 Feb 1996
like your head once got stuck between lift doors. Me: thirsty. Lady Godiva in hand. Let‘s meet and exchange cash for beer.
0 i saw you pulling pints in The Brewery Tap. You looked like Bjorn Borg. The ventriloquist says you‘ve got a great forehand. Let‘s get it on. O I saw you Water Buffalo. How about some salt water activity. living legend'.’ Swim with us into the blue. or come into the jungle! Whale and Seahorse.
O I saw you at the Gilded Balloon. You threw your bra at my
on lsaw you at the New York Style Deli. Glasgow. You have a wide neck and a large round bottom but I think I love you anyway.
v lsaw you in ICU. long blond hair
all the way down your back. Unfortunately. none on your head. Do you want me to stick a venflon iii'.’
0 Isaw you You were at my llat on Sunday. I was not. You have my stereo. How about a rendezvous at my brother's flat. ['1] be there with his mates. Bring stereo.
V I saw you Safeway. Byres Road.
bags. I said Punjana. I am the offer of the week.
w i saw you at a Refresher course. We joked about Yeltsin. I dream of sharing citrus pleasure.
to I saw you in my bed. Sunday morning. Your first name‘s Nicole. l was the one on the bottom.
V I saw you at Pride Scotland. We talked and warmed each other up. Fancy another smoked sausage supper?
0 I saw you become a central part of my mind's landscape and I've never been so happy without my fez on.