The last post provoked some feedback, mostly from people who think that it’s highly impractical for me to NOT follow the Brad Pitt Rule with regards to Goddess. I will concede that that there is a lot of common sense in their point, but I hope they will allow me to counter with four examples of men who defied the BPR and nonetheless managed to win their lady’s hand. This by no means a comprehensive list – I encourage you to add your own examples, whether they be famous or personal. Obviously, stories of successful defiance of the Brad Pitt Rule are preferred, but cautionary tales are also welcome.
Johnny Cash. The man was a wreck when June Carter met him, but he couldn’t help himself – he says he loved her the first time he saw her. Despite his wretched shape, Johnny repeatedly asked June to marry him, and repeatedly she had the good sense to say no. Perhaps it was the sheer force of his will, or his genius, or the fact that no amount of mistakes can the hide the goodness inside someone, June finally said yes (in Canada, no less). They were married a week later, and stayed married for 35 years.
George Burns. Gracie Allen was actually engaged to someone else when she first met George, but that didn’t stop Georgie from asking for her hand several times (“to share business expenses” he said). Eventually, she relented. They were married for 37 years until Gracie’s death in the mid-60s.
Say "I do" Gracie.
Odysseus. Of all the guys who’ve had a tough time persuading a woman to love them, few guys had it as tough as Odysseus. He had been separated from his wife Penelope for twenty years while he’s off fighting the Trojan War. He nearly loses his life on the way back, and when he finally gets home, Penelope doesn’t recognize him. Now, because a) she was something of a looke and had to fight off potential suitors the whole time he was gone, and b) she knew her husband was a pretty remarkable dude, Penelope puts him through a bunch of tests. First she has him compete with a bunch of other suitors to see who can string and shoot his own bow (only he does, of course). Then, she makes him kill the other suitors (no easy task, even for Odysseus) THEN he has to answer a skill-testing question. C’mon girl! He’s been fighting Trojans for two decades! Give the man a hug already!
Florentino Ariza (The male protagonist of the Marquez novel “Love in the Time of Cholera”). Based on his behaviour, I doubt Florentino had ever heard of the Brad Pitt Rule. Most of us spend our whole lives looking for someone who’ll captivate our imagination, but the poor lovesick poet was lucky enough to find Fermina Daza very early in his life, and then unlucky enough to have her reject him for another guy. Fermina made Florentino wait 51 years, 9 months, and four days before she relented and agreed to marry him. Now THAT is what I call persistence.
So that a lot of lovin’ going on despite the Pitt Rule and other incredible odds. And it seems to me, these men have proven that overcoming the obstacles to achieve the hard won favour of a good woman, makes it all the more worth it.
