On last night's season finale of "Downtown Girls," Shallon threw a kickass Renaissance-inspired bachelorette party for her bestie Klo, but the episode wasn't all folk dancing. Shallon had a difficult time accepting Klo's new life because it meant they'd be spending even less time together. With their days of being attached at the hip numbered, Shallon revealed her fears about how Klo's marriage would inevitably affect their friendship.
+ Watching good friends "replace" you with romance is difficult. Have you ever felt neglected by a pal in a new relationship? Take the poll, then sound off in the comments and tell us how you handled it.
On last night's episode of "Downtown Girls," Shallon rallied her gal pals to go beyond the walls of Manhattan and venture out into the unknown. So where did they end up? The Jersey Shore, a playground of techno beats and barbwire tattoos. Unfortch, not everyone made the trip -- Gurj was spending time with her boyfriend, and Klo was busy sifting through cheesy bridesmaids gifts for her all-consuming wedding.
Check out this bonus video below, where the three vacationing single ladies dissect Gurj and Klo's romantic lives. Apparently, there are just some things that Shallon won't stand for in a relationship, like being a housewife or giving up her career. Always good to be cognizant of your deal breakers, like Liz Lemon on "30 Rock."
On last night's episode of "Downtown Girls," we watched as Victoria painfully discovered that she didn't pass the bar exam. Fresh off the disappointment, her friends lent their support and convinced her to go after the second best career in town -- bartending. While she did deliver an impressive interview audition, we're happy to hear she's still going to chase down her dream of becoming a lawyer.
Elsewhere, Shallon seems to be excelling as a freelance journalist, but she's not unwilling to consider other employment opportunities. Check out this bonus video below where she goes to work for Nikki at her boutique, Nikki Laura. She's not the worst salesgirl we've seen ...
On tonight's episode of "Downtown Girls," Nikki grew worried that she'd never get married and decided to revisit a bizarro pact she made with her platonic childhood pal, Ryan. (How very "My Best Friend's Wedding" of her!) To test-drive their compatibility (their agreement stated that if no one better came along when they turned 35, they'd give up the quest for true love and marry each other ... gee, how romantic), Nikki tried to ignite a spark between them over a makeshift candlelit dinner. She soon realized that dry chicken and a lifeless flame wouldn't do the trick, but she still wasn't ready to give up -- perhaps shopping for engagement rings would get her in the mood? (Nope, not that either.)
+ Have you ever considered striking a deal like this with a buddy? Take the poll and let us know if you would consider making one with a friend.
On last night's episode of "Downtown Girls," Shallon was convinced she couldn't meet a stand-up guy in Manhattan and resorted to being set up on a blind date. Bryan was a good-looking and normal dude, but we're pretty sure she could have found a quality man on her own. Here, our five best places to accidentally-on-purpose bump into someone:
1. GROCERY STORE
Sure, you normally run in to grab some veggies ice cream after a sweaty sesh on the elliptical, but meeting a guy/girl while you look gross is exactly the point. If someone likes you with no makeup, matted gym hair and a baggy T-shirt, things can only go up from there.
2. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
How many times has a crazy anti-something hobo boarded your subway car and chanted about their obscure convictions? Talk about a conversation starter! Even if you don't ride the subway, you can easily spark up a convo in any captive environment, like on an airplane, train or bus. Misery loves company, and let's face it, public transport sucks. "Could these seats be any smaller?; Could this take any longer?; Could it be more crowded in here?" ... You get the idea.
3. BOOKSTORE
As long as you stay out of the self-help section, this is a great way to meet someone stable and literate. Easily narrow down your potential suitor by being smart with your aisle choices. Looking for a computer geek? Head to the programming or sci-fi section. Want to whisk a woman off her feet by showing her that traditional love isn't dead? Mosey on over to the romance aisle.
4. BAR
Never listen to people who say you can't meet anyone at a bar (read: bar, NOT club). There are plenty of mellow watering holes where gainfully employed people go to unwind after work. In fact, happy hour is a great time to go because it's typically less crowded. We're speaking from experience here!
5. ONLINE
Just about everyone knows someone who met his or her significant other online. It's no longer an embarrassing thing to admit either. Keep the profile respectable and stay away from guys who check off "Just looking for a good time."
+ Got any other suggestions for where to meet eligible bachelors/bachelorettes? Offer 'em up in the comments!
When I was a teenager, my family set me up on a blind date at Coffee Bean in L.A. The kid was the son of my aunt's good friend, and other than the fact that we both liked Ice Blended Mochas, we had next to nothing in common. In fact, I think my opening line was something about how crazy my BFF was for backpacking through Europe, and it turned out he was packing for a similar trip.
With the advent of Facebook and a zillion other social networking sites, blind dating doesn't have to even be, well, blind anymore. You can cyberstalk him to your heart's content, find out who he's been winking at and even uncover his GPA and blood type. But on tonight's episode of "Downtown Girls," Shallon took it to a whole 'nother level, slipping on a wig and prescreening her courters (hey, that's cheating!). Luckily, Bryan was a good sport, and the two totally hit it off.
+ Would you trust your friends/family to do a good job picking out a guy for you? Take the poll and tell us whether you'd give blind dating a try.
The premiere of "Downtown Girls" showed us how green Shallon and her pals are when it comes to men (an ex swap is arguably the worst idea ever). Yet, the fashion-savvy cast proved to be cheeky and confident -- slightly reminiscent of another group of city-sexy girls we know and love(d).
The new class of Manhattan chicks has definitely arrived, but do you like them better than Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda? Take the poll, then watch the O.G. "Sex and the City" foursome reminisce about their best on-camera romances.
You know what? Eff the poll. I mean, do we really have to put this to a vote? After watching tonight's premiere of "Downtown Girls," I think we can all firmly agree that hosting an ex-boyfriend garage sale is probably the dumbest idea in the history of dumb ideas.
It's bad enough finding out that an old bf is dating someone new, but having a mixer encouraging him to hook up with a friend is simply masochistic. Unless your ex recently came out of the closet. Then it's a nice gesture.
We're totally digging the Downtown Girls' sass and wit, but they're a wee bit slow in the dating department. Here's hoping they follow our three rules for staying friends with an ex the next time they get an idea remotely similar to The Ex-Swap:
1) Step Away From The Social Networking Devices
Do not contact him (that means no catching up over coffee, no emailing, no texting, no Facebooking/Twittering ... Nothing, ya hear?) until there is absolutely no physical attraction left. How do you know the answer to that when you're no longer in touch with each other? Unlike Shallon, you won't turn beet red when you say his name out loud or feel a soul-crushing pang of longing when you look through old pictures. (And if you're looking through old pictures, well, that's not a great sign either.)
2) Don't Rehash The Past
There's nothing wrong with a little white lie if someone's ego is involved. So stay mum about never being hot for his kissing style or being embarrassed by his public irritable bowel syndrome flare-ups. You might as well drive a knife into well-healed stitches. Listen, you have a new relationship to build, and it's one that should have no spite attached.
3) Lay Off The Booze When You're Together
You may no longer want to jump his bones, but sometimes when we're feeling weak, lonely and totally blitzed, it's tempting to wrap our arms around something someone familiar. Two beers tops when you're out (or in) together. We mean it, this comes from experience.
Our apologies for possibly causing some confusion with the racy headline. (Hey, it got you to click, didn't it? We're sneaky like that.) You're perfectly welcome to have sex with Shallon, but even she will warn you not to actually stay the night.
In our "Downtown Girls" star's latest vlog, she contemplates whether Lucy and Ricky had it right by catching their z's in separate beds. If they were sleeptime thrashers like this sassy single lady, they were probably a whole lot more well rested in the morn. Check out the video, plus catch more of Shallon's deep thoughts and revelations at ShallonOutLoud.com.
In case you haven't seen the sequel's trailer (you know, the one with Carrie Bradshaw riding camelback in couture and littering sequins all over Abu Dhabi), "Sex and the City" has lost its cool. It's no longer cool to announce how much you need a cocktail (especially if it's before noon). It's no longer cool to cackle uncontrollably at brunch about the size of men's members (especially if they're 20 years younger than you). And it's definitely no longer cool to refer to your boyfriend/crush/eff buddy, etc. by nickname. So au revoir, 'It-Made-Me-Wonder' Carrie, slutty Samantha, stuck-up Charlotte, smart-ass Miranda and Mr. Too Big, cuz there are some new hipsters in town -- and they never just "have to have" a pair of anything.
Meet the cast of "Downtown Girls": Glamour employee Shallon (pictured below) and her closest friends Gurj, Klo, Nikki and Victoria. They work hard (think fashion), play hard (think hooking up with each other's exes) and are quite good bowlers -- a must if you live below 14th St. Before the show premieres June 1 at 11/10c, flip through photos of these new-school-cool chicks, watch the series trailer and sound off about whether that "SATC 2" commercials bug the crap out of you, too.
