No thank you, I'm not interested.

I was watching Rebel Billionaire last night. This dorky guy, Steve, was biding for another contestant, Jessica's, affections. While, I haven't really kept up with this one very well (I've only caught one other episode), from what I gather, Steve was into Jessica and was making his feelings for her very obvious. While Jessica was spending time with Steve, she didn't seem to be returning his feelings or reciprocating with any physical affection. Basically, she was enjoying their friendship but didn't see it as anything more than that; however, he clearly wanted her to be "his girl". Now, this is a typical situation that occurs all the time all over the place. But, it gets juicier, of course (it wouldn't be reality TV if it didn't). One of the other, more attractive male contestants, Michael, begins to openly, but casually flirt with Jessica. Steve unmistakably, to everyone else as well, begins to show blatant signs of jealousy while he sits in the corner with his pouty face on. Eventually, during dinner, Jessica gets up to go to the restroom and Steve follows her, like some sort of crazed stalker boyfriend, into the ladies room ... YES I SAID INTO. Of course the cameras didn't follow them in, but stood outside the restroom door recording the conversation. At which point, Steve hostilely confronted Jessica and basically threatened her. In fact his exact words were, "I can make you look very bad." Of course, the next day, he attempts a pathetic apology and explanation. When Jessica asked him how he could speak to someone he likes that way, repeating his words, above, Steve ends the conversation with, "I can't talk to you about this anymore, especially if you are going to start making things up." HA! Did he really think the cameras wouldn't continue to roll while they were in there? He then proceeds to profess his eagerness (on camera in an interview) to "get rid of Jessica." The nerve!

Now, this only really hits a nerve with me because a similar (but on a smaller scale) circumstance happens to me when I go out clubbing. In fact, this is the main reason I just don't go out anymore.

For instance, boyfriend and I went out Saturday night to one of my least favorite but most popular bars in town, Copa Room. I loved this bar when it first opened, mostly because of the convenience factor since it is right next door to another club that I used to frequent but now hate as well, Red Door. The only reason I loathe these two bars now is because anytime you (I'm sure this only pertains to females, since I can't imagine a lady acting this way and even if she did, I can't imagine a man alive that would be opposed to it) walk into either of these places, A) the second you step foot inside you are immediately mentally undressed by every male in there (at which point, at least half of those men make it a point to crassly flirt - and by flirt I mean insist that you talk to them) and there are usually 10 guys for every girl; and B) it's always so slam packed that you can't walk though the club without being continuously squished and groped (God forbid you have to use the restroom, it'll take you 30-45 minutes just to get through the crowd and back, and don't even think about ordering a martini otherwise, you will be wearing it within seconds).

Sorry, I'm digressing. Anyway, so we're at Copa on Saturday night (I almost forgot, we had been fighting the crowd at Red Door for about an hour and a half prior so I was already annoyed) and on two separate instances, I literally got yelled at by two different guys for simply saying "No thanks, I'm not interested", when I was asked what my name was. "No thanks, I'm not interested", has always worked in the past. They usually finally look around and see that boyfriend is standing right next to me or simply get the hint (that I'm there with someone) and walk away without making a scene. On occasion though, some guys (I'm assuming) are just too intoxicated and get extremely offended that I have politely turned down their advances. Dude, at least I was nice about it! I have girlfriends who are totally (and now understandably) bitches about it. I understand that it's hard enough to approach people of the opposite sex that you don't know in the hopes of striking up a conversation, (although, let's be real, no guy in a bar is just hoping for conversation; they're trying to hook-up, DUH!) so I've always tried to be as polite as possible about it. Just because, I'm "Sweet Reagan". ;)

One of the guys even started a whole drawn out argument about it. "Hi, what's your name?"

"No, thanks. I'm not interested," as I turn back to my friend who I was in the middle of a conversation with.

"Why do you have to be such a rude bitch?"

"Pardon me?" I was truly surprised by this question.

"You don't have to be such a bitch!"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude. I'm here with my boyfriend, he'll be right back." Again, I turn back to my friend thinking that was definitely polite (since I apologized even though I was just called a bitch) and did the trick.

Nay, as he staggers a step back while spilling his already half-empty drink on his shirt, "That's fine but try not to be such a bitch. (Yelling now) YOU KNOW, IT WOULDN'T EVEN BE SO BAD IF YOU WERE AT LEAST HOT!" Then he finally walks away as both my friend and I are left standing there with our mouths wide open in surprise by this disgusting display of the rejected male species. Oh and everyone within earshot was staring at us. How embarrassing and what a freakin’ jerk!

Was I really being a rude bitch? Was I supposed to be somehow grateful that this slurring ass asked me for my name? I don't think I'm "hot" by any means, but that was just so ugly and unnecessary. If my usual response is considered rude, then what exactly is a polite response? At any rate, I insisted boyfriend take me home after that one. And I vow never to step foot in either of those bars again, unless of course I too am so completely bombed out of my mind that the crowd and blundering idiot men don't affect my fun.