Where do you shave?

If there is one thing that internet dating appears to be achieving, it is the systematic reduction of every social norm and disruption of almost all the courtship etiquette that has been painfully built up since we stopped dragging our female partners by the hair into the back of the darkened cave for a bit of light entertainment after a long day dodging dinosaurs.

The classy classic line above was shared with me by a female friend who received it as a question a whole two emails into a conversation with somebody she had never met (or thankfully will ever have to).

Now I know there are plenty of weirdos out there and goodness knows the internet gives them all a chance to have their five minutes in the 'chat roulette' sun but seriously, where have we got to when somebody feels that an inquiry into the intimate grooming habits of a complete stranger is going to get them into a position where they might be able to make an inspection for themselves?

I'm really not sure where to even begin in apportioning societal blame for all of this. Is it the near ubiquity of porn that suddenly makes this type of enquiry now somehow acceptable? Is it the somewhat anonymous nature of the format that gives people the courage to ask questions they would never dare to raise in person? Is it simply that 6 pints of beer and a late night log on to your dating account are a very very bad idea?

Whatever happened to gentlemanly discourse? What became to civil conversation and slightly coded flirting? What about at least just keeping this kinda kinky stuff to yourself?

It's probably me.