By
Vanessa Francis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Grade: A-
As with any social group, there are specified values, norms and codes of behavior which single women are supposed to follow.
With the release of her new book "The Girl Code: The Secret Language of Single Women," former "Loveline" co-host Diane Farr lays out some of those codes and norms so that single women will be able to play the dating game.
Farr posits her book not as a how-to guide to get a man, but rather a dictionary of girl talk. The book is filled with euphemisms and titles assigned to both men and stages of relationships.
Farr dedicated this book to her girlfriends and even declared that the bulk of "The Girl Code" is about them - which couldn't be farther from the truth.
Summarily, this is a book about boyfriends and the disasters involved with obtaining and maintaining them.
Most of Farr's advice and insights seem like they come straight from the advice columns of Cosmopolitan, but this time, with a much appreciated dose of humor.
She forewarns readers of first date scenarios - "If you really want to hook up on your first date, wear your ugliest underwear. Inevitably, you'll hook up" - as well as preaches how consistent P.D.As (public displays of affection) will lead to "an inappropriate use of boyfriend title or 'I love you' phrase."
Farr also addresses dating behaviors as she outlines the "Zoning Laws" on which areas of the body, when touched, denote the next plan of action desired by the male.
Despite the sex chat, Farr doesn't completely ignore her original intent for the book, which is focused on "girlfriends."
In a section devoted to shopping mall etiquette, Farr advises readers in the dangers of trying on lingerie in front of friends - the rule known as "Victoria's Other Secret" - and advises women not to purchase more than three identical outfits your friend already owns, a.k.a. "The Clone Rule."
Farr knows the lifestyle of single women and even confesses to having had numerous bad relationships and lovers of her own. As co-host of "Loveline," she has heard her fair share of questions regarding STDs, sex toys and sour relationships.
Most importantly though, Farr knows humor, and that is especially apparent within the text. Some situations and behaviors she presents are just so typical of single women, the only option available is to laugh and keep on reading.
Whereas the book describes the irrational lifestyle of the single woman, Farr never makes "just settle" her motto. Rather, she emphasizes the underlying message throughout the text that boyfriends are not the only route to happiness.
The rhetoric she uses is punchy and the pace of her writing is set at an easy speed. In the wake of recent pieces for the single-women genre like "Bridget Jones' Diary" and HBO's "Sex and the City," Farr analyzes the insanity of cookie dough cravings and seasonal boyfriends, such as the winter guy - "keeps the heat high, the big meals coming and the body heat between you."
Unfortunately, not all pages are solid.
In her description of male types, she sells herself short at listing merely eight, while overdoing a section devoted to long-distance relationships.
The most important message in the book is that single women are not alone. Dating disasters and bad boyfriends are a common problem faced in daily life - kind of like runs in pantyhose.
Like your favorite flannel pajamas, or a cup of chicken noodle soup, "The Girl Code" is a pure comfort to a society of women who are just waiting for the arrival of their knight in shining armor.
