Six years ago, childhood friends and New York City natives Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixwell decided that the age-old “rules” of dating are only as real as our ability to poke fun at them. Now two of pop culture’s most notable dating coaches, Dave and Ethan use their comedic backgrounds as the perfect ice breaker for massaging the tensions out of awkward date moments and the nerves leading up to them. Be sure to check out our exclusive interview with the hilarious duo below, and prepare yourselves for viewing the art of dating in a whole new light.
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Guys, we certainly appreciate your flexibility in answering a few questions with us. Surely you receive tons of emails every day from people pursuing your advice and services, which is funny considering the shoe was once on the other foot, correct? Tell us about what happened back in 2008.
Dave and I were hanging out one night when we had the bright idea to ask ladies on double dates. We shot a video in Dave’s living room, posted it on YouTube and advertised it on Craigslist. And, well… the rest was history. (Boom, sex everywhere. Just kidding!)
This was a time before social media, when digital communication was still quite premature. What sparked your use of the internet to get dates?
Fortunately, we were smart enough to know that online dating was the way of the future. We didn’t have easy-to-use apps like Zoosk and Tinder at our disposal, so we had to make our own apps – more specifically, in the form of half-pathetic / half-charming videos on YouTube that we desperately broadcast to strangers.
Considering your backgrounds in comedy, though, one can only wonder whether the ads were serious or an experiment you could use as show material. If I’m someone coming to Dave and Ethan for dating advice, how do I know when the satire ends and the take-away lesson begins?
Oh, those ads were serious, alright. We wanted to meet ladies. And perhaps wives. And possibly make babies. Down the road, of course – not right away. As for where our “satire” and “lessons” start and end, we don’t even know the answer to that question anymore, since we use humor so much in our own dating lives. Plus, we prefer to remain mysterious. Like Criss Angel. Ladies love Criss Angel.
With that, would you say that people take dating too seriously, making the process more difficult than it needs to be?
Absolutely. You just answered that one for us
In what ways does modern technology – social networking, online dating, the app revolution – air out the anxieties associated with dating?
Online dating allows you to meet a much wider variety and number of people than you’d normally meet in the “real” world. So we’re absolutely in support of it. Obviously, though, it’s important not to rely on it as your sole means of meeting people, because there is no substitution for human interaction.
Tell us a bit about your college tour and why your talents seems to fit so neatly within university life.
We love performing for colleges because we think that college aged students have the most to benefit from our advice. If we knew half the things we know about dating now when we were in college, we’d have been incredible pimps (in the figurative sense). For each show, we like to interview students at the school before we arrive so we can customize a show specifically for them, based on their dating scene. It’s really hands on and interactive.
Can you share any success stories students and young people have shared with you regarding their dating lives and how you guys have helped?
We’ve actually had quite a few setup success stories. Just last night at a college in Connecticut, we set up two freshmen during our Dating Game who seemed to really hit it off! They exchanged info and will be going out this weekend. We’re looking forward to hearing about how things worked out. We’ve also set up a few couples that have gotten engaged and one that’s already married! We’re like the Millionaire Matchmaker, except there’s two of us. And we’re not millionaires. Or thousandaires.
Aside from your comedic careers and your work as dating coaches, we understand that you two wear a few more hats. Fill us in.
Dave does quite a bit of acting and has appeared on the Colbert Report and in various national commercials for McDonald’s, Ford, and Scope mouthwash. Ethan writes for MTV News and Food & Wine, and hosts a show for PBS called Bongo Bongo.
Living in such a connected world arguably makes splitting our time and discovering new talents so much more feasible, but does being so busy and so connected distract from your personal dating lives? How do you guys solve the modern dilemma of “finding the time?”
Yes, it’s certainly hard to make time for romance when you’ve got a busy career. I (Ethan) got married in March of this year, and Dave is still looking for love – so if you know anyone to set him up with, please email us at daveandethan@gmail.com. I want to make sure he’s taken care of because in addition to being his friend and comedy partner, I’m also his Jewish mother.
So, what’s ahead for Dave and Ethan, the dating coaches? Leave us with something good.
Only time will tell, my friend. Only time will tell. Also, fame.
