The Academy Awards have come and gone for another year, and as always the Oscars created all sorts of buzz and publicity. But what you might not realize is that the world of online dating had an important role to play in this year’s Oscar telecast. Well, okay, actually it’s more accurate to say that online dating didn’t play an important role in this year’s Oscar telecast.

It all has to do with the online dating site AshleyMadison.com and a commercial they wanted to run during the Oscar show. In case you haven’t heard of AshleyMadison.com, it is perhaps the most famous online dating services specially targeted at people who want to engage in extra-marital activities. It’s all about cheating. And this year for the first time ever AshleyMadison.com tried to run a television commercial during the Academy Awards television show.

The key word here is “tried”; the producers of the Oscars telecast turned down the ad as being inappropriate for Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. Why? Because it depicts infidelity and promotes AshleyMadison.com as a resource for those who want to engage in infidelity. Of course, the folks at AshleyMadison.com are quick to point out that Hollywood is hardly a place of virtue when it comes to monogamy and marital fidelity so it doesn’t make sense to them that their admittedly steamy but not vulgar ad has been declined.

What do you think? Is this a case of hypocrisy in action? Or is it an acceptable decision intended to keep the Academy Awards telecast appropriate for all ages to view?

News & Views Ashley Madison, Cheating, Infidelity

Some people start online dating for one reason – to cheat on their spouses. While this isn’t exactly an honorable reason to date online, it’s the truth. And it’s becoming more rampant than ever.

There are two sides to this debate – one that supports infidelity online and one that says to avoid cheaters altogether.

To make things easier for you, here are the advantages to cheating online:

• You can be discreet
• You can meet other married people
• You can create online relationships
• You can have multiple relationships
• There are sites devoted entirely to married people who want to date

Here are the disadvantages to cheating online:

• There’s a permanent electronic record of your infidelity
• You might run into your spouse
• You can get ‘outed’ as a married person
• You can get caught much more easily
• You have to pay money

Is there an answer to whether or not you should cheat on your spouse? Only you can decide, but when it comes to creating a new relationship, it always seems to be better to get rid of the old before you bring in the new – online or not.

Maybe if you’re tempted to cheat online, you might want to talk to your spouse about what you feel. This can help you both figure out what you need to do to fix your relationship or to break it off.

They say cheaters are never winners, after all.

Affairs and Cheating Affairs, Cheating, Fling, Infidelity, Married

Who needs a long term relationship when you can have a summer fling? Well, a late summer fling anyway. Even if you want marriage and partnership in the future, there’s nothing wrong with getting into a relationship right now – just for fun. Here are some of the reasons you need a fling now!

• It’s fun – Instead of feeling the pressure of making a relationship work, you get to focus on how you and your fling can make the most of the time you have. Each date is better than the one before.
• It’s harmless – As long as you and your date know that you’re not looking for anything serious, you can enjoy each other’s company guilt-free.
• It helps you meet new people – Not only are you getting a date night companion, but you can also meet his or her friends, extending your future potential dates and just platonic relationships.
• You can have your space – Since you’re not going to be changing your life for this person, you have the freedom to still do whatever you want and then see them when you like.
• You learn about your needs – When you focus only on what YOU desire, you actually are getting a great learning opportunity. You get to learn more about yourself and more about your needs in terms of relationships in general. This is only going to help your future dates.

Online dating is a great place to find that summer (or fall) fling, so why not start updating that profile. Who knows? Maybe a fling will become more than you expect and all that you’ve wanted?

Tips and Ideas Affairs, Cheating, Fling, Infidelity, Romance, Summer