Meet Cutes With Ansley Pentz

First encounters are often shrouded in alcohol — first dates at bars, first conversations at parties. And while we have the squinty-eyed, blurry photos from those nights, we don't know what we sound like, and how that uninhibited, honest, drunk voice aids in building new friendships and relationships. That's why this week, Ansley invited a guy she didn't know onto the podcast, using cheap wine and a questionnaire from the New York Times to make him fall in love with her. (Features theatre senior Andrew Quimby) | Life is weird. Let's dive into it and make it weirder. Music from Jukedeck - create your own at jukedeck.com

Last week, Ansley talked with her friend Alex about using the Internet to make and maintain friendships. But friendship is complicated by the idea of the Friend Zone, technology and, perhaps most of all, men. So Ans called up some Y chromosomes and got their perspectives on the Friend Zone. (Features Andrew Briz and Mokia Laisin) | Life is weird. Let's dive into it and make it weirder. | Music from Jukedeck - create your own at jukedeck.com

In the second episode of Meet Cutes with Ansley Pentz, Ans explores the Friend Zone in the Era of the Internet. She believes the Friend Zone is a cool place to chill: It's a land of platonic relationships uncomplicated by romantic attractions. And she thinks the Internet helps us find friends, in addition to those non-platonic partners, and deepen the friendships we already have. But rest assured: This episode also examines the bullshit complaints men have about the Friend Zone. (Features rad journo Alex Fernandez, with a brief story from Jaci Schreckengost) | Life is weird. Let's dive into it and make it weirder. | Music from Jukedeck - create your own at jukedeck.com

A “meet cute” is a charming trope in a romantic comedy. The original boy-meets-girl, where the destined-to-be couple meets in a sweet and awkward way, and then they fall in love, get married, have 10 babies and a house. UF student and all-around weirdo Ansley Pentz doesn't believe meet cutes exist. Not in the Real World. Real Life is messy and uncomfortable, and first encounters are more silly than suave. This is all complicated by the screens that populate our lives: We have pings from text messages, notifications from Tinder and a follow request from that kinda cute guy. As millennials, navigating these screens can prove an interesting challenge. But when the screens go dim and our phone batteries dwindle, what we really crave is human relationships. We want and need real connections. That’s why each week, Ansley's talking with people she finds through screens, and she's inviting you to listen in on the weird, funny and ultimately (hopefully?) endearing meet cutes she creates along the way. This w