Nice guys don’t even have the luxury of a bad rep. They’re overlooked for the thrill and the danger of a bad boy. Sure, it’s fun to think about taming the bad boys, but the nice guys are the ones with the marriage potential. They’re the ones that can provide love and stability and loyalty. They’re safe and isn’t safety what we want for our kids?
We don’t get to pick who our children date. Unless you’re still into arranged marriages. Most of us aren’t and we’re stuck hoping against hope that our kids make good dating decisions. But what if we could pick their significant other? What television characters have the qualities that you’d like your daughters to choose in a mate? If your kids are young, picture them in 10, 20, 30 years - who would you pick for them to date and marry, if it were up to you?
Let’s make a list! (I love lists)
The Top Ten (Pretend) Guys You’d Trust With Your (Grown Up) Daughter And Welcome Into The Family
***
Jim Halpert, The Office
Jim’s a nice guy. An “every man”, who embraces responsibility and looks cute doing so. He’s an underacheiver, which probably isn’t often a plus, but at least you’d know he wouldn’t be spending long hours at the office when he should be home with your daughter and your beautiful grandkids and their perfect teeth.
Michael Bluth, Arrested Development
Speaking of, you want pretty grand babies, right? Right. Michael Bluth would increase the value of anyone’s DNA. But looks aren’t everything. He’s a hard worker and has a level head on his shoulders, which he proves by tirelessly attempting to salvage the Bluth name. He’s a family man, which is an impressive quality considering the family he was given. And look at how much he loves George Michael. He’s a good dad. So, he’d be great with all those beautiful grandbabies.
Luke Danes, Gilmore Girls
He cooks, is down to earth, can fix stuff, is accepting of and loving towards both long lost children from previous relationships and kids that aren’t his but whom he loves as his own , and he doesn’t look half bad while doing it all. He’s got a crusty exterior, but he’s a softy at heart, and will do whatever he can to make your daughter happy.
Phil Dunphy, Modern Family
Goofy and a bit dim-witted, Phil can make any situation awkward, but his heart is in the right place. He likes good, clean fun, so he’s probably not going to get your girl into too much trouble. Not on purpose, anyway. He adores his family and is head over heels in love with Claire, after years and years of marriage. Loyal to and proud of the family he’s created, those are qualities we want in the partner our children choose.
Ben Wyatt, Parks & Recreation
Every parent wants their child to end up with someone who will bring them homemade chicken noodle soup when they’re sick. He might be a bit serious, but he likes panzerottis, which puts him way up on the list for me. He likes good food. He’s ridiculously responsible, as he’s proving himself to make up for a bit of a questionable past, so he’d never be late to drop your daughter off after a date, he’d definitely ask your permission to ask your daughter’s hand in marriage, and he would be a devoted family man.
Marshall Eriksen, How I Met Your Mother
No one loves their woman more than Marshall loves Lily. He’s the sort of gentleman who will stick with his love through thick and thin and will even wait for her for as long as he needs to. He is loyal to his friendships and is forgiving to those he loves. He’s huge, and he’s had lots of practice weilding his size, so he’ll protect your precious daughter.
Peter Bishop, Fringe
Intelligent and brooding, handsome and mysterious. Let’s pretend that Peter isn’t from a parallel universe. Although, I suppose I shouldn’t be universist. Who am I to judge a person based on what universe they were born? All I know is Peter is really fucking super smart, is like a modern day MacGuyver, and I’ve never once seen him lose his temper. What does this mean for your daughter? Well, he’d treat her right because he knows what’s good for him (*palmpunch*), he’s probably handy around the house fixing gadgets and stuff, and he’d be a patient, but protective, partner.
Tony Micelli, Who’s The Boss
A man who cleans. Enough said. Oh, plus muscles. No, that’s not enough to make a man good enough for your daughter, but it’s a good start (the cleaning part). He also cooks. He can run a household, which means your daughter would be free to pursue whatever dreams she has. She can be the bread winner and Tony will hold down the fort, happily and skillfully, with a smile on his face and a flex to his abs.
Hugo “Hurley” Reyes, Lost
Alright, so Hurley needs a bit of help with his personal grooming. A shave and a haircut, perhaps? He may be a bit of a project, but I suppose he gets a pass for being stranded on an island. Besides, we want our daughters to be with a sweet man, and they don’t come any sweeter than Hurley. Let’s just pretend with dealing with Alter-Hugo – the well-to-do, philanthropic, mentally stable Hurley. The one who charms the girl he’s wooing with picnic dates on the beach. You want that sort of sweet romanticism for your daughter.
Heathcliff Huxtable, The Cosby Show
A family man. Hilarious. A genuinely nice guy. A doctor. A snappy dresser. Ok, so maybe not all of those things, but like I said, women like projects. And the sweaters are nothing a tidy bonfire wouldn’t straighten out. If the only tick in the con column is that he’s a bad dresser, then I’d say The Cos is a keeper.
***
Of course, these characters aren’t perfect. They all have flaws, but who among us doesn’t? It’s the positive attributes that we hope our children find attractive and that outweigh their negative characteristics, like mental illness, being from an alternate universe, or being perhaps a few loaves short of a bakery, if you know what I’m saying.
Which fictional characters (from television, movies or books) would you let your daughter date? You know, if she let you let her date someone. What characteristics do they possess that you hope she’ll pick in a mate when she’s old enough to marry herself off?
About Jen O.
