The Purgatory Trash Heap of Middle Aged Dating: The Dreaded Talking Stage

The Talking Stage: Catfish, Too Soon Sexting, and Sir AloofMel and Clare (The Salty Hoes) open by admitting the past week felt heavy, then pivot to a lighter “respite” episode on modern app dating’s dreaded “talking stage,” defined as the texting window between matching and meeting.

They trade survival tips and horror stories about archetypes including catfish (even photo-verified and AI-generated), “Mr. Jumps to Sex in Two Texts or Less,” Mr. Monosyllabic, Sir Aloof, Mr. Fifth Grade Literacy Level, AI-written profiles, and the Angry Man who flips into aggression or political rants. Along the way, they discuss therapy “growth moments” about projection and childhood triggers, share long-distance “eternal talking stage” cliffhangers (Denver, Austin/Idaho), and close by inviting listeners to commiserate, rate/review, and follow them as they “go feral” on Instagram.00:00 Podcast Kickoff01:56 From Heavy To Light03:04 Talking Stage Defined06:09 Catfish And Verification10:22 Archetypes List Begins10:54 Sex Too Soon16:47 Mr Monosyllabic23:29 Sir Aloof And Trauma Loops27:48 Projection And Triggers29:44 Sir Aloof Texting Games32:16 Aloof Date Practice Run35:30 Fifth Grade Literacy38:16 AI Profiles And Bots40:32 Angry Man Archetype42:49 Catfish And MAGA Bait47:26 Eternal Talking Stage49:22 Road Trip Cliffhangers51:40 Closing Thanks And Plugs