The Cut has launched a new newsletter called "Personals," aiming to bring back the charm of traditional personal ads for a modern audience. Led by Amy Rose Spiegel, the newsletter will feature reader stories about love and sex, investigate romantic trends, and most notably, revive the personal ad format to help people find dates or lasting romance.
Key Takeaways
- The Cut’s "Personals" newsletter revives the classic personal ad format.
- It aims to connect readers for dates or long-term relationships.
- The newsletter will also feature stories about sex and love, and explore dating trends.
A Nod to Nostalgia
The "Personals" newsletter draws inspiration from the "Strictly Personals" section found in New York’s back pages during the 1980s and ’90s. These ads were characterized by their brevity, anonymity, and reliance on evocative descriptions rather than photos, allowing readers to use their imagination to fill in the details. Spiegel emphasizes the allure of these concise, yet revealing, personal messages.
Crafting Your Personal Ad
Spiegel offers guidance for creating effective personal ads, suggesting sincerity and specificity. Key advice includes:
- Do: Be direct and honest about your values and how you spend your time. Use inviting language that hints at shared experiences, such as "I’m bad at surfing, but would love to get better together." Light embellishment is acceptable, but authenticity is paramount.
- Don’t: Lie about factual details like height or profession. Avoid prose that sounds like it was generated by AI, as the goal is genuine human connection, not a "frenching the computer" experience.
More Than Just Ads
Beyond the personal ads, "Personals" will offer original columns, curated relationship coverage from The Cut’s archives, and exclusive miniseries. One such series, "At My Finest," will feature guest stars describing their own sex appeal in their words. The newsletter is positioned as an intimate space for readers to share and explore the complexities of modern romance.
Readers interested in submitting a personal ad or subscribing to the newsletter can do so via a dedicated hotline or email address. The initiative taps into a current interest in finding love outside of traditional dating apps, harkening back to a more personal and imaginative approach to matchmaking.
