The New York Times Magazine recently sat down with the Obamas to discuss the State of the Union—the union between Michelle and Barack that is. In this extensive interview with the president and the first lady, writer Jodi Kantor tries to capture the strengths and weakness of the "first marriage." And regardless of which side of the political spectrum you fall on, we believe the Obamas have got a couple of timeless, bi-partisan policies when it comes to keeping a relationship healthy.  4 Obama-Inspired Date Ideas

1. Personalize Your Nicknames. Barack likes to call Michelle, "Flotus," short … Read More

In a 2000 study, social psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper showed that when people are given the option of choosing among smaller and larger selections of jam, they show more interest in the larger assortment. But when it comes down to actually purchasing a jar, they're 10 times more likely to do so among six rather than among 24 flavors. In essence, researchers found that people are overwhelmed by too many choices. 

So what does this have to do with your love life? Just replace the word "jam" and "jar" with "man" and presto, you have the possible underlying … Read More

Saturday Night Live has been cranking out sketch comedy platinum, gold and, sometimes, pewter for 34 years. The Lorne Michaels creation has launched countless entertainment careers and has provided us with plentiful water cooler talk on Monday mornings. But can these 3–5 minute comedy segments really teach us anything about love? They can… isn't that special?

1. Playing hard to get really works. Mango (Chris Kattan) may be the most desired man in the world. He knows his value and doesn't sell himself short… even for Matt Damon.

2. When in doubt, think "What would Leon Phelps do?" and go … Read More

Over the years, NBC's comedy The Office has contributed much to pop culture and office morale, popularizing "that's what she said" jokes, introducing the encasing of desk supplies in JELL-O and giving a whole new meaning to office antics. But while we were guffawing at Dwight's quirks and cringing at Michael's horrifyingly gauche comments, we were also watching one of TV's most long-awaited courtships unfold, courtesy of Pam and Jim. And let's not forget Michael and Dwight's own dysfunctional pairings since the series' 2005 debut.

HBO's smash hit Entourage is an illustration of many things: a celeb-obsessed culture, boys-will-be-boys Peter Pan-ism, conspicuous consumption, a consequence-free hook-up atmosphere and me-too voyeurism… but it also provides a few lessons to be learned. The show, loosely based on Mark Wahlberg's rise to fame in Hollywood, isn't all fast cars, fellatio and fart jokes. The bromance between Vince, Eric, Johnny Drama, Turtle and Ari provides the show's spine but romance pokes its head in there a time or two as well.

Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson are two of the biggest stars of their generations. Each icons in their own way, Farrah and Michael inspired legions of crushes. But what made them engender so much devotion? Below, what we can learn from them.

It has been four years since Showtime premiered Weeds, a witty little dramedy about a widowed suburban mom who turns to drug dealing in order to support her family's comfortable lifestyle. But even after 53 episodes, two towns and numerous romantic liasons, Nancy Botwin, played by the doe-eyed Mary Louise Parker, doesn't seem to have improved her decision-making skills. Same goes for the rest of the Botwin clan and their friends. But, everyone's blunders have made for great TV. In honor of the recent premiere of the 5th season, here are three things we've learned about love from watching … Read More

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Cosby Show, we've collected the ways the iconic family seared itself in our memories. We grew up during the Cosby's eight-season tenure, which meant for most of it, we were too young to fully appreciate the New Wave, bohemian-leanings of Denise, the Baby Boom-esque, working girl stylings of Sondra, and the strong, feminist undertones of Clair. But this isn't to say the residue of the family didn't linger in our psyches. While we didn't learn much about sex (The Cosbys were arguably the most wholesome family this side of … Read More

Breakups stink. And when you're in the midst of one, it often feels as though no one in the world could possibly understand your anguish. But rest assured, gentle readers: almost everyone can. Indeed, anyone who's ever been in love has experienced heartache, including Marilyn Monroe. And Halle Berry. And the commander-in-chief of Alaska. So lick those wounds, broken-hearted beauties, and learn a few lessons from some of the rich and famous who've been through the ringer and managed to survive.Lesson 1: If you want to make your ex embarrassed and un-datableYou should: Publicly tarnish his nameLearn from: The … Read More

My friend Michelle and her on-again-off-again were off. Again. She complained that he just wasn't going to the right lengths to win her back.