‘Post-economic’ and ‘healthy masculine’: Tech exec’s dating checklist riles internet
Brooke LeBlanc, 29, a tech executive, stirred a storm online when she listed on X her requirements for men wanting to date her.
A 29-year-old tech executive has sparked an online uproar with a dating wish list so exacting that some men wondered whether to send flowers or their résumés.
Brooke LeBlanc, who works at tech firm Corgi, went on social media platform X to look for someone “to co-found the rest of my life with me”.
What lit up the online mob were her unusually specific requirements.
Her supporters found them reasonable for an upwardly mobile, active and attractive woman. Her detractors, on the other hand, saw her standards as too high, joking that she may actually be looking for someone to hire rather than someone to love.
LeBlanc said she is looking for a man who is between 35 and 42 years old and “healthy masculine”.
Her ideal man must also be smart, funny, lighthearted, “post-economic (still hardworking)”, kind, generous and thoughtful.
He should have a “provider/protector mentality”, LeBlanc said, adding that she wants someone with no children but who definitely wants children in the future.
She said she is seeking a partner who is “on the healing path”, meaning someone with a history of serious commitments, therapy, books or retreats.
There are lifestyle requirements, as well.
She wants someone fit and sober, and said she strongly prefers a man with no previous marriages or engagements who worked in tech and was comfortable with risk.
In a follow-up post, she said anyone wanting to date her will also have to get her mum’s approval.
Her original post had been viewed close to 6 million times before she deleted her X account.
Tech executive Brooke LeBlanc’s original post on X had drawn close to 6 million views before she deleted her account.
“Sounds totally reasonable to me. Don’t know why people are trippin! Don’t compromise; I hope you find it!” one of her supporters said.
Another said: “You’re going to find him.”
Most, however, were sceptical and mocking.
“Thought this was a job description at first, and I was like d**n, they’re getting very specific with their GTM team,” one person commented.
Another user challenged her, writing: “Would love to see a post of what you will be bringing to the table so we can compare.”
One particularly harsh response claimed that very few men would meet all of her requirements and questioned why such men would pick her.
Her post also offered a venue for criticisms about modern dating.
“This is why relationships are so messed up today because we exchange people for products,” one person wrote.
But LeBlanc said “years of dating experience” have helped shape her expectations.
After seeing the backlash, she wrote: “God forbid a woman asks for what she wants.”
She followed that with an even blunter response: “Sorry, I don’t want to date a loser!”
LeBlanc is not the first woman to draw attention for spelling out her dating “non-negotiables”.
In June, an older post by a single mother known on TikTok as @macrotrackinggirl resurfaced on X, drawing scrutiny of her own relationship requirements.
She said a future partner would need to “kiss the ground” she walked on, yearn for her and respect her autonomy. He would also need to trust her and provide for her without making her feel guilty.
She said she would rather remain single than lower her standards.
“I’m going to be so freaking picky and so particular with who I date and who I give my mind, energy, and body to,” she said. “If you cannot do that, I don’t want anything to do with you.”
Then there is the massive “man in finance” meme in 2024 that was sparked by a satirical TikTok post by then 27-year-old New Yorker Megan Boni.
Boni originally created it to make fun of young women who complain about being single, but have a laundry list of unrealistic expectations for potential partners (“6’5, trust fund, blue eyes”).
She later said in an interview with BBC that she was not really looking for a tall banker with a deep wallet.
