Whether we admit it or not, we all have that one dating dealbreaker we just can’t move past, no matter how otherwise perfect the person we’re seeing is. Celebrities are just as guilty of easily getting the “ick” as anyone, a fact “Vampire” singer Olivia Rodrigo recently demonstrated when she revealed her weirdest dating “red flag.”
In an interview with Netflix, Rodrigo was asked to share some of her favorite slogan tees she wore during her Guts World Tour. When showing off a shirt bearing the words, “Dump Him” — calling it “a classic homage to Britney Spears” — the singer decided it was the right time to share the “oddly specific question” she asks a potential suitor on a first date.
“I always ask them if they would want to go to space,” Rodrigo shared as an example of “the biggest red flag.” She finds her date’s answer revealing: “If they say yes, I don’t date them. I just think if you want to go to space, you’re a little too full of yourself. I think it’s just weird.”
As expected, the internet responded in a level-headed, rational way. The kind of level-headedness we always see when a pop star most people have no chance of meeting, let alone going on a date with, shares the weird question she uses to vet her potential partners. Nah, I’m just kidding, but wouldn’t that be something?
Responses were polarizing, as usual. Looking through this thread on Reddit’s r/popculturechat offers an example of that polarization. Some respect Rodrigo for making her boundaries clear, with one user joking, “It’s important to have boundaries. Hers just happens to be the troposphere.” Others defend the many upstanding men who value space exploration: “lol my husband wants to go to mars so bad. He’s not full of himself he’s just a nerd.”
It’s fair to say that not every person who wants to go to space is a walking red flag. What of humanity’s time-honored curiosity and wonder at parts unknown? Obviously, aspiring astronauts aren’t all raging narcissists. So why would Rodrigo dump any man with an interest in space?
One thing worth considering is the circle of people she likely finds herself surrounded by. Given her profession and higher earning potential, the space-loving guys she meets are probably more of the Elon Musk variety, which puts her question and answer into greater perspective. “I feel like being in a different tax bracket we ask this question differently,” one Reddit user points out. “I feel like hers is because anyone she’s dating can pay to go on a Virgin Galactic flight while I’m asking this to anyone who wants to live out their childhood dream of being a real NASA astronaut.” Hypothetically thinking space travel is cool is one thing, but actually planning a trip is another.
Along with sharing her controversial dating red flag, Rodrigo professed her love of the HBO series, Sex and the City, as well as her answer to the all-important question “Mr. Big or Aidan?” She’s confidently on team Aidan. “Mr. Big sucks,” she said before conceding, “but we’ve all dated guys like that. You can’t let them go.” Maybe Rodrigo’s own Mr. Big was a huge space lover and she doesn’t want to be hurt again? Whatever her reason, if you’re upset with her dating standards, you can take comfort in the fact you were probably never going to date her anyway.