OXYGEN MEDIA DATING POLL REVEALS RACE AND RELIGION ARE NO LONGER AN ISSUE FOR MOST DATERS

IN AN ONLINE DATING WORLD 'PLAYERS' HAVE THE UPPER HAND WITH A THIRD OF MEN ADMITTING TO OUTRIGHT LYING TO SNAG A LADY ONLINE WHILE 27 PERCENT OF ALL DATERS ADMIT TO DATING SOMEONE THEY KNEW WAS MARRIED

32 PERCENT OF MEN ARE WILLING TO OVERLOOK A WOMAN'S MUSTACHE AND 1 IN 10 WOMEN ARE OKAY WITH DATING A SMELLY GUY

Poll Coincides With Oxygen's New Dating Series "Find Me My Man" Airing on Tuesday, April 9 at 9 PM ET/PT

New York, NY - April 9, 2013 - Oxygen Media today released a study conducted by Research Now which surveyed daters and their married counterparts to examine present-day dating with a focus on singles and their quest to find a date and ultimately a relationship. When it comes to matters of race, it doesn't seem to matter at all, with results suggesting an open-minded single population. An overwhelming 90 percent of female African American and Hispanic daters polled said it was okay to end up with someone outside of their race, while about 85 percent of Caucasian respondents agreed that they are okay with their future partner being outside their race. When asked about the hot-button issue of religion, 80 percent of all respondents say they would be fine with their future partner practicing a different religion. The release of this study coincides with Oxygen's dynamic new dating series "Find Me My Man," featuring tough-love matchmaker Natalie Clarice, premiering Tuesday, April 9, at 9 PM ET/PT.

THE EVOLUTION OF DATING

Technology has changed traditional notions of courtship as sexting, catfishing and Facebook-friending have become commonplace in the world of dating. Yes, true love has a new glossary and new trends when it comes to sex, online dating and social media, as well as friendships. But nowadays singles are also looking to professionals for advice. The days of letting love happen naturally are long gone and men and women are looking to get help though any means necessary including working with a matchmaker. "Dating as we know it has changed over the years but the challenges still remain, and that's where I come in," said matchmaker and relationship strategist, Natalie Clarice. "I have been single, and after 14 years of marriage, I have learned the art of getting a man and keeping him."

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX

Let's talk about all the good things, and the bad things. According to those polled, laptops are closed and cell phones are put away as the bar scene tops the list as the way most singles try and meet their mate, trumping online dating, singles parties and the gym. Men and women agree about physical contact on a first date - to the point of kissing on the lips - while about half of men are cool with heavy petting (53 percent), sex (50 percent), or oral sex (45 percent) versus small numbers of women willing to go that far on a first date. Despite what mom told us growing up, men polled were twice as likely as women to say they would go on a second date after having sex on the first date (57 percent versus 28 percent).

In terms of conversation and dress code protocol on a first date, men are more likely than women to say it's okay to talk about sex or wear provocative clothing on a first date. Wearing a tight dress (84 percent), showing cleavage (80 percent), and short skirt (76 percent) are all a-okay with men. And, 4 out of 10 men find glasses sexy.
· 50 percent of men are cool with sex on a first date
· 72 percent of men bring condoms on a first date just in case
· 51 percent of men admit to sexting
· 90 percent of men will continue dating a woman who sexts them

THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA DATING EFFECT

Move over trusted friend and confidant, more than half of daters polled say they rely on the Internet for advice about dating (56 percent), while 4 out of 10 African American and Hispanic singles turn to television shows to learn how to get their groove on. In addition to online dating websites and Facebook, another wrench in dating in a social media world is the poll's finding that 2 out of 3 daters have heard of a "catfish," which the Urban Dictionary describes as someone who pretends to be someone they are not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances.

With the advance of online dating and social media comes the issue of honesty, which ranks #1 in terms of a desirable trait in a mate. Men have a tendency to "stretch the truth" in online profiles a lot more than women, most often by posting old photos or saying they're looking for a serious relationship when they're looking to date for fun.
· 53 percent of singles use online dating
· 51 percent have friended a first date on Facebook
· 23 percent of men have personal experience with "catfishing"
· 33 percent of men admit to lying on a dating profile (vs. 17 percent of women)
· 50 percent of men hope to see sexually explicit photos on a woman's online dating profile

THE FRIEND ZONE

A popular culture dating term with its own Wikipedia page, 8 out of 10 singles OR daters know of the term "friend zone," which refers to a platonic relationship wherein one person wishes to enter into a romantic or sexual relationship, while the other does not. Considered an undesirable situation by the lovelorn person, the majority of daters polled said it takes about a month for someone they have dated to enter the "friend zone." And, it seems friendship does not come before love, with 6 out of 10 men dating friends of exes and exes of friends. On the other hand, African American and Hispanic women polled were less likely to date within their own circle of friends (28 percent versus 48 percent among Caucasian single women).

THE HARD CORE...TRUTH

According to the poll, people still want what they cannot have as 1 out of 4 respondents polled admitted to going on a date with someone they knew was married. Two out of three were up for a second date with someone they weren't really interested in. The top second date deal breaker for women is body odor (87 percent), and for men it's a woman's moustache (68 percent), indicating a surprising number of men (32 percent) who are willing to overlook facial hair when searching for love.
· 87 percent of women and 66 percent of men will go on a second date to give the person a second chance
· 34 percent of daters admit to faking an emergency to end a date early

THE MEN LIKED IT...SO THEY PUT A RING ON IT: MARRIED WOMEN

Those who worked their dating magic and snagged a husband - married women - weighed in on the poll. While 61 percent of singles are looking for future mates in bars, only 7 percent of married women found that to be a successful tactic, but were most likely to land a man through blind dates or set-ups by friends. In analyzing their single girlfriends, 71 percent think are still single because they have unrealistic expectations for dating and relationships.

About "Find Me My Man"

Oxygen is giving the most challenged daters the skills they need to land their man in the dynamic new series "Find Me My Man." When Miami's hard-to-match ladies have trouble finding the men of their dreams, they call on tough-love matchmaker Natalie Clarice. As the CEO and founder of a boutique matchmaking company for the urban elite, this no-nonsense matchmaker doesn't hold back on her thoughts or feelings when it comes to telling her clients why they are still single and how to get past their dating faux pas. Using unique techniques, such as setting her clients up on "Fake Dates" with her dating coaches, Natalie gathers intel on her clients strengths and weaknesses. With her team of romance strategists including her right-hand man and dating coach George Ray, these stubborn single ladies are put to the ultimate test to find their match.

"Find Me My Man" is produced by Endemol USA, with Alex Duda and Jason Sands serving as executive producers.

About Oxygen Media

Oxygen Media is a multiplatform entertainment brand that delivers relevant and engaging content to young women who like to "live out loud." Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's media by changing how the world sees entertainment from a young woman's point of view. Through a vast array of unconventional and original content, including "The Glee Project," "The Face," "Best Ink," "I'm Having Their Baby" and "Bad Girls Club," the growing cable network is the premier destination to find unique and groundbreaking unscripted programming. "The Glee Project" is a winner of a 2012 Gracie Award which honors programming created for women, by women and about women for "Outstanding Reality Show." A social media trendsetter, Oxygen is a leading force in engaging modern young women, wherever they are, with popular, award winning features online including www.OxygenLive.com, the real time social viewing party that is also available as an app for the iPhone and iPad. Oxygen is available in 80 million homes, and can be found online and on mobile devices at www.oxygen.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OxygenPR. Oxygen Media is a service of NBCUniversal.

About Research Now

Research Now, the leading digital data collection provider, powers market research insights. We enable companies to listen to and interact with the world's consumers and business professionals through online panels, as well as mobile, digital and social media technologies. Our team operates in 24 offices globally and is recognized as the market research industry's leader in client satisfaction. We foster a socially responsible culture by empowering our employees to give back. To find out more or begin a conversation with us, visit www.researchnow.com.