The quest for “Prince Charming” consumes the lives of most 20-something females. It triggers sloppy dance floor make-outs, desperate dating habits and countless relationships that all converge to a dismal, heartbreaking end. These women, each searching for her own Mr. Right, have a dream of one day walking toward an altar covered in monstrous flower arrangements while wearing a stunningly elegant white gown. Standing by those sweet-smelling bouquets awaits a future husband, wonderfully handsome yet effortlessly sensitive. These women dream of the perfect life.

Perfection is an age-old obsession in our society. Realistically, it doesn’t exist. However, women unabashedly continue aspiring to achieve this level of excellence, whether in their careers, their looks, or their relationships. The female sex has gained alarming notoriety for being “teases,” lusting after the chase — not the catch. In an attempt to nurse the wounds of this reputation, here is a comprehensive analysis of four historically suggested theories analyzing why many girls prefer (or perhaps do not prefer) the hunt to the spoils:

1. Girls like boys who don’t like them. This is admittedly a dated cliché, typically personified by boys who were at some point led to believe that they will have a better chance with a girl if they are “bad.” Every family has that brawny big brother, telling his puny younger sibling that girls “dig jerks.” Unfortunately, this is false. Leather jackets, motorcycles and tattoos may have appealed to the Pink Ladies, but to the modern ShopBop obsessed female (although leather jackets have made a surprising comeback) — not so much.

2. Dysfunctional boys are fun projects. Slightly true, but not 100 percent. Initially interesting to date with their laughable behavior, beer bellies, love for all things relating to weed and a tendency to black out before 11 p.m. can get old. Fast.

3. Girls are insecure and therefore date a myriad of boys to fuel their self-esteem. Unfortunately, this is true for many young women. They lure boys into their web and when they’re finally caught, they get thrown back on street. By rejecting the boys, their self-worth skyrockets and they suddenly feel some sort of power in the world of dating. These females, never searching for a relationship but merely wanting to embarrass the male sex, view themselves as feminists working for the cause. In reality, they are simply unconfident young adults spoiling the good name of women everywhere. Beware of these bad apples; they enjoy the chase so much that they rarely get to the catch.

4. The idea of a relationship is much more attractive than the reality.
Ah …The most applicable and sensible of the theories. Every young teenage girl longs for her first kiss at the homecoming dance from her hunky date. When it actually happens, the startling hyper-presence of tongue and his tendency to grope her behind overwhelms the imagined romance of the moment. In college, women deeply crave a man who is an intellectual equal, attractive and seems to have a bright future. Instead, they are confronted with the scary realization that their selection pool of future husbands is preoccupied, concerned with the keg of Natty Ice in the backyard more than the alluring girl sitting next to them on the couch. So, decidedly, the dream is always better than the reality.

These four theories make it clear why women act the way they do (and shed light on several misconceptions). They want the picturesque scene, the fairytale, perfection. But they end up at a sweaty backyard party, sitting on an empty keg shell, watching boys imitate Gandalf and scream “You shall not pass!” Delightful.

Women are not intentionally malicious and they certainly are not full of cunning lies and tricks. But to their credit, look at their role models: Snow White was basically high when Prince Charming finally came around; Belle had to tame a wild beast before she was able to kiss her successful ‘dysfunctional boy’ project; and Sleeping Beauty trumped them all — waiting around for 100 years. Women believe the chase is the adventure that will lead them to their other half. Some women choose to settle, tired from an unremitting pursuit and willing to forego an elusive Prince Charming, but others are in for the win, and they refuse to give up until they have a fairytale of their own. Each woman is holding out for her prince, and is willing to kiss quite a few frogs in order to find him.

Colleen Leahey is a junior in the College. She can be reached at leahey@thehoya.com. Rounding The Bases appears every other Friday in The Guide.

This article appeared in the August 28, 2009 issue of The Guide.