‘I will never date S’porean men’: TikToker says love here is ‘not always poetic, but practical’
Are Singaporean men unromantic?
A TikToker has sparked debate after sharing her theory on why she believes local men tend to be less romantic, arguing that love in the Singapore is “not always poetic, but practical”.
The two-minute clip, uploaded by user @iamminjujo on June 20, has since garnered more than 115,000 views and over 90 comments.
‘I will never date Singaporean men’
Iamminjujo opened the video, titled “I will never date Singaporean men”, with a tongue-in-cheek warning, saying: “Girls, if you meet Singaporean men, run away.”
She went on to explain why she believes local men are unromantic, adding that her views have nothing to do with the men’s personalities.
In fact, she said she believes Singaporeans “love very deeply”, but that the way it is expressed here is “very different” compared to people in other parts of the world, such as Europe.
Drawing comparisons with Europe, she noted that many countries there have a long history of expressing love through art, music, poetry, opera and cinema.
“For centuries, love was something people talk(ed) about, performed, painted, sang about and romanticised,” she said.
When she pictures a “stereotypical” European man, iamminjujo said she imagines someone who is expressive, says beautiful things, plans romantic dates, writes love letters, kisses his partner on the street and openly talks about his feelings.
‘It’s not always poetic, but practical’
Singapore, on the other hand, is a relatively young nation built around survival, discipline, safety, education, efficiency, making money and stability, she argued.
According to iamminjujo, these priorities have shaped the local dating culture.
Instead of grand romantic gestures, she said expressions of love here can look like this: Have you eaten? I booked a grab for you. I transferred you money.
“It’s not always poetic, but practical,” she said.
She added that locals are often focused on working, upgrading themselves, saving money, and planning for the future, leaving people with little room “to develop a culture of expressive romance”.
“Love became less about grand gestures and more about responsibility,” she said.
Stressing that romance still matters, she suggested that this approach may be why dating in Singapore can sometimes feel “dry”.
“That’s why I haven’t dated any Singaporean men for seven years,” she quipped.
Stomp has reached out to iamminjujo for comment.
Netizens divided
The video has attracted widespread attention online and left netizens divided.
Many agreed with her observations, with one writing: “As a Singaporean man, I fully agree. Not that I am in any way ashamed of it, I came to embrace that about myself.”
“I can’t agree more,” another said.
A woman recounted going on a cycling date with a Singaporean man before heading to a kopitiam date for a meal where he accidentally spilled soup on her. After cleaning up, she said the first thing he asked was: “Can you PayNow me $4.50?”
Her video was also reposted on the r/singaporespeaks Reddit thread on June 20, where it attracted more than 250 comments.
Several Redditors disagreed with the TikToker’s views, with one user saying that Singaporean men express romance differently. “If I’m a guy, I would run away from her.”
“I dated a lot of SG guys, they are slow in romancing,” shared another commenter. “But what matters most are the small gestures of buying food or bring me small little gifts that doesn’t turn their pockets.”
One pointed out that the TikToker appeared to be “living in a fantasy world” after watching too many Western movies.
One commenter took a more balanced view, explaining that Singapore is fundamentally a pragmatic society, so it is unsurprising that expressions of love are therefore more practical.
What the TikToker said was “not wrong”, the user wrote, but that what she desires is very rare in Singapore.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
