April 10, 2024 • 13 mins
Dear Steve and Shirley, I met a man online and he's a decent guy that's eight years older than I am. He's fifty nine and divorced and I have never been married. When we met, we talked about everything and I really got to know him. I found out that he's the cafeteria manager at an office building downtown and he loves to cook. He lied on his dating profile and said he's a chef's so I brought that up to him. All he did was brag about his cooking, and he said he's the best chef I'll ever meet. So our first date was a makeshift picnic at a park by my office, and he brought all of the food. My first impression of him was not good.........................................................
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is time now for today's Strawberry Letter, and if
you need advice on relationships, work, sex, parenting, and more,
please submit your Strawberry Letter to Steve HARVEYFM dot com
by clicking submit Strawberry Letter. That's all you have to do.
We could be reading your letter live on the air,
just like we're going to read this one right here,
right now.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You never know. Buckle up and hold on tight. We
got it for you here. It is a Strawberry.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Letter thanking a few subject. He smells like grease and mothballs.
Who all right, Dear Stephen Shirley. I met a man
online and he's a decent guy that's eight years older
than I am. He's fifty nine and divorced and I
have never been married. When we met, we talked about
(00:45):
everything and I really got to know him. I found
out that he's the cafeteria manager at an office building
downtown and he loves to cook. He lied on his
dating profile and said he's a chef's so I brought
that up to him. All he did was brag about
his cooking, and he said he's the best chef I'll
(01:06):
ever meet. So our first date was a makeshift picnic
at a park by my office, and he brought all
of the food. My first impression of him was not good.
He looked like his profile picture, thank you, but he
was all sweaty, slouchy and sweaty. He said he was
rushing to wrap up all of the food and make
it to the date on time. He smelled like grease
(01:27):
and mothballs. Everything we ate was fried. He called it
his Southern soul food fest. It was a total mess,
and I told him I couldn't eat that much greasy food.
I told him he smelled like fried chicken, and he
thought it was a compliment. I can only assume he
has a problem with flying insects at home, because his
(01:48):
jeans and his jackets smelled like a lot like mothballs.
He smelled awful on our other dates too. He must
not have a vent over his stove, or he might
not know how to use it. I think he has
great potential, and I don't want to dump him just
because he smells like a short earder cook all the time.
(02:08):
Is there a way to tell him about himself or
will it hurt his pride? He's invited me to his house,
but I don't want to smell like him? What do
I do? Wow, this is not starting off well. Huh.
You don't really like a lot about this guy. And
I get it because it would be hard for anyone
I would think to sit there with someone who came
(02:30):
on a date slouchy and smelly. It would make me
question his hygiene right off the bed, and that cannot happen.
I can't do that. This is one thing that has
to be right. What is it that you like about him? Again,
I'm trying to remember. You even said he must have
bugs at home because he smells like mothballs. Well, when
(02:51):
you told him he smelled like fried chicken, he thought
that was a compliment. I'm sorry. It's a hard noe
for me with this guy. It really is. I don't
think you're that desperate where you have to date a
guy with questionable hygiene and and smelly. This is just
not cool, Steve.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Uh, you know what?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, this is a petty letter with a petty problem.
But but it has potential according to her, and I
don't see it.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I'm you know, Shirley asked, what is it? You know what?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
But look, you met this man online. He's a decent guy.
He's eight years older than I am. He's fifty nine
and divorced. Okay, that means you're fifty one, never been married?
What's the problem already?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Down like you.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Fifty one? Now, lady, never been married. When you meet
a fifty old man that ain't ever been married, don't
the red flag go up for you?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
For sure?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Well? It s sheld go up for a man too.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
We talked about everything, and I finally found out that
he's the cafeteria cafeteria manager at an office building downtown
and he loves to cook. Now you say he lied
on his dating profile and said he's a chef, Well
(04:37):
if he does the cooking down at the office building,
but he's also the manager of the cafeteria. But he
had to cook at one point. I don't see the lie.
Maybe he is a chef. That's the term you would
call a chef, short on the cook, chef, burger flipper,
he want to call a chef? You know how the
(04:59):
game go and so now and all he did was
brag about his cooking. He said he's the best chef
I'll ever meet, And I bet he was. I bet
you ain't never dated a chef before, So so far
he telling the truth. Now, your first date is a
(05:19):
makeshift picnic at a park down there by your office.
Then you said, and he bought all the food. But
then you said, my first impression of him was not good.
He looked like his profile picture, but he was all
slouchy and sweaty. Now, the man said he was rushing
(05:40):
to wrap up all the food and make it to
the date on time. He smelled like grease and mothballs.
Everything we ate was fried. He called it his Southern
soul food fast. My man, come on, fried chicken, fried
hush puppies, fried.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Hot water, corn bread, everything fried corn.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Have some fried okra? Yeah, all up in here, fried chicken.
Come on, boy, I'm clapping. I'm enjoyed the soul food
Fast to the highest. It was a total mess. I
told him I couldn't eat that much greasy food. You
(06:31):
probably told a lot of me and a lot of stuff.
That's why you're asked by yourself.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Hang on, Steve, we'll have part two of your response
coming up at twenty three minutes after the hour. Today's
Strawberry letter subject he smells like grease and mothballs. That's
the issue. We'll get back into it right after this,
you're listening morning show. All right, come on, Steve, let's
(06:56):
recap today's strawberry letter. The subject he smells like grease
and mothballs.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well that's what she say.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
So she met this man online who's divorced, eight years
older than her. She's fifty one. They go on a date.
He tells her on a profile that he's a chef.
Come to find out he's a manager at a food
cafeteria down at a business office down there. Out of line,
said chef too. He probably do some cooking, and if
the cook don't come in, he probably had to do
all the damn cooking. So y'all, first date is a
(07:25):
makeshift picnic around the corner from the office you work at.
He bought all the food. Then when he got there,
he looked like his profile picture, but it was the
first impression wasn't good because he was slouchy and sweaty. Well,
the man was hustling trying to get all the food
together ready for the date so it wouldn't be late.
Now he smelled like grease and mothballs. He been in
(07:46):
the kitchen cooking.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I got it.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Everything we ate was fried. He called it his southern
soul food fest. I knew exactly what he had. Hush puppies,
hot water corn, brick fried chicken, oakra bitch fried fried corn,
serving it up. He had them fried mushroom puffs. They
was fried too. I enjoyed myself, but you said it
(08:12):
was a total mess. And I told him I couldn't
eat that much greasy food. See that's why you fifty
one ain't never been married.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Because you busy, because you can't eat greasy food.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Now you should have been. Now, your fluffy ass don't
eat fried chicken? Really?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Okay, really, he was thinking, your fluffy ass don't want
no damn fried Okrah. Really, Now she say what he
smelled like grease and mothballs and everything we ate with fried.
I told him he smelled like fried chicken. He took
it as a compliment. Hell, yeah, you smell like fried chicken.
(08:50):
I know that's right, Thank you so much. I fried
it myself.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
K't you tell I did this for you?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
And then she said, I can only assume he has
a problem with flying insects at his house because his
jeans and his jacket smell a lot like moth balls. Okay,
all right, he smelled off on our other dates too. Oh,
so you done kept going out with him. He must
(09:24):
not have a vent over his stove or he might
not know how to use it, okay, lady. And then
out of nowhere here comes the statement that threw me.
I think he has great potential and I don't want
to dump him just because he smelled like a short article.
What where did this come from? What potential you talking about?
(09:51):
Because the whole letter you've been dogging the man. But
so I think on those other dates you must have
been he enjoyed his conversation, maybe the way he treated you.
But now you so now you think that's some potential land.
You don't want to dub him just because he smelled
like a short order cook all the time. Is that
(10:11):
way to tell him about himself? Or well it hurt
you know already told him man, he smelled like fried.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Chicken, but he took it as a compliment.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
So but you want to hurt him, So why don't
you just go on and say like, hey, you smell
like fried chicken, and but you stink like mouthballs? What
is going on at your house? Do you have for
insects in your house? Boss? And stuff?
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Because all your clothes smell.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Like I can't think that.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
He fifty nine. He's invited me to his house, but
I don't want to smell like him.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
What do I do? Okay, lady, break up with him.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You ain't got nobody, You ain't never had nobody, and
you ain't finna get nobody because you want somebody perfect.
This man is old. You can go in there straighten
out that mouthball smell. You can straighten that out. That
ain't nothing. He probably need a woman's touching coming there
and show him something. Anyway, he probably packed up all
his stuff with their mouthballs after that divorce. His ex
(11:13):
wife put all his stuff in the mouthball to make
him smell that way. He just unpacking, and he too
old and stupid to know. You could go in there
and really straighten this man out and you might have something.
But now you don't want to go over his house
because I don't want to smell like him. When you
come home, you can't shower, you can't send your clothes
to the cleaners. How about you go over there and say, hey,
(11:34):
you know what, I've noticed this smell of mothballs, and
now I see why you know what you ought to do?
They got this new detergent out call for breeze. Let
me wash your clothes in for breeze, and then use
these little tielets when you throw them in the dry
and you can get rid of that smell. See that's
how you tell a man without hurting his pride. See,
(11:58):
instead of telling a person the problem, why don't you
tell him the problem.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
With the solution. Then he ain't hurt.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
He might see a kindness in you that no other
man has ever seen before. Because you ain't been married
and you fifty one, ain't nobody wanted you up until now?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Uh wow, No, no, I ain't no.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Uh uh I could have been her choice.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Wow what you mean that could have been her choice?
Saying okay, watch you on the dating site.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Well now now.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Yeah, yeah you want some, But now you half a
hundred and now you're no and and and now your
selection pool has dwindled.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
You ain't o in the ocean no more. You're picking
a pu.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Now what you need to do is take this fifty
nine year old man to smell like fried chicken and
my ball and fix him up all right? Because I
got news for y'all. It's something wrong with her too.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Leave your comments on today's.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Don't Eat Fried Pick and that Why You Ain't Gotten.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
It on Instagram at Steve Harvey FL and check us
out on the Strawberry Letter podcast on the Free iHeartRadio app,
where Free never sounded so good, coming up next to
its junior and sports talk. Right after this, you're listening
to Harvey Morning Show
It is time now for today's Strawberry Letter, and if
you need advice on relationships, work, sex, parenting, and more,
please submit your Strawberry Letter to Steve HARVEYFM dot com
by clicking submit Strawberry Letter. That's all you have to do.
We could be reading your letter live on the air,
just like we're going to read this one right here,
right now.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You never know. Buckle up and hold on tight. We
got it for you here. It is a Strawberry.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Letter thanking a few subject. He smells like grease and mothballs.
Who all right, Dear Stephen Shirley. I met a man
online and he's a decent guy that's eight years older
than I am. He's fifty nine and divorced and I
have never been married. When we met, we talked about
(00:45):
everything and I really got to know him. I found
out that he's the cafeteria manager at an office building
downtown and he loves to cook. He lied on his
dating profile and said he's a chef's so I brought
that up to him. All he did was brag about
his cooking, and he said he's the best chef I'll
(01:06):
ever meet. So our first date was a makeshift picnic
at a park by my office, and he brought all
of the food. My first impression of him was not good.
He looked like his profile picture, thank you, but he
was all sweaty, slouchy and sweaty. He said he was
rushing to wrap up all of the food and make
it to the date on time. He smelled like grease
(01:27):
and mothballs. Everything we ate was fried. He called it
his Southern soul food fest. It was a total mess,
and I told him I couldn't eat that much greasy food.
I told him he smelled like fried chicken, and he
thought it was a compliment. I can only assume he
has a problem with flying insects at home, because his
(01:48):
jeans and his jackets smelled like a lot like mothballs.
He smelled awful on our other dates too. He must
not have a vent over his stove, or he might
not know how to use it. I think he has
great potential, and I don't want to dump him just
because he smells like a short earder cook all the time.
(02:08):
Is there a way to tell him about himself or
will it hurt his pride? He's invited me to his house,
but I don't want to smell like him? What do
I do? Wow, this is not starting off well. Huh.
You don't really like a lot about this guy. And
I get it because it would be hard for anyone
I would think to sit there with someone who came
(02:30):
on a date slouchy and smelly. It would make me
question his hygiene right off the bed, and that cannot happen.
I can't do that. This is one thing that has
to be right. What is it that you like about him? Again,
I'm trying to remember. You even said he must have
bugs at home because he smells like mothballs. Well, when
(02:51):
you told him he smelled like fried chicken, he thought
that was a compliment. I'm sorry. It's a hard noe
for me with this guy. It really is. I don't
think you're that desperate where you have to date a
guy with questionable hygiene and and smelly. This is just
not cool, Steve.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Uh, you know what?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, this is a petty letter with a petty problem.
But but it has potential according to her, and I
don't see it.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I'm you know, Shirley asked, what is it? You know what?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
But look, you met this man online. He's a decent guy.
He's eight years older than I am. He's fifty nine
and divorced. Okay, that means you're fifty one, never been married?
What's the problem already?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Down like you.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Fifty one? Now, lady, never been married. When you meet
a fifty old man that ain't ever been married, don't
the red flag go up for you?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
For sure?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Well? It s sheld go up for a man too.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
We talked about everything, and I finally found out that
he's the cafeteria cafeteria manager at an office building downtown
and he loves to cook. Now you say he lied
on his dating profile and said he's a chef, Well
(04:37):
if he does the cooking down at the office building,
but he's also the manager of the cafeteria. But he
had to cook at one point. I don't see the lie.
Maybe he is a chef. That's the term you would
call a chef, short on the cook, chef, burger flipper,
he want to call a chef? You know how the
(04:59):
game go and so now and all he did was
brag about his cooking. He said he's the best chef
I'll ever meet, And I bet he was. I bet
you ain't never dated a chef before, So so far
he telling the truth. Now, your first date is a
(05:19):
makeshift picnic at a park down there by your office.
Then you said, and he bought all the food. But
then you said, my first impression of him was not good.
He looked like his profile picture, but he was all
slouchy and sweaty. Now, the man said he was rushing
(05:40):
to wrap up all the food and make it to
the date on time. He smelled like grease and mothballs.
Everything we ate was fried. He called it his Southern
soul food fast. My man, come on, fried chicken, fried
hush puppies, fried.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Hot water, corn bread, everything fried corn.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Have some fried okra? Yeah, all up in here, fried chicken.
Come on, boy, I'm clapping. I'm enjoyed the soul food
Fast to the highest. It was a total mess. I
told him I couldn't eat that much greasy food. You
(06:31):
probably told a lot of me and a lot of stuff.
That's why you're asked by yourself.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Hang on, Steve, we'll have part two of your response
coming up at twenty three minutes after the hour. Today's
Strawberry letter subject he smells like grease and mothballs. That's
the issue. We'll get back into it right after this,
you're listening morning show. All right, come on, Steve, let's
(06:56):
recap today's strawberry letter. The subject he smells like grease
and mothballs.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well that's what she say.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
So she met this man online who's divorced, eight years
older than her. She's fifty one. They go on a date.
He tells her on a profile that he's a chef.
Come to find out he's a manager at a food
cafeteria down at a business office down there. Out of line,
said chef too. He probably do some cooking, and if
the cook don't come in, he probably had to do
all the damn cooking. So y'all, first date is a
(07:25):
makeshift picnic around the corner from the office you work at.
He bought all the food. Then when he got there,
he looked like his profile picture, but it was the
first impression wasn't good because he was slouchy and sweaty. Well,
the man was hustling trying to get all the food
together ready for the date so it wouldn't be late.
Now he smelled like grease and mothballs. He been in
(07:46):
the kitchen cooking.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I got it.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Everything we ate was fried. He called it his southern
soul food fest. I knew exactly what he had. Hush puppies,
hot water corn, brick fried chicken, oakra bitch fried fried corn,
serving it up. He had them fried mushroom puffs. They
was fried too. I enjoyed myself, but you said it
(08:12):
was a total mess. And I told him I couldn't
eat that much greasy food. See that's why you fifty
one ain't never been married.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Because you busy, because you can't eat greasy food.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Now you should have been. Now, your fluffy ass don't
eat fried chicken? Really?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Okay, really, he was thinking, your fluffy ass don't want
no damn fried Okrah. Really, Now she say what he
smelled like grease and mothballs and everything we ate with fried.
I told him he smelled like fried chicken. He took
it as a compliment. Hell, yeah, you smell like fried chicken.
(08:50):
I know that's right, Thank you so much. I fried
it myself.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
K't you tell I did this for you?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
And then she said, I can only assume he has
a problem with flying insects at his house because his
jeans and his jacket smell a lot like moth balls. Okay,
all right, he smelled off on our other dates too. Oh,
so you done kept going out with him. He must
(09:24):
not have a vent over his stove or he might
not know how to use it, okay, lady. And then
out of nowhere here comes the statement that threw me.
I think he has great potential and I don't want
to dump him just because he smelled like a short article.
What where did this come from? What potential you talking about?
(09:51):
Because the whole letter you've been dogging the man. But
so I think on those other dates you must have
been he enjoyed his conversation, maybe the way he treated you.
But now you so now you think that's some potential land.
You don't want to dub him just because he smelled
like a short order cook all the time. Is that
(10:11):
way to tell him about himself? Or well it hurt
you know already told him man, he smelled like fried.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Chicken, but he took it as a compliment.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
So but you want to hurt him, So why don't
you just go on and say like, hey, you smell
like fried chicken, and but you stink like mouthballs? What
is going on at your house? Do you have for
insects in your house? Boss? And stuff?
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Because all your clothes smell.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Like I can't think that.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
He fifty nine. He's invited me to his house, but
I don't want to smell like him.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
What do I do? Okay, lady, break up with him.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You ain't got nobody, You ain't never had nobody, and
you ain't finna get nobody because you want somebody perfect.
This man is old. You can go in there straighten
out that mouthball smell. You can straighten that out. That
ain't nothing. He probably need a woman's touching coming there
and show him something. Anyway, he probably packed up all
his stuff with their mouthballs after that divorce. His ex
(11:13):
wife put all his stuff in the mouthball to make
him smell that way. He just unpacking, and he too
old and stupid to know. You could go in there
and really straighten this man out and you might have something.
But now you don't want to go over his house
because I don't want to smell like him. When you
come home, you can't shower, you can't send your clothes
to the cleaners. How about you go over there and say, hey,
(11:34):
you know what, I've noticed this smell of mothballs, and
now I see why you know what you ought to do?
They got this new detergent out call for breeze. Let
me wash your clothes in for breeze, and then use
these little tielets when you throw them in the dry
and you can get rid of that smell. See that's
how you tell a man without hurting his pride. See,
(11:58):
instead of telling a person the problem, why don't you
tell him the problem.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
With the solution. Then he ain't hurt.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
He might see a kindness in you that no other
man has ever seen before. Because you ain't been married
and you fifty one, ain't nobody wanted you up until now?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Uh wow, No, no, I ain't no.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Uh uh I could have been her choice.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Wow what you mean that could have been her choice?
Saying okay, watch you on the dating site.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Well now now.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Yeah, yeah you want some, But now you half a
hundred and now you're no and and and now your
selection pool has dwindled.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
You ain't o in the ocean no more. You're picking
a pu.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Now what you need to do is take this fifty
nine year old man to smell like fried chicken and
my ball and fix him up all right? Because I
got news for y'all. It's something wrong with her too.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Leave your comments on today's.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Don't Eat Fried Pick and that Why You Ain't Gotten.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
It on Instagram at Steve Harvey FL and check us
out on the Strawberry Letter podcast on the Free iHeartRadio app,
where Free never sounded so good, coming up next to
its junior and sports talk. Right after this, you're listening
to Harvey Morning Show
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