Even penguins find love with dating doc

Pitt extended an open invitation to romantically challenged students, giving them the… Pitt extended an open invitation to romantically challenged students, giving them the opportunity to secure an appointment with the Dating Doctor himself, David Coleman.

Coleman is known for his college tours, his Web site and his weekly radio shows — all of which are about dating, relationships and sex. Most recently, though, he is known as the inspiration for Will Smith’s character in the movie “Hitch.”

“My goal tonight is to change your life. I want to get you out of your own way,” Coleman said, explaining the basis for what Smith’s character does in the movie.

In an interactive lecture Monday night, Coleman set out to teach students the truths and tricks of dating and sex and the differences between men and women.

Coleman began with a slew of warnings. He cautioned that at least one person would leave after he spoke and break up with the person he or she was dating. He also warned that he wouldn’t sugarcoat anything and would likely offend at least half of the audience.

With a slideshow of facts and figures behind him, Coleman made many of his points through statistics.

“Within the first two to five minutes a man and woman meet for the first time, he will tell her what he does and what he’s good at. She will tell him how she feels,” he said.

Men define themselves by the things they do, while women define themselves based on what kind of people they are, Coleman explained.

He continued by expanding on this list of differences: Men are in their sexual primes between the ages of 18 and 35, while for women, this period is from 26 to 45. Men view commitment as a loss of freedom, and women see it as a positive addition. And men are aroused through sight, rather than through sounds and touch, like women.

“This is why we men can be such morons when we are checking out a woman,” he said.

Attempting to enlighten the men in attendance, Coleman gave a detailed list of a woman’s erogenous zones, ranging from her fingertips to her toes. He then had the women in the audience cheer for their favorite spots, providing further evidence.

Coleman even gave a lesson in kissing, advising the audience to steer clear of “Niagra Falls” and “Deer in the Headlights” kissers, among others.

Offering chocolate to willing responders — a proven aphrodisiac for women, he reminded the audience — Coleman asked who the audience believed was in control of relationships. After receiving every possible answer, he responded, “It’s the person who loves, cares or tries the least [who] has control.”

Coleman then offered a solution to those who are not in control of their relationships: Stop making excuses. He ordered the audience members to raise their right hands and repeat an oath: “From this moment forward, I will stop making excuses for the partner in my life that isn’t doing jack contributing to the effectiveness of our relationship.”

And for those who were confused as to whether they had the control, Coleman offered a few lists for them to ponder. First, the five stages of a relationship, then the signs of a good relationship, followed by the three types of love and, lastly, he provided a list of ways to make a relationship last.

With this step-by-step tutorial, Coleman hoped to help the audience avoid what he calls the “break-up season for college students,” which lasts from Valentine’s Day to spring break.

And for the single members of the audience, Coleman had one piece of advice: “Be the fat penguin.” Take the initiative and break the ice, he instructed.

And who better to teach conversation-starters than Coleman himself? Not only is he the Dating Doctor, he has also been labeled the “foremost authority on pick-up lines” — both good and bad — by Howard Stern, among others.

But for those looking to be the “Fat Penguin,” he listed a few to avoid. Coleman labeled lines such as, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right,” particularly detrimental to the romantically challenged.