This interview is part of Out's Dating PrEP series, in which LGBTQ+ personalities share honest conversations about love, sex, relationships, and protecting their sexual health.
Stand-up comedian and content creator Jeremy Crittenden has built a following by finding the humor in modern dating. Fresh off a breakup, he's already thinking about the next first date.
"A green flag that makes me fold immediately is somebody who is confident and clearly passionate about something," he says. "If I go on a date with someone and they share something that they want to be great at—a hobby, an art, a craft—and they're striving to be amazing at it, I absolutely love that vibe."
The perfect date, he says, leaves room for the unexpected. "I have this fantasy of going out on a date with someone who, in the middle of that, goes, 'Should we just get out of here and go do something crazy right now?'" That "crazy" idea? The Olive Garden. "I want someone who wants to do something a little bit stupid," he says.
And for kinks? "If there's like one kinky thing that I'm into," he says. "I'm gonna be real with you—I love to watch. I think that's a lot of fun." For someone who's used to being in the spotlight, Crittenden doesn't mind taking a back seat.
He's just as straightforward when it comes to sexual health. "Dating and hooking up should really kind of look the same. I see it as an act of self-love," he says. "To know what your status is, to get tested regularly, that's made taking care of sexual health really easy."
That's why he stays on PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), medication that provides protection from HIV. "I'm on PrEP always, even when I'm in a relationship," he says. "Even if that relationship is monogamous, I just think it's responsible."
Related: Watch more episodes of Dating PrEP on Out.com
Naturally, dating has made its way into Crittenden’s comedy. ”I do some stand-up comedy, and I talk about dating a lot. The things that I write about are the things that I'm trying to make sense of. 'What am I looking for?' I think I tend to overshare on that question. I love digging into that with someone on a date," he says. "I am looking for something serious. I’m looking for something substantial again."
