Dr. Date is a humorous relationship advice column which appears in the Minnesota Daily campus newspaper at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. The column appears in each issue of the paper, which is produced five times a week during the regular school year, weekly during the summer session, and not produced weekends and holidays. Persons seeking advice use fake names like "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" or are assigned a fake name by Dr. Date.

The doctor in question is of deliberately ambiguous gender and sexual orientation. He or she uses colorful, not overly-graphic expressions like "badger boogie" to describe sex acts and is known for providing humorous Top Ten Lists.

Though not a fortune-teller, per se, Dr. Date has been known to use something called "Magic Coin" to give advice in "six of one, half a dozen of the other" situations.

Dr. Date's background

Dr. Date is supposedly a graduate of Love Medical School, and has mentioned obtaining an undergraduate degree from Love College. From time to time, though not with great regularity, Dr. Date drops little hints of his/her personal history in the course of giving advice.

For example:

At the fictional institution of Love Medical School, supposedly new students enter through large, heart-shaped gold-plated doors. There appears to be a ceremonial aspect to this first act of entry.

Some classes Dr. Date has mentioned taking at Love Medical School include Hot Tubbing 101 and History and Geography of The Cold Dark Land of "Just Friends." Reportedly, some material covered in classes about human relationships is so bleak that students are required to have weekly counseling sessions with academic advisers.

Supposedly, another student named Dr. K. nearly drowned in Hot Tubbing 101, but was revived by a teaching assistant, or TA. Class members who witnessed the incident continue to be divided over whether the near-drowning was "a plot to get face time" with the gorgeous teaching assistant.

There are hints the doctor can speak Spanish and French, at least a bit, and has traveled to other nations.

Dr. Date's views

Dr. Date's views on sex and relationships are known to be fairly liberal, but he/she disapproves of cheating and always urges sexual acts to be safe and consensual. Some other views articulated by Dr. Date appear to reveal that though a liberal moderate by University of Minnesota standards, the doctor has a conservative streak on some issues. Though striving to avoid politics, Dr. Date has been known to express political views from time to time, including the following:

The doctor consistently articulates the motto "Make Love, Not War" and worries aloud about the safety of troops in Iraq.

The doctor is known to be a devoted fan of the Dixie Chicks.

Though disapproving of the abuse of marijuana, the doctor has called for its legalization on the basis of it being no worse than alcohol.

The doctor has a low opinion of the state of South Dakota, apparently based on a belief South Dakota men do not engage in enough foreplay because they "Rushmore."

Dr. Date has consistently held the position that teaching assistants (TAs) and community advisers (CAs) in dorms should not date individuals over whom they have authority, but that it's fine to date your TA or CA after that person is no longer in a position of authority, though admittedly a "gray area" as far as the University of Minnesota is concerned.

Dr. Date strongly disapproves of rowdy or threatening behavior on Metro Transit buses that serve the University of Minnesota, dubbing one route "Sketchy and Scary No. 16."

He/she has declared Tuesdays to be "Tallywacker Tuesday," a day set aside for roommates in dorms to discuss the delicate topic of the need for privacy in order to masturbate.

Though never explicitly supporting a labor strike at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in the fall of 2007, Dr. Date declared Mondays to be "Kiss A Hot Striker Monday" for what he/she called "the duration" and suggested one person seeking to meet the object of his affection (a hot girl on a bike) should stand around waving a picket sign. From these clues, it appears Dr. Date is (as one might suspect) pro-union.

Dr. Date suggested that controversial Idaho Senator Larry Craig was only looking for love, and said people should "leave Larry alone." He/she also directly addressed Senator Craig and suggested Craig should moderate his previous anti-gay positions and "lighten up."

Dr. Date also expressed reluctance to say anything that might harm U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken, since Franken represented a hope for peace.

Dr. Date controversy

Dr. Date was featured in a cartoon posted on YouTube during student government elections in the spring of 2007. The cartoon featured a person who appeared to be Dr. Date criticizing "Network," another cartoony back pages entity at the Minnesota Daily. At the time, Network (a disembodied brain in a vat with octopus-like tentacles, making claims of extraordinary powers as evidenced by an ability to scathingly mock all who submit entries to Network's column) was waging a write-in campaign for undergrad student body president. In a subsequent column, Dr. Date stated the person in the cartoon purporting to be Dr. Date was an out-of-work actor and an obvious impostor.

Network has articulated a suspicion that Dr. Date ran off with Network's wife. The Dr. has consistently denied the charge, claiming the two only talked and drank herbal tea together.

Dr. Date's good deeds

Though constrained by the advice column format, in his/her cartoon world the doctor has mentioned some good deeds he/she has performed, other than just giving advice.

When the "Network" character sold 18 of his own children on eBay during the breakup of his marriage, Dr. Date revealed himself to be the buyer of 16 of the 18 children, and caused the children to be placed in safe and supportive foster homes. (Two of the 18 children were reportedly purchased by somebody in Saudi Arabia to become jockeys in camel races)

Dr. Date has mentioned "mopping up bodily fluids" that spill over from the Network column when Network roughs up contributors.

Dr. Date's personal life

Dr. Date has hinted at having relationships and heartbreak himself/herself. One of the relationships went badly and apparently took place in a working environment. The person involved with Dr. Date supposedly drove a small lavender pick-up truck, and the doctor would lay his head upon the cold hood of the truck, just to be near something owned by his/her former lover.