Vinnie Single & Searching

Bop Nov 1996

There's no doubt that Vinnie is cute, talented and smart. And he would
definitely make a solid entry under boyfriend material in practically every
girl's diary. Yet this star of Alaska and the upcoming film Smart Alec
reveals that not only has he had just one girlfriend (actress Rachael Leigh
Cook) in his life, he considers himself a geek rather than a great catch."I
have had one girlfriend and I got her on the rebound and I went out with
her for four months," reveals Vinnie of his relationship with Rachael. "It
was a lame excuse at anything. So now I sit around my house and I am a big
geek."While it's hard to believe that the reason Vinnie is girlfriendless
is because he is King Geek, it is believable that his high standards may
account for his single status. "I am pretty selective," he admits. "but I
am 17 and I am suppose to be." Unlike most 17-year-old guys' lists of
"must-haves" for a girlfriend, Vinnie's list of prerequisites has less to
do with her looks than with her personality.He doesn't care if she's blond
or brunette, but he does care whether or not she can have a conversation
past the color of her nail polish or how long she's been in the tanning
booth. "[There are] too many bimbos," he complains. Meek and needy girls,
no matter how gorgeous, need not apply either--it's very important to
Vinnie that a girl stands up for herself. If someone says something
offensive to her, Vinnie would expect her to shoot back with a reply that
would put that person in his place."I don't want a girlfriend who when I
say 'shut-up and just look pretty and sit there,' to just look pretty and
sit there," he tells us. "I want her to slap me across the face and get up
and pour a glass of water over my head and walk out. That is what a woman
should do."But don't get the idea that Vinnie craves only witty banter and
heated discussions. He also appreciates the beauty and comfort of silence.
"It's okay to kind of sit there and just be," he explains. "That is one
thing that I want from a relationship--to be able to just sit there and
just not talk, not to have to impress anyone."