How a NASA scientist shut down Hinge date who asked if she was "the receptionist"

Achieving the dream of working at NASA is a career milestone most people would celebrate, but for planetary scientist Dr. Lauren McKeown, it recently became the target of a backhanded "joke" on the dating app Hinge. Her experience is currently resonating with thousands of women in STEM who have faced similar attempts to diminish their professional success.

On her dating profile, McKeown shared a lighthearted fact: "The dorkiest thing about me—I worked at NASA." After matching with a man who initially seemed impressed, the conversation took a sharp turn toward a tired gender stereotype. "F*** me that’s cool. Wait till I tell my parents," he messaged, before immediately adding, "So what are you, like the receptionist? Just kidding, you look reasonably smart."

Defending Intelligence and Dignity

A woman scrolls through a dating appCanva

McKeown chose not to ignore the casual sexism. Instead, she delivered a response that has since gone viral for its poise and clarity.

"Smart enough to know, at least, that judging a woman’s intelligence based on her appearance might not be the best way to initiate conversation," she replied.

However, it was her follow-up that truly captured the public's heart. McKeown took the opportunity to honor the very profession the man had attempted to use as a slight.

“P.S. My mother is a primary school receptionist and is the wisest, most inspirational and kindest woman I know. So much so that my PhD thesis is dedicated to her,” she wrote.

The Reality of Hidden Biases

The interaction highlights a persistent issue for women in highly technical fields. Speaking with CNN, McKeown explained that she felt it was important to stand her ground rather than accept the man's eventual apology that he was "just joking."

"To look at me, you probably wouldn’t think I’m academic. We have to be extremely careful not to display aspects of ourselves that might give people further reason to undermine our intelligence," she told the publication.

McKeown’s professional credentials are far from questionable. Currently working at London’s Natural History Museum, she specializes in groundbreaking research regarding Mars and Martian meteorites. Her work has even been featured in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

The exchange has sparked a wider conversation on social media about the "dignity of honest labor" and the biases women face in academia. As one user, @BigMitchAK, pointed out, the beauty of the response lay in her refusal to let a "receptionist" role be used as a derogatory term. By centering her mother’s influence, McKeown turned a moment of elitism into a powerful tribute to character over job titles.

This article originally appeared two years ago.