(Photo from The Gloss.)
Weather, as a talking point, has long been associated with banality, or a lack of things to say. As in, you know a date's not going well if you find yourself commenting on the weather mid-dinner. But it wasn't until I had weather to comment on that I realized just how much of a crutch the topic actually is.
LA is a one-weather city, generally 72 and sunny the whole year round. NY has indulged me with mostly sunny, warm days so far, but temperatures have dipped into the low 40s/high 30s these past couple of days, hinting at what's to come. Maybe it's residual shock over changing weather, period, but I find myself starting every conversation with people I've just met with the weather.
At it's core, weather is a safe, home-base starting point. It's not controversial or divisive - you'll never offend anyone with your thoughts on the matter. There's no judgment involved because it's so objective. In fact, commenting on the weather seems to have a unifying effect, as both parties can relate to the shared experience. It's ever-present, always relevant, and fluctuates (outside LA) enough to warrant commentary (unlike, say, the sunrise in all its consistency).
In this sense, weather as a topic is unique. Try as I might, I can't think of any other topic that has the same neutral, relevant and unifying characteristics. Yes, the conversation never lasts too long, and chatting about the weather says little about people. But in the best case scenarios it's an intro, a stepping stone for longer, more meaningful dialogue.
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