Heading into the traditional American weekend of romance, what lessons did we learn from the Super Bowl ads? If we’re to believe the pitch, that men are bound to a mindless life of obligation in which they’re unable to do anything they actually want to do because of the binds imposed on them by…their wife or girlfriend! If you didn’t see or haven’t heard, Time Magazine’s TV critic James Poniewozik runs down all of the ads here, which were on the whole extremely disappointing. Coincidentally, this weekend’s slate of events talks about men a little bit – from Brief Interviews with Hideous Men to Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, the male is going to be portrayed in a more human light. Then Saturday night is going to be a big celebration, with Will Whitmore and Jenny Hoyston, meaning for whatever you do decide to do on Valentine’s Day, you’ll probably be hungover.

Thursday
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men / Bijou / 7pm / $5
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men is the directorial debut of John Krasinski, star of NBC’s the Office, as well as several feature films (none of which I have seen). The film, which he also wrote and acts in, is an adaptation of the short story collection of the same name, by the late David Foster Wallace. Tonight is the last night that it plays at the Bijou.

Friday
Wells Tower / Prairie Lights / 7pm / FREE
I just finished reading Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, the debut collection of short fiction from author Wells Tower, and I must say that I was hooked. His stories are littered with broken men, trying to find redemption or just get by. At times sad and at others hilarious, I think Tower is poised to become an important American voice. Stop in Friday to see him read before you begin your weekend fun.

Saturday
William Elliot Whitmore and Jenny Hoyston / Blue Moose Taphouse / 9pm / $10
It sounds like this show is sold out, so if you don’t have a ticket you might be out of luck: in the event that this is true, you should be hitting up rowdy folkers Ha Ha Tonka at the Mill ($6). Otherwise, you do not want to miss Will Whitmore and Jenny Hoyston perform songs from their dynamite EP Hallways of Always, material that they’ve never performed live together.