The Volvo-Driving Latte-Sipping Ira Glass-Worshipping Public Radio Old Maid Demographic

Believe me, I like Jonathan Schwartz as much as the next guy, but if you overdo the branding thing, there’s the real and present danger of turning “public radio listener” into shorthand for “cat lady”:

A cadre of New York singles who wake up to National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and listen to podcasts of the network’s “This American Life” are seeking out dates and mates who enjoy public radio as much as they do.

Noticing the number of self-proclaimed “NPR aficionados” on online dating and social networking Web sites, the staffers at a local affiliate, WNYC, decided to sponsor a series of singles mixers. These events are led by the station’s popular on-air personalities, and some feature news and pop culture quizzes — not unlike those heard on a long-running public radio program, “Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me!”

“Just like certain online dating sites attract a specific type of person, WNYC draws a certain type of listener — someone who’s interested in arts and culture,” a 37-year-old city policy director, Alexandra Warren, said during a station-sponsored under-40 singles event, “This is Your Brain on Love,” held at Williamsburg ‘s Brooklyn Brewery Thursday.

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“WNYC Singles” events cost $35 in advance, or $40 at the door. In an attempt to maintain a gender balance, the station offers a limited number of tickets to women and men. Station officials say women’s tickets generally sell out weeks in advance.