Does Zac Efron Want Vanessa Hudgens to Dump Him?

http://www.popeater.com/

one of the oldest and dirtiest tricks in the male playbook. They're unhappy in a relationship but they're too wussy to call it quits. So what do they do? They act like jerks until the girl dumps them. In their feeble little man minds they firmly believe this makes them walk away as the good guy. Our jerk radar has started buzzing recently over Zac Efron's quietly jerky comments and actions, causing us to wonder whether he is trying to lead his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens' down the primrose path to dumpsville.

"Guys try to get girls to dump them when they fall out of love and feel guilty. When you are a nice guy, telling a chick to beat it just isn't that easy!" says Jay Grdina, CEO of the celebrity website Kikster.

Efron gave a passively subversive interview to Details magazine this month where he commented on the fact that he isn't a playboy, saying that he isn't into playing the field...but he should be.

"I think a lot of guys would enjoy that. But I'm not really like that. Believe me, I rack my brain thinking 'Why am I not out there playing the field?' One of my buddies was like, 'You have no idea what's going on right now. You're peaking on Ecstasy and you're watching TV.' But it's not in my heart."

He continues by saying he is jealous of how 'Transformers' star Shia Lebeouf is able to take life by the balls.

"I'm so jealous of that", Efron said referring to LeBeouf. "Yeah, that's awesome to not give a s–t. And Shia still pulls it off. That's so cool. It's just awesome. It just comes easy to some people."

And when they asked whether his relationship with Vanessa was just a publicity stunt he said, "if that was true it would have been easier to call it off a long time ago." That just feels weird.

We would like to translate these statements to:"I wish I could go out and play the field, but I have this ball and chain. I wish I could be as ballsy as Shia, except, you know, the ball and chain over there. If this were fake do you really think I would still be tethered to this ball and chain? DO YOU?"

Then there are his actions. He kind of creepily tipped Vanessa $20 while she was starring as Mimi in 'Rent.' But also went on 'Jimmy Kimmel' and admitted he had visited an NYC strip club. He claimed to have Hudgens permission, but he still blabbed about it on national television.

Dating and life coach Tracey Steinberg says, "Some boys will do practically anything to avoid having 'the talk'. Trying to make her break up with you is one big disrespectful game that nobody wins."

Steinberg says that if Efron does want to break up with Hudgens then he should. "Be a man and tell her truthfully that you don't see the relationship moving forward and that you want to be on your own. Just get the uncomfortable conversation over with and then you both can move on with your life with your dignities intact."

Ever the romantic, Cooper Lawrence, the author of "Been There, Done That, Kept the Jewelry," is hoping that Zac and Vanessa are one young couple who will defy the odds and that Zac's recent behavior can be attributed to how silly boys can be when they're young, not necessarily looking to get dumped.

"Zac is in his early 20's and some of this acting out (strip clubs etc) may just be his age but it can also be the world he is living in. Remember he claims he didn't open his wallet once at the strip club. That kind of 'guys night' is all part of playing the Hollywood game," Lawrence said. "That said I would love to believe that he is old fashioned, traditional and a good guy. People marry their childhood sweethearts all the time and it's our bias against his good looks and the rampant infidelity in Hollywood that has caused us to question when a star proclaims his love and makes statements like 'I'm not really like that' or 'It's not in my heart.'"

Maybe we're just cynical jerks. Maybe the teen love that flourished on the set of 'High School Musical' is the kind that does last forever. Or maybe Zac's really good at the subversive breakup. Only time will tell.