Voices
It takes more than money to find true love
By Stacy Wang (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-10 10:14
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As one of a vast number of single women in this city, I have been finding it difficult to locate my Mr Right. So last December, I registered with a matchmaking website that claims its customers are all millionaires.
However, to my disappointment, the matchmaking website has turned out to be more like a "pimping service" showing interests only in introducing beautiful women to its male customers.
The website emphasizes the beauty of the women on its books to such an extent that its business looks to be about providing beauty for a price.
I received the first call from the website last December, about two weeks after I registered. The agent said they wanted to check my information to make sure I would not cheat their customers. The first question she asked was: "Are you the girl in the uploaded picture?" I thought she wanted to make sure that my appearance is up to their standard.
It was obvious that only beautiful and young women would be introduced to their rich, male customers who had paid dearly for membership.
What the website did next seems to prove my suspicions.
It started a "love hunting" campaign to search for beautiful women on the street. A so-called "love consultant" asked me to recommend beautiful women to her and offered 500 yuan.
This matchmaking website might be an isolated case but it exposed a vulgar side of our society.
The moral standards of some members of our society are deteriorating as our culture becomes more diversified. I feel I was humiliated and promoted like some product on the market. And now they still attract women with money.
In the name of love, women customers have been exploited by the website as a tool to lure wealthy male customers. It is outrageous that the website has chosen to make money by discriminating against women.
The despicable practice of the website shows an ill trend in our society: Under a money-driven mindset, women have been disrespected while men take advantage of this hidden rule.
To some people, money has become a standard by which to judge a person's success. However, it is still ridiculous that single men and women should pin their hopes on some "pimp" website in search of true love and devoted marriage.
