What’s your price? Do you think you have one? I believe everyone has a price associated with him or her. It might not be in black and white sitting on a sales rack with a sticker attached to it – but you better consider we all have a price in our own way.
Recently on “20/20” they had a segment on a fairly new online dating site that is picking up momentum called “whatsyourprice.com.”
Wow…I don’t even know where to begin with this one.
This online dating site is actually a market for the buying and selling of ‘first dates’ from beautiful women.
So how does this site work?
This online dating site hooks up attractive women’s profiles with generous men who are willing to bid and pay (kinda like eBay) for a first date with these girls. After the bid is offered, the women can then choose to accept the offer, reject it, or come up with a different price. Is this a form of prostitution?
The founder says absolutely not.
They say it’s simply all about just paying for ‘the first date’ and that absolutely no sex is involved. Initially.
However, they also go on to say that if either party is able to charm and seduce successfully, as with any first date, the chances of intimacy are as good as any.
Hmmm…to me, this smells a little like a capitalistic banana bread sprinkled with some powdered prostitution sugar – baking in an ‘escort service’ oven. What do ya think?
They say on the site that it’s all about economics and cash incentives to get a first date.
From the founder himself:
“Whatsyourprice.com is taking the science out of dating, because, really, it’s all about economics. Dating is about supply and demand, quality over quantity. We know what it takes to capture the attention of a beautiful girl, but after that first date, the rest is up to you.” Brandon Wade
Hey, Brandon…ever hear of Heidi Fleiss or Denis Hof from the series ‘Cathouse’?
So going back to my opening question regarding do we all have a price…well, yes, we kinda do. This site sort of just took the veil off of the economics of dating and exposed it for what it is. Let’s get one thing straight here. Dating is never free. Actually nothing in life is.
Beyond the cost of a dinner bill, movie tickets or a membership to a dating site, there are hidden costs to dating that are even less obvious.
How about the cost of new clothes, shoes, transportation, flowers, gas? How about the time spent per precious minute on looking for Mr. or Ms. Right? Does that have a cost associated with it?
You bet.
Everyone’s time has a value linked to it. I’ll go one step further in even saying that some men feel the higher the cost associated with the women, the more valuable she actually is. Oh, boy…I’m opening up a hornet’s nest on this one.
I’m not saying that I agree or disagree. What I will say is that a woman reserves the right to do what she wants with herself and her body. If she wants to sell a date…so be it.
Let me ask you…what happens when a public figure is being bid on for a date by a reputable charity at an auction? Does that change the logistics and make it more palatable? Gotta wonder…
While beauty and desirability may fetch a higher price for these ladies of the Web, I do question whether placing a price on dating sets the tone for a successful future for the couple.
What I find fascinating is that the people who point their fingers at women for dating men of ‘means’ are the same ones that are looking to date women of ‘looks’.
I mean, really, the first time the chick does something wrong, is Mr. Money Pants going to say “Hey, I paid a lot for you…now behave!” The balance of power may not be so equally divided at that point…and, thus, brings me to my next point.
Some things in life cannot be bought…period. The sound of laughter, the beauty of a sunset or the joy we feel when we are falling deeply in love, these gifts cannot be purchased, and yet they are what make life worthwhile. Paying for beauty is very superficial, and while in our society beauty is a high commodity…in the end, it is meaningless if there isn’t more to the package.
Selling ourselves is what we do every day, whether to get the new job or the promotion or the guy/girl. We preen and pretend that we are our best selves, when in the end, we are all flawed and all quite rather fragile. It’s the cost we pay for being human.
“What’s Your Price” is basically like Netflix for dating. In my opinion, it’s just a site to rent a woman for a date, and in the end, really just an alternative form of entertainment. Are these women looking truly for love? Not sure. Are the men signing up on this ‘pretty dating site’ really looking for long-term relationships? I have my doubts.
Is it bad that somewhere deep in the back of my head, as sick as it is, this site actually made me wonder how much I could fetch for a first date???
Don’t plan on seeing me there, folks…not in this lifetime.
Until next time…
Love,
Karin
Please feel free to share this post or leave a comment. We’d love to hear your opinion!
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
The Buddha Team
