Great Expectations?

Since I am a twenty-something male, it should come as no surprise that I visit websites designed for twenty-something males. Online dating services, understandably, advertise heavily on these sites:


Today’s twenty-something, is, after all, a busy professional, etc., etc. But the advertising proffered by the services

lack in two main ways.

First, I am well aware that the women featured in the above two advertisements are not, in all likelihood, actual members of the services advertised. Single women who look (and dress) like those above are either:

1) between professional hockey player boyfriends, or;

2) charge a thousand dollars a night.

Second, and more importantly, as a straight male I would far rather see advertisements featuring attractive men.

Allow me to explain. Online dating is perhaps the one industry in which showing the product you hope to sell decreases the likelihood that you have it to sell in the first place. After all, the advertisements above appeal to whom?

Men.

So when a man sees the ad and joins the service, what does he find inside?

A bunch of other men interesting in ogling internet boobies.

Joy. If I wanted to chill with a bunch of hyper-masculine, lonely straight males I’d hit up Brother’s every Thursday. But think of the reverse. A woman who sees a (tasteful) advertisement featuring an attractive male thinks: ‘there must be some attractive males there. Finally, a dating service for me!’

Promoting this thinking is advantageous in two ways. First, there are more women period. Second, the fact that they expect tasteful attractive men makes it easier to fool them into thinking you are one.

So dudes, resist the urge to prove the advertisers right about their classification of you and only sign up for the dating services whose ads feature the studliest of studs.