Who wants to Marry a Millionaire?

So yesterday, despite the fact that I had only 2 appointments all day (that's a SLOW day, and Thursday won't be that way--it's already booked solid) Anyway . . . despite the fact that I baasically had nothing to do, yesterday was an awesome day at work. Here's why:

One of my coworkers (in another dept.) has a student who wants to change her internship. this is not usually allowed because students need to spend a certain amount of time in the workplace over the course of several weeks. That doesn't mean that if someone is having a horrible time that we make them stay there, but rather that unless there is something legitimately wrong, we don't let them just change horses midstream.

So one of my coworker's students wants to leave what sounds like a perfectly good PR internship to work at "The Millionaire's Club." What is the Millionaire's club, you ask? Ahh . . . this is what I spent my morning finding out. The Millionaire's Club is a matchmaking service, for, you guessed it, millionaires. Men in select cities can pay anywhere from $10-30K (that's per year!) to join, and for this fee, they get fixed up with women who have passed an apparently rigorous screening process. The women don't pay anything to join (surprise, surprise!) but they have to first submit professional photographs (no "glamour shots," whatever that means) and fill out an application which asks questions like

"Would you date a man 10-15 years older that you?"
"What are your measurements: hips? waist? bust? (please include cup size)
"Have you had a restraining order filed against you? If so, for what?"
"Have you had alcohol or substance abuse problems? If so, which?"
"Would you date a man you is shorter than you?"
"Which is more important, looks or money?"

etc. etc. etc. According to one article, the turn down 80% of women who apply.

Apparently, the woman who runs this organization (she called our office yesterday trying to convince us to let the intern switch) screens all the men and women personally, and she tells the men some pretty hard truths. She has been known to recommend personal trainers and exercise plans, teeth-whitening, plastic surgery (!), and a complete wardrobe overhaul (and for a mere $800, she'll take them shopping herself!). These men get matched up with various women, and the odds are pretty stacked in their favor. Even the speed-dating events (which go on for 5 hours and cost $3000) have 10 men and 50 women.

But lest you think any millionaire can pay the dues and start dating golddiggers, apparently the men have to undergo a pretty tough screening process too. They don't have to provide tax returns or anything, but the service evalautes their home(s) and their car(s), and their friends and relatives are interviewed as well. Only 150 men can belong at any given time, and according to a few articles, there is quite the wait list.

I don't know, I think I'd make a pretty good trophy wife--I'm educated, I'm reasonably attractive--granted, my hair is dirty blonde, not platinum, and I haven't had plastic surgery or anything . . . but a millionaire could do worse, and I'd be able to just read and write my little heart out and not worry about the job market or other such nonsense.

But since I tend to prefer guys who are my own age or within about a five year window, and I tend to prefer guys who are at least as tall as I am (5' 6) and in reasonably good shape, I should probably stick with my tivo. But if you want to check it out (and you really should, if only for the entertainment of it all), click the link for the Millionaire's Club.