Shawn Shinneman can’t help but feel a little sad over the virtual girlfriends available for hire to pump up your Social Media self-esteem.
For the price you might spend on lunch, you can now afford to get yourself a girlfriend.
I suppose there are street corners where that’s always been true.
But this is different. These are $5 virtual girlfriends through a website called GirlfriendHire.com, which allows you to pick through a vast supply of female avatars (lord knows what’s really on the other side of the screen) who promise a range of services aimed at pumping the ol’ self esteem.
Some are simple — big breasted blonde girls who want to be your Facebook girlfriend, and write lovey-dovey posts on your wall (Gizmodo tried it out). Others are delusional of what’s out there on the internet already: “I will bikini pic. Nuff said for $5 … Im blond and tan. So yea.”
And then there are some who just make me sad: “I will make you feel loved for $5. I will keep you company by communicating with you via Facebook/MSN…”
I can’t tell if, as a consumer, making a purchase like that would be better or worse than hitting the street corner. In a way, isn’t it just a 21st century version of the same thing?
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About Shawn Shinneman
Wow… these make me want to give whoever shells out for this stuff a really big hug
. It sounds like they need it.
Some people, men and women, are not comfortable with solitude. They populate their lives with people, some whom they have little or no connection with so they do not feel alone. If “having” a girlfriend is the need, rather than actually being in a relationship with a human being, then I can see this caters to some people’s needs.
Girlfriends without benefits? No thanks.
I am not sure what the author thinks is wrong with this.
Family courts deny millions of men human dignity and civil rights.
In response, men avoid relationships with women.
To make life bearable, these men purchase the illusion of companionship.
Maybe we should aplaud men who, faced with discrimination, scratch a meaningful existence out of rock and dust. Bravo!
I don’t mean to be snarky, but this doesn’t seem to me like men who “scratch a meaningful existence out of rock and dust.” That would take effort. Sending a woman five dollars to send you girl-friendy texts is lazy.
Also, this whole thing strikes me as more of a male status thing, not a girlfriend experience thing. And in either case, it’s not hard to get a real girlfriend. All you (not ‘you,’ Anthony, some hypothetical guy) need to do is take a shower, shave your neck, and not be afraid to talk to women. The fact that this service exists makes me sad.
It’s funny how the only people who think it’s easy to meet women and get a date tend to be… women. Makes me wonder who all those OTHER people are who consistenly reject and humiliate the man who tries, ensuring that he eventually gives up and withdraws in defeat.
Considering the fake eyelashes, makeup, colored contacts, dyed hair, wigs, hair extensions, weaves, breast/butt/lip implants, spanx, push-up and padded bras, etc., this is very tame and banal, as fake stuff goes.
Omigawd! Men are so pathetic! I mean who else would pay money for a fake conversation with an attractive member of the opposite sex!
Oh wait…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk2CKwJ3hGo
LOL, well I have to be impressed at their novel approach to selling female services. The old adage holds true, there’s a sucker born every minute.