'Millionaire Matchmaker' showcases mixed message on modern dating
By Taryn Lentes, Staff Writer
February 6, 2008 | 1 p.m.
They say money can’t buy happiness, but it can pay for Patti Stanger. Stanger stars in Bravo’s newest reality show, “Millionaire Matchmaker,” which promises to bring true love right to the doorstep of a millionaire’s mansion.
Bravo is no stranger to reality TV shows. Among its popular programs are “Top Chef,” “Project Runway” and “The Real Housewives of Orange County." Fans of "Housewives" already appreciate the entertainment value of watching the extravagant lives of the super rich, and “Millionaire Matchmaker” adds yet another foray into the world of the extremely wealthy that most people will never experience firsthand.
“Millionaire Matchmaker” stars Stanger, a third-generation matchmaker who runs the Millionaire’s Club, a dating service for the millionaire man who is looking for the girl of his dreams. The Millionaire’s Club has a roster of more than 10,000 women whom Stanger and her staff pair with eligible and extremely rich men who do not have the time to search for Mrs. Right themselves. The gorgeous and young women, of course, pay no fee for participation in the Millionaire's Club.
Each episode of the “Millionaire Matchmaker” features two clients of the Millionaire’s Club who are guided through the dating process. Each aspect of a client’s life is up for scrutiny, whether it be his home, his appearance or his preference in women. Stanger asks clients several basic questions as to what they are looking for in a relationship, orders a makeover if one is deemed necessary, then sends the men out on series of dates and offers feedback on the results.
The first two episodes of “Millionaire Matchmaker” proved that just because her clients are rich does not mean Stanger is going to take it easy on them. The show’s most entertaining moment thus far was during the second episode when Stanger was introduced to Julien, a multimillionaire who owns two different $5 million condos for vacationing or spending the weekend. Yet, during the week, Julien lives in the same run-down house he occupied in college with the same roommates. While this is certainly not what one would expect from a millionaire, Stanger’s over-the-top reaction to Julien's “ghetto” neighborhood was humorous.
Overall, the show and the company itself seem to be a strange mix of a searching for true love and searching for a Stepford wife with surgically enhanced assets. On the one hand, Stanger insists that her clients follow her rules, including no sex until the client has graduated from the program and is in a relationship. However, the show also seems to throw around a lot of stereotypes and old-fashioned ideas about women.
According to Bravo’s Web site for the show, the purpose of the Millionaire’s Club is not to supply clients with “gold diggers” but to provide them with women who “seek an old-fashioned, traditional relationship where the woman has the option of staying home and raising the children while the husband pursues his career.” Why a millionaire cannot look for a woman who is not after his money but also sees no harm in making her own is not addressed. Nevertheless, "Millionaire Matchmaker" is a reality show, so expectations of shattering stereotypes probably are not really high among the audience anyway.
The “Millionaire Matchmaker” is the type of guilty pleasure show to appeal to reality TV junkies, even if it does not deserve to be. The show airs at 10 p.m. Tuesdays on Bravo.
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