Mail Order Brides

I don’t consider myself a snob, but I do like my privacy. I don’t mind waving to the neighbors but like to discourage drop-ins. When I spoke with a friend about this and how I intend to continue this practice in my new neighborhood she suggested I pretend to be a Russian mail order bride who spoke no English. After we both had a good laugh I started wondering if mail order brides still even existed and found to my surprise they do indeed.

I'll take one Russian beauty please

There is in fact a website called mail order brides which is dedicated to matching American men with future Russian brides. A man merely has to fill in his first name and valid email address and he can sit in his boxers with a cup of coffee and view hundreds of videos and pictures. The site advertises that it’s easy to meet Russian beauties, whose unhappiness with the constraints of soviet society coupled with the desire to come to America, are waiting by their computers for the rich American man of their dreams. They advise men against falling in love with the first Russian candidate he contacts. Apparently Russian women outnumber Russian men by twelve million (really?) so I guess it’s slim pickins at home for these poor, lonely lovelies.

$2,000 for a beautiful woman is a bargain?

Most of these sites call themselves match making services and steer clear of the derogatory term mail order bride. But the one thing they all have in common is promoting their services towards older men looking for younger, attractive European women. And according to site owners business is booming. And why not? What older man wouldn’t enjoy being seen on the arm of a statuesque blonde beauty as she takes care of his every want and need? As one business owner is quick to exclaim, $2,000 for a beautiful woman is a bargain.

Mail order bride scams

But as is true in anything related to online matchmaking, scams are abundant. Sites are quick to point out that any problems lie with the foreign agencies contracted to recruit Russian women and are no fault of the American match makers themselves. Fake profiles and money gauging are common. But the mail order bride business is still a thriving industry, albeit one that has been described as a lighter version of human trafficking.

Happily ever after or not?

And what about after the honeymoon? Some women come here and realize it wasn’t at all what they expected or were promised. Some women say that being at a man’s beck and call becomes equal to the life left behind in Russia. And sadly there have been reports of women arriving in the U.S. only to be forced into lives of prostitution. Still others report that they have been quite happy and satisfied. Whether good or bad, wrong or right, like it or not, the fact is mail order bride businesses make money and therefore are here are here to stay.