Poverty stricken foreign women make excellent wives (or else!)

July 25, 2006 11:21 PM

Two Weeks in Ukraine is a long but very fascinating Harpers article about the U.S. market for foreign brides. Alternately hilarious & chilling, the story of the bride hunting tourism trade makes for an insightful read into an exceedingly creepy lifestyle that more & more Americans are taking part in every year. via
posted by jonson (16 comments total)

nyet again!
posted by shoepal at 11:23 PM on July 25, 2006

Historically, International Marriage Brokers have declined to provide any information about their male clients to the women with whom they seek to match them; and, in fact, this one-sidedness has been a selling point. A New York based advocacy group called Equality Now demonstrated it in stark terms in 1999, when they sent a blanket email inquiry to dozens of IMBs, purporting to be from a physician who had assaulted two ex-wives; his email asked whether this history would be an issue. Out of sixty-six responses, only three IMBs turned him down, and only two others expressed serious reservations about taking him on as a client; a few actually praised him and commiserated regarding the occasional need for violence when it comes to keeping women in line.
posted by jonson at 11:24 PM on July 25, 2006

Curses! Why wasn't the url found in the search?
posted by jonson at 11:24 PM on July 25, 2006

I have a friend visiting relatives in the Ukraine right now. I don't think she's looking for a wife. That would be hot, though.
posted by delmoi at 11:26 PM on July 25, 2006

Also, I wouldn't really call Ukranians "Poverty Stricken".
posted by delmoi at 11:26 PM on July 25, 2006

Previously posted on MeFi here.
posted by turducken at 11:35 PM on July 25, 2006

Oops, just grokked shoepal's post. Sorry to pile on!
posted by turducken at 11:36 PM on July 25, 2006

jonson, it didn't show up in search because the other url didn't contain the www and yours does. It's best to strip the url down to bare minimum, with no http or www.
posted by iconomy at 11:57 PM on July 25, 2006

People who order brides through the mail skeeve me out badly. I worked for once, he was/is an utter tool. He was excited to get someone who would work for him for free AND have sex with him. See? Utter tool.

But I think he bought a Phillipino wife. I think he was under the impression they didn't eat as much or something.
posted by fenriq at 12:04 AM on July 26, 2006

I'm skeeved that I can't afford a mail-order bride because I think it might be easier that way to find somebody who'll reciprocate decent treatment.
posted by davy at 6:17 AM on July 26, 2006

posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:40 AM on July 26, 2006

Hey crash, why don't we hit the singles bars together? Maybe compared to you I'll look all full of interpersonal finesse and fabulous wit. It might save me having to stand around Fisherman's Wharf with a sign reading "Why lie? I just want a bride!"
posted by davy at 6:49 AM on July 26, 2006

"Maybe compared to you I'll look all full of interpersonal finesse and fabulous wit."

You could count on it.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:52 AM on July 26, 2006

oh, crash... you just had to break out the pug.
posted by jonson at 6:54 AM on July 26, 2006

What's needed here is: An IMB who *does* tell the women about the men's history AND secretly pays protestors & such to inform the other IMB's women about their bullshit.
posted by jeffburdges at 7:07 AM on July 26, 2006

The best thing about mail order brides is licking the stamp.
posted by the cuban at 7:31 AM on July 26, 2006