Friday, July 14, 2006

...Sense of humour irrelevant

In the last episode of Black Books, after we've just found out that Bernard's ex fiancee isn't really dead, Bernard retaliates by telling his friend Fran that he found her personal ad: "seeking men for sex... sense of humour irrelevant"
It made me think how funny it would be if everyone had to be that honest in personal ads. That way, they wouldn't just say 'financially secure man seeks slim younger lady' or 'woman seeks same for wiccan adventures' they would have to say "ugly 50 year old man with one bedroom unit seeks intellectually challenged, slim playboy bunny, must be aged 18-20" or "short practicing satanist seeks victim."
It all makes me realise how much personal ads are like job ads. Job ads say things like 'exciting new company seeks young funsters for exciting marketing role' when they really mean 'evil corporation seeks low paid casual workers who will have to dress up as giant bananas and try to get strangers to give them money'
Imagine if they all had to be honest instead.
Everyone would get to spend a few hours of a boring Sunday morning laughing at the number of dirty old men and women seeking 'casual' workers and relationships with elfin beings half their age.
If they were seriously looking, people could have a fair idea of which character/physical flaws they could live with, and which ones they couldn't. For example "I think amputees are kind of cute, but I don't know about that comb-over " or "I can live with the idea of meeting a pedantic accountant with a serious body odour problem, but I won't meet her now that I know she is a member of the Liberal party".
And there we have it. Another pressing social problem solved as Fifi takes an afternoon break from her social science theory book.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home