Carrot Dating: Find Love Through Bribery

quicklist: curated

quote: “[The app] sounds quite like an activity illegal in most of the continental U.S. — prostitution.”

their: BUSINESS INSIDER

their_title: New Dating App Is Basically Prostitution, And It Won’t Work

their_url: http://www.businessinsider.com/carrot-dating-app-is-sexist-2013-10

their_copy: As a young girl, I’d always imagined that Prince Charming would ride out from the sunset on a white horse, scoop me into his rippling arms, and then … promise to buy me a boob job or a tank of gas?
A new dating app from MIT grad Brandon Wade offers just that: bribery in exchange for romance. Through Carrot Dating, users (but really men, as the press email made clear) can buy credits to send “gifts” to other users (read: women) so they’ll agree to a first date.

theirCTA: Read the full story here

our_copy: “Women love presents like dogs love treats.” That’s how Brendon Wade delicately explains the philosophy behind his new dating app, Carrot Dating. Wade goes on to explain, in the company’s press release, that first dates are now only a bribe away! Bribers use the app to contact prospective bribees, offering anything from a few free drinks to a tank of gas to plastic surgery. If the bribe is tempting enough, a first date ensues.

Unsurprisingly, the app has been called misogynistic, sexist, and an outlet for “borderline prostitution.” That said, even if the bribers are probably the type of people whose company feels like punishment, there are likely a few women who might view this as an easy way to get a free meal or nose job.

EXTRA: Photos taken from Wade’s Press Kit. Only question is: where did he go to school?

Alexandra DiPalma is a producer for Fusion Lightworks, Fusion’s In-house Branded Content Agency.