Kids, I'm gonna tell you an incredible story: The story of how I met your mother.

March 25, 2011 7:22 PM

Win $10,000
posted by cjorgensen (87 comments total)

Are you getting a cut of that 10k? I mean, just wondering...

If not, this feels a bit like a point and laugh thing...
posted by tomswift at 7:25 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Surprisingly non-douchey.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:27 PM on March 25, 2011 [17 favorites]

There's nothing point-and-laugh about finding true love!
posted by battlebison at 7:28 PM on March 25, 2011

Are you getting a cut of that 10k? I mean, just wondering...

No, he is not. See the Requisite Legal Jargon section:

Requisite legal jargon.
The $10k will only be awarded if I marry someone. The money will go to the person who actually contacts me about their friend. Example. Someone posts Hook Chas Up to their social networking site. Someone sees it and submits a friend. The person who submits the girl is eligible for the money, not the original poster. And if multiple people submit the same girl, the money goes to the first person who emails me. Hope that makes sense.

posted by Salvor Hardin at 7:28 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Well, I'm not out of the running for the $10,000. I just have to find the guy a wife. I get emails for that sort of thing all the time. Shouldn't be too hard.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:31 PM on March 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

Two words: VIRAL MARKETING
posted by dunkadunc at 7:31 PM on March 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

Wouldn't an account at eHarmony ultimately cost less that $10K?
posted by hippybear at 7:33 PM on March 25, 2011

Yes, but it won't set you apart.

This guy's gonna get swaths of attention and opportunities he otherwise wouldn't have been afforded, and the only price comes with laying the golden egg.

Win-win...win.
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 7:35 PM on March 25, 2011

I can't wait to tell our kids how we met!
posted by meadowlark lime at 7:37 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Found her...
(email in profile... send 10,000k in small bills please)
posted by Bighappyfunhouse at 7:38 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

If he's willing to wait a couple of years, I know a kid who knows what day of the week it is, appears to like music-like noises, and recently came into some money.
posted by crunchland at 7:38 PM on March 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

Haha, my lame joke was already your subject line....
posted by meadowlark lime at 7:39 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I am okay with this existing and can find no real reasons to mock the guy.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:42 PM on March 25, 2011 [17 favorites]

Lose five dollars!
posted by samsara at 7:44 PM on March 25, 2011

If I were single and lived in his area, I'd consider dating him even without the $10K.
posted by immlass at 7:45 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I wonder if the pre-nup is going to be done in flash?
posted by porpoise at 7:45 PM on March 25, 2011 [11 favorites]

He seems like a good guy, and this is a good idea. I'm ok with having a boring opinion in this instance.
posted by facetious at 7:46 PM on March 25, 2011 [7 favorites]

Seems better than using a billboard. I wish the guy the best.
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 7:48 PM on March 25, 2011

I can't help but think some charming and enterprising woman is going to set up a fake persona to collect the $10k, then marry in great publicity, only to divorce two months later and take half his loot. Cause, I mean, if the guy's just throwing away ten grand like this, he's got to be worth more than ten grand.
posted by inedible at 7:52 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Does earnest and slightly awkward still work with the ladies?
posted by Nelson at 7:58 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

So, um, isn't he basically offering to buy a woman for $10,000?

I'm sure pimps and human traffickers "win" all kinds of money all the time.
posted by Sys Rq at 7:59 PM on March 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

MetaFilter: Surprisingly non-douchey.

Seriously, though, I expected some mega-snark when I came into this thread even though the guy seemed pretty cool and interesting. Well played, MeFi.

Also, Chas, let me take this opportunity to introduce you to my ladyfriends. You may want to sit down, this could take a while.

*deep breath*
Abigail Aaron, Adelaide Aaron, Agatha Aaron, Alison Aaron...
posted by Rock Steady at 8:03 PM on March 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

He's basically my age (same month, same year) but I'd wager he's looking for a younger duck. Anyway, Aries + Aries is a pretty combustible combo.
posted by contessa at 8:09 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

So, um, isn't he basically offering to buy a woman for $10,000?

No, you're being silly. Go back to sleep.

Seems like a nice guy, good idea. Hope he doesn't get crazy or if does, hope his reflexes are good.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:11 PM on March 25, 2011 [8 favorites]

Anyway, Aries + Aries is a pretty combustible combo.

Yeah, you'd be butting horns over the littlest of things.
posted by clorox at 8:12 PM on March 25, 2011 [6 favorites]

It's like he's living inside a Wes Anderson movie that's inside a flash based website.
posted by milarepa at 8:17 PM on March 25, 2011 [28 favorites]

No, you're being silly. Go back to sleep.

Sorry, yeah, you're right. He's not proposing the purchase of a human being; he's merely dangling the possibility of money in order to get free test drives.

I'm not convinced that's any more classy, though.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:36 PM on March 25, 2011

Money can't buy me love.
posted by Mike Mongo at 8:40 PM on March 25, 2011

He's basically my age (same month, same year) but I'd wager he's looking for a younger duck.

I don't see any hint of that anywhere, unless you're wagering based on your guesses about men in general. What do you have to lose? Aside from your singleness.
posted by incessant at 8:50 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Fauxhawk implied = 20k. certainly not 10k
posted by saucygit at 8:53 PM on March 25, 2011

People pay personal ads sites for introductions. People pay matchmakers for introductions. He's simply crowdsourcing the introductions. There's nothing non-classy about it. And nothing non-romantic, either. On their wedding day, he can honestly tell her, "I searched the world for you."
posted by the jam at 8:53 PM on March 25, 2011 [17 favorites]

Nobody tell MIT about this.
posted by teraflop at 8:58 PM on March 25, 2011

Free test drives? What the he'll?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:59 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

What's the over/under on when the romantic comedy starring Ryan Reynolds comes out?
posted by buzzkillington at 9:07 PM on March 25, 2011 [6 favorites]

he's merely dangling the possibility of money in order to get free test drives.

Yeah, because it usually costs... wait, what?
posted by P.o.B. at 9:13 PM on March 25, 2011 [6 favorites]

I may not have thought that through...
posted by Sys Rq at 9:25 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

This is nice.
posted by doublehappy at 9:25 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Hell, I'd pay 10k for somebody I could stand to be around for more than six months. (and somebody who could stand me, which is a much tougher proposition.) Where do I sign up?
posted by mrhappy at 9:29 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, this is no different from paying a dating site for introductions and phone numbers, except he's the only one on the dating site.
posted by doublehappy at 9:31 PM on March 25, 2011

What would it take to get you into this marriage? It's in cherry condition, single owner... a little old lady in Flatbush, who never took it out of the garage...
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:35 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Honestly, no one will ever see the $10k. Assuming he does find a bride, she wouldn't let him part with it.
posted by Malice at 9:43 PM on March 25, 2011

Shel Silverstein? I see some Peter Pan issues here. I am not usually one to engage in superficial analysis concerning a total stranger, but...um...he started it!
posted by kozad at 9:54 PM on March 25, 2011

The LP of the Harold and Maude soundtrack seems odd. Not sure if the octogenarian crowd is going to do much for the 'kids' part of his quest.
posted by buzzman at 9:59 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Maybe he's casting himself as Maude.
posted by hippybear at 10:34 PM on March 25, 2011

Flash?
DTMFA
posted by Kerasia at 10:37 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

This guy's gonna get swaths of attention and opportunities he otherwise wouldn't have been afforded...

The flaw in his business model is competitive pricing, anyone can outbid him.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:51 PM on March 25, 2011

He's into Monkeys and he lists that on a site he is trying to find a wife? Heck, I'll match his offer and give whomever marries him $10,000 also.

Well, at least he is into tequila and he was smart enough to move out of Detroit.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:35 PM on March 25, 2011

I wonder if this will make him famous. That would be cool for him: there are all kinds of benefits to being famous.
posted by millions at 11:37 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

It's so weird what Metafilter will randomly deem to be "not lame". This is as pathetic as any other viral/moneymaking/stupid/fake/soon-be-a-book phenomenon. Just as stupid as any of them.
posted by ReeMonster at 11:40 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

As I read it, he's not paying the ten grand to his future wife, he's paying it to the person who provides the connection to his future wife. Huge difference. I've introduced several friends who've gone on to be married and have kids. I've never asked them but I suspect if I did say "hey, would you have given me ten grand to introduce you to Karin?" they'd likely say yes.

The problem with his plan as I see it is it only works if the introducer knows the introducees fairly well. And I also think it takes two introducers. Of the couples I've hooked up, one was my friend/coworker and the other was a friend/coworker of my significant other. We hung out with both of them introducees independently for a number of years and then the light bulb went off: introduction.

In short: $10,000 to be my wife is kinda douchey; $10,000 to introduce me to someone who might be my wife I don't believe is. However, I'd spend it a bit more judiciously. Move into a building that's attractive to the type of people you'd like to meet, in the neighborhood where you'd like to either eat and hang out and/or live (they can be different) and get a dog. Be around people. You won't find people unless you're around them.

And by them, I mean giving yourself the opportunity to perform small acts of kindness on strangers. Preferably cute strangers. Or smart strangers. Or if you get lucky, cute and smart strangers. Go out and about and give yourself the opportunity to be a gentleman and a good guy and somebody will find you. Hell, they'll have the good fortune of finding you.

And if not you'e still got ten grand for hookers and blow. :-P
posted by MarvinTheCat at 12:01 AM on March 26, 2011 [3 favorites]

>It's so weird what Metafilter will randomly deem to be "not lame".

I think it's a sense of community or something. I can vouch for cjourgensen. My account might not be a lot older than yours, but I've been here quite a while, and a post I might otherwise have flagged, I read instead, since I recognize that name from before.
posted by inedible at 12:03 AM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is as pathetic as any other viral/moneymaking/stupid/fake/soon-be-a-book phenomenon. Just as stupid as any of them.

Single?
posted by obiwanwasabi at 12:32 AM on March 26, 2011

I think it's a sense of community or something. I can vouch for cjourgensen.

I don't think Reemonster was calling out cjorgenen. I think they were calling out the guy who made the website. FWIW, it raised my antennae as well.

This guy's 40, apparently financially successful (unless the photographs are the product of some extremely creative set dressing) doesn't appear to have any obvious physical defects -- he should have a long list of women wanting to date him (assuming he's looking for age appropriate women, rather than limiting himself to the 18-21 age group).

So, what's going on that he feels he has to advertise like this? My money is also on a book/reality TV show/other media project.

In short: $10,000 to be my wife is kinda douchey

Anyone who makes it known that they can pay $10k to make the introduction isn't going to struggle attracting women who are attracted to them because of the size of their wad.

Single?

I wish.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:57 AM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Well, a lot of attention was paid on the look of the site and cutesy details, and almost none on the specifics of what he's actually like, or even what he does, or what he's attracted to. He wants somebody spontaneous and kind? Good sense of humor? Like my mom? Oh? Was there any particular age group he was interested in? One of his favorite books is "To Kill a Mockingbird"? Well, that's unusual. I do have a single friend that also likes "To Kill a Mockingbird"! zomg!

It's like it's specifically crafted to draw in the widest possible gamut of possibilities.

Now I wonder why that is? He hopes she likes music! So if you have anyone in mind, you better check if she likes music. Music likers are definitely going to have a leg up over music haters! Just go ahead and scratch all the plodding, unfun, unkind music haters off your list. Everybody else, send 'em in!
posted by taz at 4:01 AM on March 26, 2011 [9 favorites]

seriously douch-y ... but that is just my 2c

should be on: http://fuckingbookdeal.com/
posted by jannw at 4:39 AM on March 26, 2011

So, what's going on that he feels he has to advertise like this? My money is also on a book/reality TV show/other media project.

The guy's some sort of creative professional, obviously has a lot going for him but can't seem to meet a women who will marry him/he'll marry. Don't we all have that friend who, for whatever reason, has no luck with finding a mate? Most of the time they just wallow in self-pity and setups by friends that don't work. He built a website.

I think the lack of douchiness that you'd expect from this sort of thing is an offshoot of being a lighthearted project where he gets to explore the creative side of trying to meet women. The fact that it's so well-presented and the attention to detail is so important seems to suggest the project is bigger than the result. If he meets a wife? Wow, what a story. If not? It was an opportunity to explore something creatively that's usually not at all that fun until it's with the right person.
posted by dflemingecon at 5:49 AM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, seems douchy in general to me, plus extra douchy for being in flash.
posted by delmoi at 6:45 AM on March 26, 2011

While the (obvious) addition of money to the equation will put some people off, I think it's a pretty creative answer to the question of how to cast as wide a net as possible. I hope it works out for him.
posted by Mooski at 7:08 AM on March 26, 2011

He definitely spent a few grand on his website. That's assuming "Chas" isn't a marketing firm.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 7:31 AM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh thank god some other people came up with reasons to mock the guy! Thanks MetaFilter!
posted by shakespeherian at 7:39 AM on March 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

I don't see the douchiness (assuming the site is as presented).

The guy is asking for introductions. The ten grand is a sweetener if he marries one of the women. He put up some information about who he is. You can tell some additional things to the verbiage, like: he says he likes music but the picture shows him with his vinyl, which tells me that he's not just into music, he's probably an audiophile, and based on the LP he's holding, probably a bit proud of his offbeat collection. But here's the kicker: he didn't put up a giant checklist of things he wanted, and particularly not a shitload of physical requirements. He wants someone fun and kind and with a good sense of humor. Don't we all?

And sure, it's in Flash. It's kind of an arty little site, which also says something about the guy, and it's not like I'm reading and making a decision about sending someone to him from my phone. But Flash, as much as I hate it, is not inherently douchey. Arty sites use it, the New York Times makes spiffy graphics with it, etc. For what he's doing, Flash is a decent medium.

I said if I were single, I'd give it a whirl. I don't know that it would work out, but dude has something in his life that he wants to change and he's working on changing it. That's an attractive thing right there

(Also, I don't share the hate-on the blue has for "it might be a book project". Even though in this case, I suspect a guy who can drop the money on making the site and the $10K for the introduction has better things to do with his time than write a book and market the thing, so I suspect it's not even true. A lot of people don't think "OMG published author" is the be-all and end-all of life. YMMV.)
posted by immlass at 7:49 AM on March 26, 2011

This guy's 40, apparently financially successful (unless the photographs are the product of some extremely creative set dressing) doesn't appear to have any obvious physical defects -- he should have a long list of women wanting to date him (assuming he's looking for age appropriate women, rather than limiting himself to the 18-21 age group).

Yeah, because obviously women aren't interested in anything other than rich and 'no obvious physical defects' when looking for a life partner... Putting that aside, I think all of us probably know people who are nice and intelligent and funny and reasonably attractive and eternally single and no one can work out why. Increasing the number of people you meet is an excellent way of increasing your chances of finding someone you want to date/wants to date you.

This scheme initially sounds pretty weird but his site seems genuine enough, and his comments in the "Latest" section are rather endearing. Good luck to him.
posted by badmoonrising at 7:57 AM on March 26, 2011

Link seems borked.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:27 AM on March 26, 2011

In my browser, it only showed a single picture, with no clickable elements anywhere.

I wish it had actually been done intentionally. Just a website with an image of a guy, a promise of money, and no other information.
posted by ymgve at 8:59 AM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Well, a lot of attention was paid on the look of the site and cutesy details, and almost none on the specifics of what he's actually like, or even what he does, or what he's attracted to

Strange, I think he packs a lot of information in very little space. He's 40, reasonably good looking, worked a lot, tried online dating, had several successful relationship, has actively tried to work on himself until the point where He's ready for marriage and kids, has done well for himself, has whimsical child like side along with a being an optimist, enjoy vinyl, tennis and skateboarding and snowboarding, loves SF, monkeys and Scrabble.

He's looking for someone fun, kind, spontaneous and with good sense of humor who clearly likes some of the things mentioned in previous paragraph. He totally admits he's not exactly sure how this process will work, but for now he's winging it.

Seems like a decent amount of information to consider whether to go out with the guy.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:23 AM on March 26, 2011

I believe this is his professional site. Maybe you're right, Brandon; it just seemed very advertising-like to me, and it turns out that is his industry. Whatever that tells us. Either he is legitimately doing this and it looks that way because that's his field, or he is building up for something else... book, reality show, whatever.
posted by taz at 9:30 AM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

I do wonder, at the age of 40, how many relationships you can possibly have in the, say, 20 years of active relationship-having and consider any of them to be "successful" if you can say you've had several of them.

Not trying to slam the guy, but if you're looking for marriage, and the average life-span of your relationships has been, say, 5 years....
posted by hippybear at 9:43 AM on March 26, 2011

Sorry, just another example of women as chattel. No matter how we try to cloak it marriage is a despicable institution that should be abolished
posted by Ad hominem at 10:22 AM on March 26, 2011

This has got to be all kinds of awkward for any of ladies involved (whether or not he is serious).
posted by monkeys with typewriters at 10:23 AM on March 26, 2011

It's weird that he doesn't mention whether women are allowed to contact him about themselves.
posted by millipede at 10:29 AM on March 26, 2011

"an image of a guy, a promise of money, and no other information."

If the guys that a lot of my female friends tend to fall for and get upset about are any indication, this is actually a fairly attractive set of parameters for a potential male mate.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 10:40 AM on March 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

If that is his professional website, I can say that his BBC America ads are actually pretty damn good.
posted by you're a kitty! at 10:58 AM on March 26, 2011

Before that page loaded, I thought "hookchasup.com" was going to be about getting Chas Bono a date, which I'm 100% behind, if only to make that dude smile once in a while, instead of always having a guilty little scowl-with-a-touch-of-gas-pain on his mug. Then I realized Chaz is actually spelled with a Z, the page finally loaded, and the brown velvet jacket made me hit the BACK button in a panic.

One makes mistakes, alas.
posted by sonascope at 11:52 AM on March 26, 2011

Douchey would have been if he was holding a raffle. This is a bit left of douchey.

I don't see the downside with what he's doing. A lot of women will be able to scratch him off the list based on what he's put out there. Of those that don't a goodly percentage could actually agree to meet the man. One of them might work. If not where is the problem?

This seems way less creepy than lining up a bunch of women and making a contest out of it, and they have a TV show for that.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:22 PM on March 26, 2011

Other than the fact that he likes The Giving Tree, he seems fairly non-douchey to me.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:01 PM on March 26, 2011

I like The Giving Tree. Sure, it could have used more nudity, but it's the saddest book in the English language.
posted by cjorgensen at 1:21 PM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

He seems like a non-douche who had the douchiest idea ever for a website.
posted by 23skidoo at 3:05 PM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

What this dipstick needs is a frikken comb.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 4:33 PM on March 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

I have a feeling a "friend" talked him into that faux-hawk just for the photoshoots. I hope so, anyway.
posted by Kloryne at 5:54 PM on March 26, 2011

Basically, I work a lot and never had much luck with online dating. I figured, why not create a site where I am the only guy?

Well, at least he's honest enough about working too much to put in the effort to meet women. Now he's tipped the balance entirely the other way (good for him), but if he works a lot where is he going to find the time to go on all these dates?

He obviously works in advertising, as he knows how to sell himself - nearly every interest he's listed seems perfectly designed rather than heartfelt or truthful. It reads so much like ad copy. At least on dating sites people sometimes write extended descriptions and they don't seem so manufactured.

But good on the single, 40-year-old creative type who works too much and is now using his work skills to try to get a date. You're a real catch.
posted by crossoverman at 6:42 PM on March 26, 2011

Well, he made me chuckle with one or two of his pics. Like the tennis-and-skateboarding-combined in one because the photographer's time was about to run out.

Considering the amounts that perfectly normal and far from wealthy people spend on weddings, engagement rings and the like, all it takes to see $10k as totally worth it for being introduced to your future spouse is having an unusual perspective on life.

I have no idea whether it'll actually work, or he'll just end up spammed by everyone and their dog that wants a shot at the $10k. But I say: Good luck to the guy.
posted by philipy at 7:06 PM on March 26, 2011

Maybe it's just the Flash messing with my ability to fully explore the site, but does it say anywhere where Chas is located? I'm asking for a friend.
posted by tristeza at 6:22 PM on March 27, 2011

San Francisco.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:43 PM on March 27, 2011

tristeza: He's in the San Francisco area. It's on the "bio" page.
posted by hippybear at 6:44 PM on March 27, 2011

Interesting - he has a blog.

Note his November 2010 posting: "My wife and I share a single MacBook (older version, but upgraded with a Kingston 128 GB solid state drive – highly recommended). We previously had two different iPhoto libraries...!”.

That's quite the rebound or perhaps a window on his latest Start-up's plans for cheap marketing.
posted by astrobiophysican at 6:35 PM on March 28, 2011

That's a different person, astrobiophysican. Different name, different face, different sense of style.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:10 PM on March 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

On a re-look I see that he says something to the effect that he made the site thinking it was a fun way to get his friends involved in his "mission to find a wife". The friends then started sharing the site, and the thing snowballed.

The whole thing makes a lot more sense and seems a lot more likely to work out well if it was really aimed at people he knows.
posted by philipy at 7:26 PM on March 28, 2011