NY Times: True.com’s False Advertising?

If you've spent any time at all on the interweb over the past several months (especially on MySpace, or if you're all caught up on our Wet Spots posts on the topic), it's probably been hard to miss the provocative ads for online dating site True.com—and you've probably wondered along with the the author of an article in today's New York Times what all those hot babes are doing in them since "(they) almost certainly do not need to look online for a date." According to site founder Herb Vest, though, all that exposed cleavage and dodgy webcam come-ons are just a matter of proving that sex sells in the online dating industry as much as it does anywhere else. But please don't call their tactics pornographic: "We are very conscious of our reputation ... Pornography brings perverts, and we do not want perverts on our site. On the other hand, you can state from me in bold letters that True is in favor of sex." Considering the fact that True.com bought ad space here on Fleshbot a few years ago, we guess that means that either some kinds of porn are OK as far as they're concerned or that Fleshbot readers are a special brand of perverts. Still, we prefer to stick with the old-fashioned way of getting a date: by getting really drunk and foisting our cell phone numbers as many objects of our affection as we can before we throw up and/or pass out. It may not be the most effective way of finding romance, but at least we can put that $49.95 a month to a better use than dealing with the crushing disappointment that all those winks we're getting aren't the real deals after all.

· "Hot but Virtuous Is an Unlikely Match for an Online Dating Service" (NY Times)
· See also: "So feel free to wear your tightest short shorts, Ladies" and "The continuing chestification of True.com" (copyranter.blogspot.com)