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Marry Our Daughter.org Receives 60 Million Site Hits, Hundreds Of Angry Letters
Controversial Site Reported To Be A Joke, But Many People Aren’t Laughing
September 19, 2007—Tired of your moody teenage girl dating strings of worthless teenage boy slackers, or being so “mature” that she is unable to find a date at all? Marry her off. That’s the philosophy behind the week-old site www.marryourdaughter.org, which has generated 60 million hits, hundreds of angry letters, and, interestingly enough, countless numbers of online proposals.
The site, which loads slowly and has the feel of an online dating portal, features the pictures and profiles of teenage girls—some as young as fourteen, as well as the desired “bride price,” which can be likened to a dowry, that the parents of these girls require. Interested parties can click the online “propose” button to send a message to a specific girl, and “bid” on her.
Newsweek reported this week that the site is actually a joke, a “social commentary,” according to its founder, viral marketing consultant John Ordover, who says that he was hired by a women’s advocacy group to create the site to bring the problem of arranged/underage marriage in the United States to the country’s attention.
This statement from Ordover hasn’t stopped people, particularly bloggers, from wondering why, if the site is a joke, it is still online, and still getting hits and proposals from hopeful grooms.
One of these would-be-suitors, when contacted by Newsweek for an interview, replied “Unfortunately, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” a response that is a far cry from the online proposal message he allegedly sent to fifteen year-old Courtney, as reported by Newsweek.com.
“Dear Courtney, your profile really spoke to me, and I think I may just be the man for you. I liked that you are carrying on your family tradition—family values are very important to me … I love to fish and play World of Warcraft …I am very excited to get to know you!”
So if www.maryourdaughter.org is a hoax, then it is one that at least appears to have fooled some people, and will undoubtedly fool others. 60 million hits in a week is a website owner’s dream, and search engine marketing companies, which dedicate themselves full time to achieving high website rankings and traffic for their clients, would undoubtedly have their own thoughts as to how this high ranking, and traffic pattern, was achieved in such a short time.
It’s been common knowledge for many years that sex sells, and apparently, one of the messages that Ordover has succeeded in sending loud and clear, is that the prospect—whether actual or fictitious, of a lifelong union with a girl not even old enough to drive, vote, or drink champagne at her own wedding sells just as well.
As a social commentary, the site effectively coincides with the decision by many state lawmakers to rethink the marriage laws and limitations in their respective states. Many states, including California, have no set age for marriage per-se, but do require the consent of both parents. In some states, where the wording of the laws and statutes is less specific, cases of girls who are allowed to marry but were still not legally old enough to go to court to petition for a divorce.
As of press time, the site was still accessible, perfectly legal, and continuing to generate high website page and traffic rankings.
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