Carrot dating is exactly as absurd and gross as it sounds.

Check out this picture.

That man sitting on the couch, dangling a carrot over the hot babes?

That’s Brandon Wade.

He’s an entrepreneur and app developer, and his latest brainchild is an app calling Carrot Dating.

Unlike what the picture might suggest, Carrot Dating does not encourage literally dangling carrots in front of good-looking women to get them crawling all over you. It DOES, however, encourage making use of various bribes to get women to agree to dates.

Think flowers, jewellery, petrol and even plastic surgery. They are all ‘carrots’ to be dangled by men in the online-dating world. The app argues that while messaging might get a lady vaguely interested, it’s only bribery that will actually get you a date.

In Carrot Dating’s ridiculous PR email to the Mamamia office, the concept is introduced with the following:

There’s only one method of manipulation that has stood the test of time: bribery. It’s a concept so simple that even animals understand–give a dog a bone, and it will obey. Give a woman a present, and she’ll…

Sound superficial? That’s because it is.

But Wade reckons that online dating in general is a superficial game. Men judge women. Women judge men. They reject or accept each other, largely based on how articulate their profile is and how aesthetically appealing their pictures are.

However – by taking advantage of Carrot Dating – “you won’t get rejected before you even get a chance”, because you can CONVINCE singles that they should go on a date with you – by “making an offer that they simply cannot refuse.”

Interestingly, old mate Wade is also the founder of:

1. The world’s largest sugar daddy dating website (seekingarrangement.com, for those who are interested)

2. A millionaire matchmaking website (seekingmillionaire.com – subtle URL there)

3. A dating site where singles bid for a first date (whatsyourprice.com – kinda sounds like a game show!), and

4. A travel website where good-looking singles can travel with generous men for FREESIES (misstravel.com).

You see, Wade is quite the classic ‘nerd’, who was shy growing up and often had trouble talking to women. He also had an intense fear of rejection, fostered by his father, who put the whole idea of being rejected by women into his head (good one, dad).

But Wade knew that awkward, self-described “ugly ducklings” such as himself often also ended up with a fair bit of money from successful business ventures. And he didn’t like the idea of men such as himself being readily rejected by attractive women who weren’t necessarily attracted to their looks. That’s why he started a bunch of online dating sites and the Carrot Dating app – to  “level the dating field”.

However, Wade’s efforts have been slammed. The web thinks his new app is essentially prostitution, but with gifts instead of straightforward cash and dates instead of just sex. (And perhaps the web has a point). Wade has also been called sexist. This from Business Insider:

This problematic app is teaching men that women are greedy idiots who can’t see through blatant and pathetic misogyny. And in turn, it’s telling women that behaviour is totally acceptable, nay expected.

As the press kits claims, “give a dog a bone, and it will obey. Give a woman a present and she’ll …” Congratulations Mr. Wade, you just dropped one of the most problematic and downright disgusting ellipses in the history of life, the universe, and sexism.

There’s also the issue that bribery does not exactly constitute a really solid foundation to a relationship.

I mean – there is no harm in buying someone a rose or a drink on a first date. Or even paying for dinner, if you really feel like doing so.

But buying someone a boob job to even convince them to meet up with you is MANY different shades of wrong, and a clear indication that they probably do not like you for anything of real substance, such as your witty phrasing in your dating profile, or your secret love for the O.C, or the blue specks in your hazel eyes, or your ability to drop useless anecdotes during lulls in conversation (did you know that, annually, 40,000 people are bitten by cats in the US?).

So. Men. Please do not sign up to this website. Find yourself a woman who actually likes you for you, and not because you are offering up the Tiffany bracelet she’s wanted for three months. They are out there, I promise you.

And women? Buy your own damn petrol. Or at least wait until you’re actually in a relationship with someone you love for some kind of deep and meaningful reason, and then ask them to buy it for you.

What do you think of carrot dating?

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