randomness: (Default)
Randomness ([personal profile] randomness) wrote2005-04-29 01:34 pm

ImaginaryGirlfriends.com

I was reminded of this site after reading the script for "The Rental", by Mark Harvey Levine. (Theatre @ First up here in Somerville is holding auditions for an evening of one-act plays, one of which is "The Rental". If you're up here in Davis Square, you should definitely check it out.) "The Rental" mentions a ficticious company called "Rent-a-Boyfriend, Ltd."


from http://www.imaginarygirlfriends.com

  • "Tired of your friends and family telling you to get a girlfriend?

  • Want to make that certain someone a little jealous?

  • Need a confidence boost? Just feeling lonely sometimes?


"With an Imaginary Girlfriend, you can carry on a completely fictitious, yet authentic looking relationship with the girl of your choice."


from http://www.imaginarygirlfriends.com/girlfriend.php

"We are no longer requiring that your actual photograph is associated with your Imaginary Girlfriend profile! If you are too shy to share your photos but are an excellent writer of letters, or otherwise a hopeless romantic, we'd still love to hear from you. We are purchasing photo sets from models that can be used with the Imaginary Girlfriend service."

"How it works is simple- you write your letters, seal them and send them to us in another envelope. Upon receipt, we take your sealed letters, add the proper postage and immediately forward them to your client, never revealing your actual location. No need to worry about postmarks or return addresses compromising your privacy!"


They're looking both for models and for writers.

[livejournal.com profile] banana_plants asked me if I were considering being one of their writers, but I don't think the company would be very happy about that. And I'd want to be very sure about their security before signing up as an imaginary girlfriend.

(Thanks to JG for the original pointer.)

[identity profile] marith.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, I don't see why the company would mind about the gender of a writer. The security is a good point, though. Hm, wonder how much they're paying...:)

[identity profile] bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
According to the site between $30 and $100 per "boyfriend"....

I think this is just hysterical, and a great way to make some money too, should you be so inclined.

redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)

[personal profile] redbird 2005-04-29 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
For the amount involved, I suspect it winds up being badly underpaid for the writer ("girlfriend").

I'm half tempted, but not sure I could avoid using bits from my actual long-distance relationships, which feels somehow icky.

[identity profile] r-ness.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Yah, I imagine I'd end up mining stuff from my own LDRs. That would be bad.

[identity profile] marith.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Per boyfriend, or per letter? hmmmm...I can see one "relationship" taking an awful lot more than $100 worth of work.

It's bizarrely tempting, somehow - a combination of smut and therapy!

[identity profile] r-ness.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
And that's the high end. I can't imagine carrying on a "relationship" for $30.

[identity profile] chris-warrior.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
yeah - that pay scale isn't wonderful for the amount of writing you'd probably have to do.

[identity profile] chris-warrior.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
you know this is something i should do. ever since another LJ friend mentioned it, i had the idea in the back of my head.

*wry grin*

[identity profile] rmd.livejournal.com 2005-04-29 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
when i imagine the sort of person who'd use "imaginarygirlfriends.com", all i can think of is a 21 year old closeted gay mormon.