Mail Order Bride Contest Angers NDP MP

[Coito ergo sum]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2 ... ntest.html

NDP MP Megan Leslie is apologizing to Czech women over a Halifax radio station's mail-order bride contest, but a spokesman for the station says he’s disappointed in her criticism of the giveaway.

J.C. Douglas, program director for Halifax’s Q104 radio station, says there's no sexual connection to the station's "Male is in the Czech" contest, where men are promised a set of dates with women in the Czech Republic.

"There's obviously no sexual connection with the dating. If a date is not successful, it won't go any further. If a date is successful, it could lead to matrimony," Douglas said.

Halifax radio station Q104 is offering the mail-order bride contest. (Q104)
The station has gotten about 50 applications for what they call a "giveaway" and will choose two finalists to be interviewed on air Monday.

The winner gets a flight to Prague and four dates to be used with up to four women

[Drewish]

How is this any different from numerous US reality TV shows?

[Coito ergo sum]

How is this any different from numerous US reality TV shows?

Perhaps not organized by the right people?

[b.ternarius]

This is in my province. They're getting shit because of the heaping tonnes of innuendo and nudge-nudge-wink-wink flavour of all their early commentary about it, which they've toned down some since people started calling them arseholes.

Also, Andrew, Canada is not actually a subset of the US. We don't always appreciate the same cultural activities.

[amok]

It would be offensive if it involved a Third World country where women who were participating actually were trying to get out of a bad situation via marriage to western men. I think the people entering this contest are hoping for a free vacation to Prague with dates no different than they'd find on dating sites in this city. The Czech Republic isn't in desperate straits like some of the other former East Bloc countries, after all.

It's sexist and stupid and unfair, because it was presented as a contest for men (though I suspect they wouldn't out and out bar a woman from entering). Come to think of it, I didn't hear about it until the protests, but I wish I had. Prague is a lovely city. That station is so juvenile, they might have got so excited at the chance to make lesbian jokes and I might have had a shot.

Just to put it into perspective, this is the same station that held a "father-son prostate exam" contest last year. Yes, they got a 30-year-old man to give his 55-year-old father a prostate exam, live, on-air, complete with bizarre running commentary. Makes the Prague dating contest seem quaint, in comparison.

http://www.ontheair.ca/index.php?option ... 7&Itemid=1

[FBM]

How is this any different from numerous US reality TV shows?

Yeah, when I was back Stateside recently I found one all about people who hoard stuff and live in bunkers in preparation for the holocaust du jour. This is it: http://prepper.tv/

The creepy thing is that there are enough people like that to keep a series going.

[JimC]

Czech mate...