Getting Personal Truth In Advertising Best Policy When Seeking Companion
Kathy Hinckley opened her paper one morning and saw this personal ad:
“Beer Guzzler
“I drink a lot of beer, smoke a lot of cigars and watch football nonstop from September to January. I seek a woman, 18-32, to share this with.”
Hinckley looked at the ad and smiled. She thought it was perfect. “It’s honest and real,” she says.
Hinckley cut out Beer Guzzler’s ad and saved it. Soon she was clipping other ads, and before long, she had collected humorous personals from across the country. That collection is now a book called “Plain Fat Chick Seeks Guy Who Likes Broccoli” (Gibbs Smith Publisher, $6.95), 200 personal ads that tell it like it is.
“I wanted to make people laugh,” says Hinckley during a phone conversation from her home in Denver, “and at the same time let people know that maybe a lot of us have expectations that are a little unrealistic.”
Let’s face it, you don’t find a lot of truth in advertising in personal ads. Many of them are, to put it politely, slightly exaggerated. Here are a few currently running in local newspapers:
“Sharon Stone-like beauty with Gwyneth Paltrow demeanor.”
“I am the most handsome man you will ever meet. Picture Fabio in a tux.”
“Friends tell me I remind them of Jennifer Aniston.”
“People can get pretty carried away. Wouldn’t it be more interesting if people described the way they really looked and what their real motives are? At least, you know who you’re dealing with,” says Hinckley.
Imagine if people wrote the truth. “I’m addicted to chocolate, I’m cranky in the morning, and I have a weakness for soap operas. But I’m a really nice, caring person.”
“Wouldn’t you rather meet that person than someone who lies?” asks Hinckley. There are no celebrity comparisons in Hinckley’s book. She picked ads that were both humorous and honest. Here’s a sampling:
“I Hate My Job.
“If you marry me, I can quit.”
“Uglier than a Bucket of Rattlesnakes.
“I chew tobacco and am bowlegged, but I take my hat off at the dinner table. If you can bake an apple pie and kiss this ugly face, then I want to hear from you.”
“I’m a Materialistic Female.
“I’m sexy and beautiful with hope a mogul-CEO will be smitten with me.”
These are real ads. Hinckley does not know what kind of responses they got but says all it takes is one, “the right one, to call.”
“Well, at least they’re being honest,” says Hinckley. “How many people have answered ads only to learn that the person left out some important information - like he’s 5-1 when you’re 5-7?”
Of course, not everyone who writes a personal ad compares himself or herself to a celebrity, but even those with the best intentions have a tendency to exaggerate. “In the world of personal ads, everyone is slim, good-looking and has an executive position,” says Hinckley.
“I think it’s OK to say, ‘I’m average looking, but I’m a great catch.’ “
Hinckley began looking at personal ads after her 26-year marriage ended. Looking over the personals, Hinckley realized, “I wasn’t qualified to date,” she says, laughing. “I’m not height and weight proportionate … but I’m a lot of fun.”
One morning, Hinckley came across an ad that read: “Plain, Fat Chick Seeks Guy Who Likes Broccoli” and was intrigued. “Here was someone with a sense of humor about herself,” says Hinckley. She saved the ad and placed several ads of her own, including:
“I Want Big Man “I want a man with a Big heart, Big hands, Big feet, who gives Big hugs and is ready to enjoy Big aspects of a playful woman.”
Hinckley got three responses. She dated one of the men for a year and a half. “Maybe you won’t get as many responses, but at least the people who answer your ad know what kind of person to expect.”
A lot of people are tired of the misleading personal ads. Wes Schultz, a Sacramento firefighter, says he is “sick of people blowing smoke. I’m tired of pretentious people who try to mislead you.” Schultz titled his ad, “A Real Kinda Guy,” and said he was a combination of Wilford Brimley and ‘Tool Time’ Al.
“I’m not stud muffin, but I think I’m a good catch.”