Matchmaking Madness

by Genevieve

A recent Northwestern University study revealed that what men and women say they want in a partner and what ultimately attracts them are two very different things. In other words: We’re bad matchmakers for ourselves, so why not leave it to someone else? Cue two online dating sites doing just that.

If you care less about a man’s eye color and more about his love of Broadway shows or dogs, FastLife.com has just the single for you. Like other speed dating events, FastLifers meet each other in eight-minute cycles. The hitch? FastLife events are themed to ensure that participants meet others with specific traits, be that exercise freak, single parent or proud owner of a post-grad degree.

Scientificmatch.com, a new service currently operating in the Northeast, all but ignores clients’ self-reported tastes and–working only with a cotton swab and a brief personality test–makes the match based on the compatibility of one’s DNA. The theory is: why waste your time with a fellow opera devotee if his chemical make-up ultimately clashes with your own?