outsourcing dating

If you can trust a personal trainer at the gym, why not hire one for your dating life?

I asked that question after reading this Washington Post article, which describes how despite the faltering economy, people are still paying tons of money for dating coaches and wingmen -- even professional writers who craft online profiles.

An excerpt:

Here and across the nation, in myriad strange and sympathetic ways, a full-service dating industry has bloomed in recent years promising to assist lovelorn souls in that age-old quest for companionship.

The roots of the industry's rise? Frayed social ties in a time marked by hyperconnectivity and increased isolation.

With my writing background, I've always wanted to be one of those people who get paid to write singles' social networking profiles. It kind of reminds me of that "Sex and the City" episode when Carrie gets hired to teach that dating class even though she's not actually in a relationship.

Somewhere, I'm sure there's an aspiring chick flick writer penning a screenplay about a lonely woman (played by Kate Hudson) who pours all her energy into writing people's MySpace profiles. She gets hired to help a hot guy (um, Patrick Dempsey?) find love, puts forth a valiant effort, but then realizes she's actually the one in love with him.

Don't say I didn't brainstorm that one first.