I watch The Millionaire Matchmaker. I say that without apologies. It’s a great show. Hilarious, ridiculous, and completely watchable in a trashy way. Now, I don’t watch it, like, as part of my regular television schedule. Like, I’m not waiting for it every week. I always catch it on reruns on the weekend, and I enjoy the hell out of it.
Now, do I think Patti Stanger, the Millionaire Matchmaker, is a good person? No. Do I think she’s talented in her chosen career path? Not really, although I do think she’s pretty good when she’s setting up gay dudes (seriously, she’s pretty gifted when she gets a gay millionaire). BUT – for all of those people who complain about how she’s full of it and how you hate her, just hold up. She is full of it, but she also says a lot of the kind of common-sense dating and relationship advice that some people need. Not all of it – but some of it. Anyway, that’s enough of me defending her.
So Page Six has a piece today about all of Patti’s disgruntled ex-clients, many of whom claim that the show misrepresented who they are in real life. They even have that creepy serial killer douche (David Vroubel) who tried to bully his date into drinking an uncooked bird fetus!
Survivors of “Millionaire Matchmaker” Patti Stanger banded together Tuesday night to watch the season finale of a show that they say ruined their lives. Season 4 contestants told Page Six the mouthy matchmaker’s comments and edits have caused them professional and romantic damage, as they gathered at Hudson Terrace to drown their sorrows.
Long Island divorce lawyer Doug Kepanis, who’s described on the show’s Web site as “a divorce attorney with an ugly bod,” said business has slowed and he was dropped as a legal expert from TruTV because he appeared sexist. “It’s the busiest time of the year for divorces, and I haven’t gotten any calls since my appearance,” Kepanis said. “I have a lot of female clients — it may have turned them away.”
Millionaire Jason Teich, who’s pegged as a “tough-talking, heavy drinking guy from Brooklyn,” said he hasn’t been able to get a date since the show aired. “Producers fed me drinks and then Patti yelled at me for being an alcoholic,” Teich moaned.
David Vroubel said Stanger called him “creepy” eight times, and the episode was edited to make him look socially awkward. “They backed a bus over me and then ran it over again,” he complained. “She said she had a one-in-five success rate — come on, she can’t even get married herself.”
Elegant Affairs caterer Andrea Correale said her character was exaggerated, but it helped her business. But “some of those other guys really got their butts kicked.”
Meanwhile, sources tell us the show’s fifth season, which is about to start filming, will be Stanger’s last because Bravo producers can’t deal with her demands and tantrums.
“She thinks they aren’t giving her the respect she deserves and she’s telling friends that she’s shopping her show to other networks. But Bravo is tired of her antics, insists it owns ‘Millionaire Matchmaker’ and wants to continue the show with a different matchmaker,” a source said.
Stanger could not be reached. A Bravo rep said the network will soon start production on Season 5 with Stanger, but “it is too early to say anything about Season 6.”
[From Page Six]
Uh-oh, this is the last season? Sadness. I guess I’ll have to get into another trashy show. Oh, well. As far as her ex-clients bitching about her… well, I’ve yet to see a millionaire that I would want to spend any time with, at all. They’re all, like, 50-something douches looking for a “young 20-something” blonde to start a family… except every one of them is afraid of commitment! It’s ridiculous.
UPDATE: Patti is pissed! She’s issued a denial about Page Six’s report (above). Patti says: “This is all lies, plus they’re under contract by Bravo. I don’t have control over the edits, I’m not in the editing room, you’re on a show. Look at the Kardashians, what do you think that is? It’s a reality show.” As far as Patti’s alleged “tantrums” go, Patti says: “This story is untrue.” Stanger tells E! News, “with steam practically coming from her ears.” She says that not only does Bravo not have a problem with her, but that Matchmaker is an unmitigated hit. (This week’s season finale had the show’s best ratings ever: 2.2 million viewers.) “I didn’t go anywhere, other networks approached me. I get offers from all different networks and for feature films all the time. I took one feature film.” Patti goes on to lodge specific complaints against certain dudes who were bitching about her and the show – you can read the rest of it here, at E! News.
One last thing – Patti Stanger participated in an article for Esquire Magazine. Esquire had her go through a mystery man’s online dating profile and give her opinions on what the profile said about the man. Her take is very funny – made even more funny when it’s revealed to her that the online dating profile belongs to Julian Assange. Her take on him (before she knew it was Assange):
“This man has been bruised. He’s been burned. You know, he’s got a little bit of an ego and arrogance to him — I’ll give you that. He’s going to deter all good-quality women away — he’s going to attract the diva-drama bitches. That’s what he doesn’t want, so he needs to tweak it. He doesn’t have to say, “Warning, I’m not your regular guy.” That’s a bunch of bullsh-t. If he’s going to be this negative, he deserves a negative chick.”
Okay, this is the most bitter man alive. This man is so bitter. It’s a one-size-fits-all for him; every woman is the same. Now, he might be an international dude, like you said, and he might be British. Usually the British are kind of nasty like this — I wouldn’t give the Scottish and the Irish this, but the British are kind of nasty. [Ed. Note: Assange is Australian.] He’s not your typical I’m a really nice guy, I’m looking for somebody I can grow old with, my mother has to approve of my mate. He’s not that guy. He’s I want someone who’s gone through political turmoil. Who the f-ck says that? I mean, that’s like someone who’s living in his head. You think when the penis does the picking and it gets a stiffy, he thinks about who you voted in the last election?”
He wants a woman who will give him an opinion — but I bet you he’ll hate her opinion. I will bet you he’ll slice her in half when she says what she feels. And he’s going to attract the Russians. The eastern European women are going to flock to him. Flock. And they’re farbissina as we say in the Jewish religion. They’re very miserable, they don’t smile, they’re never happy. So he’ll just keep trying to please them, and… perfect match.”
Oh, so he’s into love-making. He’ll make great love to you then tell you what’s wrong with you. That’s called ‘seducing and reducing.’
“There’s always a trauma — maybe Mommy left Daddy, maybe Mommy cheated on Daddy. Maybe his first-grade love hated his guts. There’s a trauma. He’s a nasty son of a bitch. And you know what? He should get out of this country. Go move to France, they take everyone.”
[From Esquire]
She kind of nailed him, didn’t she? That’s why I watch the show!
Photos courtesy of WENN.
This is way off thread but my husband and I met-up with members of the Lisbon, Portugal maffia one night (don’t ask) and we each ate an uncooked bird fetus. Bread, butter and a little wine to wash it down. I was deathly sick for the next three days.
True story.
Yea I recently just started watching it. The Soup showed this clip of a heavy set woman on Millionaire Matchmaker who was very superficial and her date was clearly a gold digger, it was funny, you know how Joel Mchale skewers a clip, but the woman was such a mess I wanted to watch the full episode and I kinda just got sucked into the whole show recently and have enjoyed the re-runs. I thought she sucked as a matchmaker but she is not that bad.
OMG Patti nailed Julian. Wow.
I watch this show too and I always wonder, why would you pay her to set you up with someone? She says her success rate is 1 in 5 but in almost every episode I see (except one from a few weeks ago), the people never go out on a second date. Is this Patti’s fault? Not necessarily but when you run a company that advertises that you can definitely find a match for someone, you need to deliver.
The show is such a train wreck and so is Patti, but I just can’t stop watching 🙂
OK, the Esquire article with her profiling Assange without knowing it is hilarious.
Wow, she pegged Assange. Especially the part about wanting an opinionated woman. Assange strikes me as the kind of person who doesn’t want to acknowledge your opinion as legitimate unless it segueways into HIS opinion. Which is the RIGHT opinion.
I love this show, too, and I always catch the reruns on Bravo. I think Pattis success rate has to do with the men that come to her. If she were “everyones Cupid” and had more reasonable people to work with, who have reasonable expectations, she would fare better. She DOES say some good stuff about relationships. But this is millionaire matchmaker. These skeezy guys don’t know the meaning of the word reasonable. They want a stripper with the heart of a southern house wife. I imagine it would be borderline impossible to match up some of the guys I’ve seen on her show. The one guy, he bird fetus guy, was fucking creepy. You can’t edit everything into a vacuum. He was creepy and weird and sexist, so I don’t feel bad for him at all.
Now that THAT is out of the way, Patti is batshit crazy. I think a new matchmaker may not be a bad idea. They could pick someone who has personality, but who’s not so polarizing and nasty.
@Rita….did the mafia make you eat it
or else?
if you don’t want to risk being edited to look like a jerk or an alcoholic, don’t go on a reality show dummies.
She nailed JA to a “t”-he’d be great in the sack, but the drama of getting there and hearing all about your flaws after.
OMG Rita is uncooked bird fetus some kinda delicacy? Why are people eating that? *gag*
@brin
They had guns inside their jackets so we weren’t going to insult them by rejecting their hospitality but no direct threats. We were drinking something very close to battery acid but it obviously didn’t kill the bird bugs.
You can’t force it – and she tried to force it too much.
LOVED the esquire article
Too bad she’s turned into a prima dona
o, i looove patti stanger and the entire show. i don’t think she actually matches by personality, though, but by how the people look on paper. then she’ll fill a room with a bunch of people that fit the criteria – divorced, kids, age range, professional vs. non, etc., and then let chemistry lead to the match.
i believe it about the editing, i shudder to think of how i’d be edited on a reality show – but that’s why i don’t try out for them.
did anyone see the ep with matt siegal – the gay heir to the “cookie diet” fortune? i think he got the raw end of the deal on that show.
Oh Rita… I havent the words…
I like her and she can be abrasive but she is entertaining. I have always wondered if any of her matches were successful.
@Rita…I think you should have your own show and replace “Millionaire Matchmaker.”
Honestly uncooked bird fetus isn’t that unusual a dish. (Balut is the most famous example). Very, very common in Asia and beginning to catch on in America.
Kaiser, if trash is what you want you should look into Toddlers & Tiaras – on TLC. Though, it is also a bit sad. I am addicted to it, actually since working out and working towards homeschooling I don’t TV as I used to, so it is the only show I actually sit and watch. No joke. Now my partner and best friend watch it with me and we all just sit there with our mouths open in shock looking at each other. Sometimes we even watch the rerun an hour later because it is so hard to believe what you just saw.
Who in their right mind would let their matching process and date be televised, that’s my question. What the hell did they expect?
I really don’t know what to think about this woman and I’ve never watched the show, but I have read some of her interviews she has given. She gave a really recent interview where she talks about celebrity relationships and at one point she claims how you can’t date unless you’re a size 2 and get botox, you have to look your best! I don’t know if she was being sarcastic, but what a slap in the face to over half the women in this country!
Honestly Rita, you should write a book! : ) One of my parent’s friends inquired about her services and said she was extremely sweet and professional. I think the reality show editing can make anyone seem off, lol. They never ended up utilizing the services though, so I didn’t get a full scoop. lol.
Are ANY of the couples she connected on her show still together – married or not? Doubt it. It’s just good trash tv.
I find her funny because she KNOWS she’s over the top. She’s in on the joke.
And her jacket is crazy cheap looking.
I don’t watch this show but am aware of it and Patti. People who go on reality shows should NEVER be surprised in the way they are portrayed. That’s BS. You are filiming for say 6-7 hours and they are going to to make a show segment that is 12 minutes. YOU KNOW they are going to take the most outragous things you’ve said/done and twirl them into that segment. If you don’t you are flat out retarded. And to be honest, unless Patti is a producer of the show, she has no control over how the show is put together, she is an employee.
“Usually the British are kind of nasty like this — I wouldn’t give the Scottish and the Irish this,but the British are kind of nasty.”
Scotland is part of Great Britain, assclown.
Ok. By now everyone knows reality shows are edited to magnify faults. I don’t feel the least bit sorry for any of them.
Plus, I kinda like the show =) I think it’s pretty funny.
I am so addicted to this show it’s not even funny.
*trembling*
Rita, I’m all ears if you ever want to share more tales of international intrigue!
Any anybody who saw a single scene of the show with the exceptionally creepy bird fetus man would understand that his complaints about being misrepresented are baseless. No editing needed – there are single cuts of him leering, baring his teeth, and licking his lips. I get the shivers just thinking about him.
this woman is total fraud! how hard is to put an ad in the newspaper asking women to show up at party for a chance to met and date a millionaire? Hell, give me the show and I will match anybody down here in South Beach-land of the gold diggers!
@Whitey Fisk- Absolutely agreed about that creepy guy, Vroubel! There’s no amount of editing that could make him NOT look like a psychopath! [Shudders…] And the SoCo-guzzling frat boy who brought his friends on the date deserved all the wrath he got from Stanger.
I like this show a lot- Stanger may not be able to match these guys (who could?), but she nails it when it comes to who they are. I wonder if her “1 in 5” success rate comes from clients who don’t appear on TV, either because they don’t want to, or because they’re the more normal ones who don’t make good TV, but might be easier to match.
If her job is to score ratings, then no she is not terrible at her job. ( I base this off the comments on this article.) Is she good at making matches? No. It seems like she half heartedly tries so when her clients aren’t happy she can bitch about them.
That’s my take, but I’ve only watched a few episodes.
Patti doesn’t get portrayed as an angel. She rants and raves in almost every show. She criticizes people about their looks and then turns around and calls millionaires out for being shallow.
The show is entertaining and that is why I watch it. Patti stomping around in horrendous outfits cursing people out and acting like a spoiled brat. I’d love to know if this is her natural tendency or if its just an act for the show. Otherwise, how could she keep and attract so many clients? How would she be able to keep her staff?
Those that sign up for the show are hoping for some self-promotion and if they are edited to look like jerks/idiots then its their own fault for making such a stupid move.
I think that she is hilarious and brutally honest, but that just makes her more appealing. I’d rather watch her tell it straight than to say one thing to their face and another thing behind their back.
She can only work with what she is dealt with. She is a genius.
I have to admit her show is a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s definitely not as trashy as Jersey shore so don’t be ashamed…
and I did watch Jersey shore and I felt like scum doing it 😛
Any respectable professional that is not into the fame business, would not appear on reality tv. That’s the way I feel. Why did they expose themselves in the first place. That’s pretty naive.
Most of the episodes I’ve seen though the dates ended up going bad, so maybe she’s not so good of a matchmaker, but those shows are good for ratings.
I’ve had balut (cooked duck fetus, in the shell). It didn’t kill me or make me sick. Tasted like chicken.
I saw one show a couple of seasons back – she told a woman that her stiletto shoes weren’t high enough and that’s why she was still single. She made another woman, perfectly attractive, go out and get her hair professionally straightened so she could land a man.
Really, that’s what it is. She parades wanna-be actresses and models and the guys pick the one or two they think is the most attractive. It’s not a matchmaking service, it’s an escort service.
If anyone says it’s not an escort service because the women don’t get paid, I beg to differ – most are wanna-be actresses or models, or somehow in the “business,” and the publicity they get has monetary value. It’s an esccort service, but since it’s still on the air, I guess it’s an entertaining one to watch.
all the people featured on that show get services for free, so I dont know what they are complaining about. Many of them are set up on that show by their clever agents or managers looking to get them more exposure and working something out with Bravo. Patti takes what she gets in terms of casting and I doubt she would work in real like with half the people who appeared on the show.
that being said, her previous VP, courrtney or whatever her name was, left her and the show because she was being abused constantly by Patti, who is by most account, not that nice of a person. She has her own matchmaking company now.
And those egg bird things are all over. I once accidentally bought some from the asian grocery store I go to, for some baking. Imagine my surprise when I tried to crack an egg into the bowl. OMG. I would have tried it though, because it looked ok when Zimmern ate it on Bizarre foods in the Philippines.
Watched the show the first season but have since then lost interest. How she treats her staff is appalling…and they often come across as very unprofessional toward each other in a room full of potential clients or matches for the clients. Those are huge blunders in any office.
Patti has gotten way too preachy to be enjoyable anymore..if she would tone it down a bit and not come across as a yelling harpy at EVERYONE, I might tune back in. But as of right now…not even looking for airdates for the show.
Several things: This is also my guilty pleasure, but I had a hard time getting through the David Vroubel episode…just looking at him gave me chills and not in a good way…no amount of editing could make him look good. I think he belongs in an institution on a remote island. Next, the above pic of Patti (in red) has to be photoshopped. I have never seen her look that good. She is the strangest-looking woman I have ever seen. There is something VERY wrong with her mouth…it looks like it’s been tattooed and it’s a really weird shape. She needs to wear some damned lipstick (like in the pic above)…the no color does not work for her. But I can’t imagine this show without her.
Just about everything she makes fun of the clients for, she is.
I watch this show the same way … as reruns on weekend when I want something trashy and fun. Some of her advice is awesome but alot of it is old fashioned. I just hate that she thinks everyone is the same … we’re all different and we all look for something different in our mate. Some of the stuff she says makes me roll my eyes but it’s all funny to watch … though … I doubt I’d ever go to her to match me up. She thinks men need hot women who are smart and are the whole package but women need to settle for older dudes that have more money but looks not mattering at all. Double standard much …
Love Patty and love that show!!!!!! The really creepy guy? There is no way that was just editing!! He is ODD!!!
I just wish she didn’t refer to every Latina as “spicy.”
some of those pompus millionaire a-holes do need to come down a notch or two and she is fabulous at it. They think coz they have tons of money they can write up a list of demands of what THEY want.
Patti isn’t perfect and she can be an absolute c*nt, but it’s her show and they go on it knowing what she is like.
The show just conveyed to everyone what jag-offs those guys are and saved a lot of women some time.
Patti’s the SHIT! Love that hoe!
I think Assange would be perfect for her and she would be perfect for him. He sure needs a challenging partner, and she needs somebody who makes her not want to give a rat’s @ss about her mom’s approval. Can one choose a mate basing on how mom would react????? Grow up Patti! I like her though 🙂
@kj (#5)- Assange strikes me as the kind of person who doesn’t want to acknowledge your opinion as legitimate unless it segueways into HIS opinion. Which is the RIGHT opinion.
Yep. The sort of douchelord that will even go so far as to encourage someone to express their opinion… just so he has the option of tearing it (& you) to shreds…Thus fueling his ego, since he’s always right.
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@LittleFATMe (#16)- Kaiser, if trash is what you want you should look into Toddlers & Tiaras – on TLC.
Word. I’ve managed to avoid the actual show (since seeing a few minutes of it once), & have only seen clips when they were being reviewed by ‘The Soup’. I can’t even believe the incredible amount of abuse these people get away with. Even worse when the entire world gets to watch it happen without *any* intervention whatsoever.
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I may not care for this woman or her show, personally… but I have no sympathy for those people. They made an informed decision to be part of reality tv. If it wasn’t dramatic & shocking…& this woman didn’t make the snarky, judgmental, rude, & brutally honest statements, no one would watch it.
If their lives & careers have suffered from the show portraying them as pinheads, they only have themselves to blame. They need to grow up & slink back into obscurity.
I like Patti as the Matchmaker. She is the reason I watch the show, not the clients. She tells it like it is and her diva tendancies make it more interesting. I wouldn’t watch it if she wasn’t the Matchmaker. I also think that what she teaches her clients is helpful for others to see.
The show alone is not her matchmaking business. She has actual clients that aren’t televised. If she didn’t do a good job, she’d have been out of business a long time ago.
I applaud her for not getting married JUST TO GET MARRIED. That means she practices what she preaches to a certain extent.
I don’t think it was that odd that the creepy guy wanted exotic food or his date to try it. It was the way he went about it. He pretty much said “you’re going to try it”. He was creepy and it was through his interview, his mixer, his date and his follow up. It wasn’t just once that editing took advantage of. He was pretty much creepy the entire time.
I hope this show runs for several more seasons.
these are millionaires who are so socially inept they can’t get a date and golddiggers who only date them for their money; not exactly the most stable people in the world.
Yes.
Here’s why the matches never work out on the show. The women who come audition for the show want to be on television. They are wannabe models and actresses (and “VIP hostesses” aka hookers). They are looking for fame, not for relationships. The men are egotists. They want to show the world how rich and awesome they are. They are also douches, but are genuinely unaware of it, so when they see themselves portrayed on television as they really are, they are SHOCKED!
Is Patty good at her job? Yes, because her job is to make a watchable tv show full of drama. Which she does.
“Cookie Diet” guy was plain awful, imo.
The bird fetus has been featured on Survivor as well.
I really liked Patti and her show until she freaked out at a shy guy because he wouldn’t kiss a strange woman in the acting class that she set up for him. She was yelling at him to kiss the girl, and then kissed the girl herself. Considering that sometimes it looks like she’s got a cold sore, that was a really, really bad thing to do to that woman, imo. The shy millionaire has a right to kiss or not kiss strangers, and Patti missed the mark treating him that way. (He was one that I would have loved to date. lol)
It seems that she has to yell at someone in every episode now, which is annoying to me, but it still can be a good show. Oh, and I don’t like her male assistant guy because he always seems to be saying mean things about and to people, which isn’t necessary. /end rant
Hey Kaiser – I saw this and totally thought of this post:
http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2011/01/18/alec_baldwin_denise_richards_destined
Apparently Patti Stanger thinks Alec Baldwin and Denise Richards are destinated to be together – and Alec seems startlingly cool with the idea……
I sort of love this idea….
I find this show to be by far one of the best dating shows ever! Patti puts her clients in their place and shows them exactly what it is to be real and why they haven’t found their true love yet. I missed out on my true love about 3 years ago when I called off my wedding, only 2 months before. I wanted to be with the “bad boy” type, which is the total opposite of myself. I was in that relationship for over 10 years but found that I was never able to get out of it because i was too much in love with him. My problem was I was always afraid to make a commitment and always looked to please my family and my friends. I now look back and realize that i lost out on the best thing that has ever happened to me and would do anything to go back and change that so i can have that person back in my life forever. When you have true love and find that person to be your best friend, thats when you know that its right. I am single now for 3 years and am constantly comparing every guy that i meet and date to my ex which i know is not a good thing, but I lost the one and only person that i ever really loved and wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I am going to be 30 years old and always thought i would have been married with kids by now. Unfortunately, I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting go of the person that meant the most to me and now I am single and not happy. Hold on to those that you love and make that commitment and next step by proceeding and not be afraid of all the good that comes with a marriage.
Patti Stanger didn’t need to do anything to make Doug Kepanis look bad. He clearly asked sexual questions repeatedly during the mixer. If he didn’t want to look like a jerk, why would he do this? And then trying to get women to tell him where the next tattoo would be? And a hot tub? He was a sexist, creepy pig. I would never use him as a divorce lawyer. Possibly the editing made it look worse, but he had to do and say all those things for them to have that footage.