I Almost Went on One of These Trips
"Love Me" is a documentary of online dating specifically about a group of American men looking for love in the Ukraine through an online service.
I could relate to this film because I'd done my share of online dating over the years, even joining a site that featured filipino women. Looking for love can be tricky enough in the US but add the novelty of not knowing who you're even talking to in virtual space then an additional barrier of searching beyond the borders of your own country and the risks increase exponentially.
This movie seems to focus on the hard luck cases more than the successes. An online service hosts trips to the Ukraine with the specific intent of introducing American men to single Ukrainian women looking for marriage. A lot of these guys come with high expectations of finding a wife and hoping to get married right away. They find the women back home in the US too independent and headstrong. They want an old-fashioned girl like their mothers were when they married their fathers. A woman who will stay home, cook, clean and be faithful. In truth many men who
The women of the Ukraine complain that their hometown men are all drunks and not good husband material. There is also a ratio of only 87 men for every 100 women. The women are mostly educated with college degrees and yearn for a better life.
The reality is, the US men are looking for beautiful women to have sex with and show off on their arm while the Ukrainian women are looking to escape their country's lack of opportunity and come to US and acquire a green card. It's a trade-off. Neither party is innocent. One uses the other. The men are willing to use their money to meet and attract beautiful women while the women are willing to use their looks and body to attract a man and keep him happy to get what they want. Many of the men are not exactly good-looking male model types. Most of them are schlubby, overweight regular Joes who wouldn't catch most womens' eyes. But they obviously have fat wallets or they wouldn't be able to make multiple trips overseas. The women aren't rich but they're all pretty hot and sexy. That seems to be the attraction for these men. These women are all white and beautiful. Women who look like this never give them the time of day back home. The eastern european countries are the biggest market of beautiful and eligible caucasian women on dating sites. Other female candidates are from mostly from latin america or The Phillipines. Second and third wold countries with beautiful women looking for a better life.
The downside of this which is shown later in the film is that there are plenty of scammers who take advantage of these guys who are looking for love and willing to shell out big bucks to find the woman of their dreams. Sometimes it's the girls, while other times it's the actual site and agency conning the guys out of their money. Very sad.