Online dating is now responsible for one in three romantic
relationships. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, check out these 12
“niche” dating sites. Some are interesting, some are stimulating, and a
couple are just plain weird. Enjoy.
Agematch (www.agematch.com)
For every mature adult who lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis,
there’s a young whippersnapper who knows JFK only as some old-timey guy
they named and airport after. You might suppose from its name that
Agematch.com is all about helping you find someone your own age, but in
fact it’s dedicated to “age gap singles”–people interested in
intergenerational relationships, which the site refers to as
“May-December romances,” but which might just as accurately be termed
“Eisenhower-Clinton matches.” Agematch can help you close the
generational chasm, but first you have to get past the barely readable
“love fills in the gap” tagline and the Live Support text that turns
into “Life Support” if you stare at it long enough.
Asexualitic (www.asexualitic.com)
All the pain of dating, without the sex. Actually the focus here is
on developing platonic relationships, and the intended audience is
people who identify as “asexual” (not experiencing sexual attraction)
rather than “celibate” (sexually inactive by choice) or “incredibly
frustrated” (sexually inactive not by choice). The site links to the
nonprofit Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), which
deserves respect for being both sincere and educational.
Ashley Madison (www.ashleymadison.com)
Ashley
Madison takes the previously discreet pursuit of an extramarital
affair, and broadcasts your naughty intentions to the digital world.
Today’s most recognized name in infidelity (and quite possibly,
tomorrow’s most recognized name in infidelity-related murder) ensures
that third-party-sex-seeking spouses no longer have to suffer the
indignity of prowling a sketchy hotel bar for willing co-fornicators;
instead, they can poke around with Ashley Madison’s 12 million-plus
members. The downside? That nothing-serious stand used to last for just
one night, but those email messages last forever!
