Photo: Courtesy of Rent-A-Gent.This is Saol. He's a professional model with a philosophy degree, currently pursuing a film career. He's also $200 an hour.
Introducing Rent-A-Gent, a new service for women that provides guys on demand. Looking for a fella to teach you guitar, cook you a meal, put together Ikea furniture, or just "serve as fabulous arm candy at an event?" Well, who isn't?! Founded by CEO Sara Shikhman, Rent-A-Gent was conceived after Shikhman attended a very disappointing bachelorette party. "The guy that showed up was not the guy we ordered in the picture, and at that point we couldn’t really turn him away so we got entertained by an oily, hairy guy." Soon after this event, she was invited to an ex-boyfriend's birthday and wanted to show up with a hottie but, "I didn’t really have anyone I could call at the very last minute that was hot enough." Well. Fair enough.
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Shikhman set out to provide a roster of multi-talented men available to "successful and confident women," who can browse through the online database of man-candy (though their talents vary, all the gents must be objectively good-looking). Peruse categories like Strippers, Poets, Bodyguards, and Mister Fix-Its, then choose your fellow's outfit and select the time you'd like him to arrive and start spicing up your life, by the hour.
Photo: Courtesy of Rent-A-Gent.That's the service in a nutshell. But, the implications, of course, need a slightly bigger shell. (Is there a gent who can swing by in a three-piece suit and help us unpack the sociological details of a post-feminist escort service?)
On the one hand, the idea of a genial handyman willing to assemble a Flärdfull chair without having an Ikea meltdown sounds great. On the other hand, come on.
Rent-A-Gent's philosophy is founded on the idea that women want charm and talent in a really, really, ridiculously good-looking package. But, in the end, we're talking about strippers, right? Perhaps not. Though bachelorette parties are the second most popular booking, the most requested service is a one-on-one date with a rented gent.
Is this a depressing commentary on the state of dating among "confident and successful women?" Or, is it just ladies having the same kind of fun men have when they call an escort service? But, without the sex...right?
On the surface, Rent-A-Gent is almost too ridiculous to mock. A super-sexy poet comes over to your apartment to pour wine and recite odes for you and your gal pals on girls night? Oof. On the other hand, who are we to judge? It's our sincere hope that a "confident and successful" woman wouldn't feel the need to have a hottie on her arm just to get through an ex's birthday party, but if she's determined and willing to drop the cash, why not? We live in a world where convenience is prioritized. If you strip it of the gender roles (Mister Fix-Its?) isn't this just another outgrowth of that priority?
We leave it to you to decide where you land. For your consideration: Saol.