Newspaper Ads

I'm not sure which entrepreneur or desperado started the newspaper matrimonial ads but I wish I could get my hands on HIM. (Yes I'm assuming it's a him). Back in the day these ads were so ridiculous I wish I had saved clippings so I could scan them in for you all to have a good laugh, I remember reading about a man looking for a stunning bride who's skin should be as white as milk - seriously ! and the description about him was something like this :

30 year old JSM (code for Jatt Sikh male) 5ft 9" (translation = 5ft 5") with a healthy build (more than a few Ibs overweight). Quick marriage can be arranged, only US citizens or Green card holders should reply with Biodata.

My first reponse was what the heck is a Biodata. You would think that these ads would never get responses, but these types of ads were accepted as normal. My own experience with this was to find Punjabi newspaper subscriptions going crazy, they were all over the house. I'd find the matrimonial ad page with big red circles around ridiculous ads (not as bad as above but still) on my desk or on the kitchen island. My response 99% of the time was to ignore them and in the beginning this worked pretty well as it slipped under the father radar, but eventually became a topic of contention between me and my parents, it also led to some serious conversations about what my expectations were and what my father would say reality is and argue how else am I to meet sikh men.

You think reading these ads was bad, at least you got a laugh at someone else's expense but how would you feel if you were one of these posts? It happened one November without my knowledge I was so humilated. I define this as the tipping point of my nightmare.