Politics | 01/02/2009 12:35 pm

52 Weeks 2 Find Him: Woman Launches Website to Find Prospective Husband

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

52WeekstoFindHim.com

Welcome to dating in 2009!

A 42-year-old woman has turned to the Internet to find herself a husband by year’s end. But, rather than sipping drinks at the latest hot spots or going on potentially awkward blind dates, Neenah Pickett decided to take a more unconventional approach.

With her friends’ and family’s blessing, Pickett launched the interactive website 52Weeks2FindHim.com in a quest to find Mr. Right. The bubbly New Jersey woman says she’s been enthralled in the dating scene for nearly 20 years, dated more than 100 men and hasn’t found the one to win her heart yet. The site, she hopes, will change all that.

"You can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results," she told the New York Daily News of attempts to find love online, through friends or on blind dates. "I was just sitting there, thinking things would happen."

Pickett said she dreamed up the site two years ago while working with a social-networking company. 52Weeks2FindHim.com features a daily blog, videos of Pickett describing herself, poll questions, dating tips, testimonials from her closest friends — and a way for men to submit a profile of themselves for consideration. According to her website, Pickett is looking for "a guy who is clever, witty, street-smart, nice to his mother, doesn’t sweat the small stuff, prays every day, doesn’t mind asking for help."

Pickett doesn’t come across as picky but does seem to be a hopeless romantic when she writes about how Barack Obama’s kiss with Michelle on Election Night brought her "goose bumps." She may also feel a bit desperate. She calls the trend of beautiful, never-married black women the "Gayle King Factor," and fears if Oprah’s beautiful friend can’t find a mate to marry, who in the world can?

Tell us: What do you think of Pickett’s website? Is this one woman’s act of desperation? Or is Pickett a hopeless romantic searching for true love on the world wide web?

38 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

In my opinion, just as online dating sites, this is nothing more than an introductory tool. It gives you the opportunity to cast a wide net and meet a larger number of people at one time than you could face to face in a bar, church or other social situation. The key is to get the information about the potential person and then take that into the real world. Meet in person and see if there is any chemistry. I don’t see anything wrong with it. She’s a beautiful woman, and given (it’s a generalization I know) men tend to be visual, she should have no problem attracting guys. I say all the best to her. Who knows, the right man for her is definitely out there. It’s just a matter of connecting with him, this may be the avenue toward that end.

By Belinda Joy on 01/02/2009 1:17 pm

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I think that it is a marvelous idea. I just wish I had the money to do it myself. I am 45 single and successful but cannot seem to meet any men that are dateable. By this I mean men that are not married or dating as a sport and all the other things that make them unattainable. So my question is…what will she do with all of the men that have applied and did not make that cut? She should start a match making service for women like herself who are professional and ready to settle down.

By Monique Green on 01/06/2009 10:53 am

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Monique, I was listening to her this morning on a national radio show discussing her search for love and boy oh boy, you can look at someone’s photo, read their words, get a glimpse into who you think they are…..but until you hear them speak in detail….HOLY COW! She is super annoying. I really do wish her all the best luck, but it really does appear that this is just a game for her. It’s either that or the fact she has received so much publicity from her site that it has gone to her head. She said she and her friends have decided on the guys she will go out with and that this week actual dating starts. A part of me can relate to what she has to say about not finding a guy that is worthy of her time, I’m sure you and I feel the same way because I can’t find any “dateable” men either. But it’s just the way she phrases things. It will be interesting to see what kind of man she ends up with. From her interview I have a picture in my mind of exactly what he’ll be like.

By Belinda Joy on 01/06/2009 11:22 am

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If it’s like any other of the date sites like match.com, good luck. I never had any results from it other than my friend in Columbus, who forgets I exist. I am 4 for 4 in men lying about their age (I don’t), 4 men who, after meeting me in person, went back to old girlfriends to “see if they could make a go of it”, 2 I googled, and yes they were married(didn’t get far enough to even email back and forth), so I gave up 3 years ago trying to see if I could meet someone online. The best way, I guess, is to get the word out to your friends and famliy that you are available to Men -Who -Are- Eligible-and- Not -Trashy- and -Are Responsible -Adults. Sure…when chicken have gold teeth.

By Diana T on 01/02/2009 1:41 pm

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Boy do I hear you on this one Diana. It appears you and I came across the same guys! I’ve met and dated a lot of men from online date sites and in each case they were revealed as liars. In working for a divorce law firm I have seen a steady stream of men who on the outside come across as normal and average guys, yet I ALWAYS find out they had affairs or have mistresses. Men who would tell me to my face that their marriages fell apart from actions on their wives part only to be revealed THEY cheated on them with their nurse or someone. It amazes me that a normal, honest, average guy isn’t online looking for a normal, honest, average woman. We know they’re out there, but finding them is like finding a needle in a haystack. The sad part is liars are online and they are also offline. Our friends and family may think they are hooking us up with “Ted” the great guy they know down the block. Problem is Ted is a habitual liar and cheat, something they may not know. It’s all a crap shoot when it comes to finding a mate. I’ll start looking for love again maybe this summer after I make adjustments to my new health issues. As a hopeless romantic, I don’t want to give up on love.

By Belinda Joy on 01/02/2009 5:19 pm

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Belinda, in all honesty, I have found it a very personally painful experience because it did nothing for my self esteem. Do you remember the crying jag Meg Ryan had in When Harry Met Alice—when Billy Crystal had to comfort her because nobody wanted her? Sometimes, that’s how I felt when I would find out these guys were nuttier than fruitcakes, had the morals of a chimpanzee and lied about something as simple as their age. Each time on the age thing, I would ask why because I sure as hell don’t lie about mine. The reason for the age thing is because if they tell their true age, the younger women won’t seek them out. And, my retort is that if a person is going to lie about the little things, they are going to tell some real whoppers on the big items. At any rate, it was quite a learning experience. A few months ago, I took a peek on match.com to see if there was anyone (yet) from here in Central Kentucky that I knew. I swear, it was the same losers as 3-5 yrs. ago + match.com has become so very user Unfriendly, it’s not worth the trouble. At least, I am in the control of my space and peace prevails in my house, and that is a wonderful thing. Oh….and there isn’t someone around leaving their damned laundry on the floor and scratching in impolite places!

By Diana T on 01/02/2009 5:50 pm

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Diana I just love the way you write, I really do. What woman can’t relate to Meg Ryan’s character in that movie? I’ve been there. You and I are so alike when it comes to men, it’s scary. When you reach our ages and beyond, it takes a mature and responsible man to handle and accept us for who we are. I have run through a gauntlet of 50+ year old men still chasing their youth. My number one turn off is a man that says “I’m just a big kid in a man’s body!” When I hear that I know exactly what I’m in store for. He’ll lie, cheat and look for me to be his mommy. Whether it be men, work, money or life in general, I agree with you, people who lie about little things will surely lie about the bigger things in life. I have a proposition for you friend from afar. You’re single, I’m single. We’re both not looking for love right now, but something tells me you would be open to it if it came your way. By June of this year I should be physically and emotionally back on track in terms of health. How would you like to join me in taking another crack at online dating at that time? You and I will post our profiles, connect with some men and share our dating experiences with one another. In the short time we have come to know one another by way of this site, I believe we have very similar taste in men. I like them intelligent, honest, strong, masculine, accomplished, secure, a good sense of humor (but not a class clown) handsome or at least attractive, articulate, have teeth and the ability to discriminate between fine dining and McDonald’s. Preferably well read and politically astute. I also like a really good voice, deep and sexy and I should add straight (not bi) but straight. Isn’t that what you seek in a man, or have I read your personality wrong? I think it would make a fun twist on dating and given that we are progressive women, we could learn from one another in terms of what we may be doing wrong. We could call it the DWOW (Discriminating Women on the Web) club. We could invite others to join in on our experience as well. Sound interesting?

By Belinda Joy on 01/02/2009 7:51 pm

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I LOVE IT! So you’ve also had the “I’m just a kid” line too? God, that has made my whole evening! Between this and the group that wants to do some Belly Buster Blog work, I’m ecstatic!

By Diana T on 01/02/2009 8:11 pm

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Merrell, I’m going to assume you’re joking about this and that your last line was said in jest…..right?

By Belinda Joy on 01/03/2009 10:18 am

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Belinda & Diana……Another thing to think of is maybe going on a nice educational cruise together. Not some zillion carrying Carnival cruise line..which I know you ladies wouldn’t do….but a woman I knew in Santa Barbara [from the Symphony League…not a friend] went on a cruise and wound up marrying some really rich older man. Have met several not attractive, not really offering anything women who’ve done that and when I asked them how it happened it seems as if just out there and opportunity struck. I do think it’s area too. Am definitely not looking or interested but meet men all the time just being out…it’s this area. I’ll be interested perhap when, as you say Belinda, I reconcile all am dealing with right now. But I like your idea….both of you are wonderful ladies and have too much going for you for those sites. Another thing to consider….is that I had a woman approach me in a grocery store line once..and she is a professional matchmaker and only workds for higher end men and then finds them the matches they want. She wanted to introduce me to someone…but I had a boyfriend and wasn’t interested…she was nice and attractive but didn’t keep her card. Maybe you two should start an agency and skim the cream off the top. hehe.

By Ann Coulter Crazy, Souless, Evil B*tch on 01/04/2009 3:44 pm

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First of all I agree with you Carmel, Diana seems like a wonderful woman and I know that the man that has all the qualities she wants is out there, it’s just a matter of where? At the risk of sounding vain, I can say the same for myself. If you’re reading this Diana, I’m not so sure our problem is in the quantity of men we meet, but quality. Whether it is online, in our own communities or on a cruise, we can end up meeting a real nut case, a guy with a Peter Pan complex (which has been my norm) or a guy who is a habitual liar. My focus this Summer will be to meet a man of quality. True quality. I can honestly say I have nothing to hide. What I do for a living, what I look like, my personality….it is what it is. I just refuse to believe I can’t meet a man who can say the same. I’m not that cynical yet and refuse to allow myself to think that he isn’t out there somewhere..

By Belinda Joy on 01/04/2009 4:38 pm

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I cannot agree with you more!!! I went though a divorce from a 15 year (great years) marriage. My husband developed mental problems and messed around with other women. I was shocked when someone told me to look at Match.com. I found his picture there with all the bologna he could write. He wrote that he was such a family man (he was a work-a-holic for his job) and he did a great job as a family man if he was ever home. Days would go by when our daughter never saw him. He was gone by the time she got up, and still at work when she went to bed. (Yes, he had a true problem.) But get this…. when I looked at those single websites in 2001 and then look at them now in 2009 I see the very same faces and profiles. You know…I am an average guy looking for a great down to earth girl. They always have been married before and have children. Seems they all have the same interest such as: weight lifting (I don’t know how they got the weight over those guts), loves to travel to far off islands (like how many average people with children take off any time to go to the Virgin Islands), they all have a great sense of humor, (ask the ex-wife, she could tell you how funny it was to go through a divorce and be left with nothing because he decides the grass is greener on the other side even when the mother quit her job to stay home with the baby or children to better themselves), etc… Where do these men come from. They advertise themselves like they will be terrific husbands. If that is so then what happened in the first, second, or third marriage? I am sure some women can cause the trouble but most of the time it is the man that has an affair then blames the wife for everything from missing a square inch of dust to not agreeing with his choice of flooring. Any stupid idea to ease their conscience about leaving. As I said, look today then look at the end of six months to six years. You will see the same faces and boy can they “ham” up their profiles. Debby

By Debby Stiller on 01/04/2009 9:07 pm

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Debby, I love the ones that say they ski, they water ski, motor cycle, roller blade and go to the gym every day, dance, etc..heck, if some of these guys did all they say they do, they would have to use a walker to get from their car to their house. And, you are absolutely about the hang over guts. I guess there are worse things in this world to wake up next to besides pillows and books in the bed with you….

By Diana T on 01/04/2009 9:32 pm

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Diana, I read a statistic that one out of four married couples today met online.

By Ann Coulter Crazy, Souless, Evil B*tch on 01/03/2009 3:04 pm

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Well, I’ve read that also, Suzanne, but it’s not been successful for me. And, here in Lexington, unless one is deeply entrenched in the right niche, it’s a Vast Wasteland. Oh well, so I just got back from buying a french door fridge, and did it without having to consult anyone here at the house.

By Diana T on 01/03/2009 4:30 pm