I think you mean residency, not citizenship, as that is an entirely different matter.
Yeah. Why don’t they just get a plane ticket to Russia, and put an ad in the local classifieds? “Mail order bride wanted. Must speak English…” etc. IIRC, Bubba went back to Russia without the tour company, and seemed to get around all right (though he didn’t get Honey back).
IgnorantinWV: If you’re thinking about this, before you go, I suggest you:
- Learn the language of the mail order bride country.
- Learn about the culture of the country
- Sorry, Opal.
Bubba said there was a “spark” between himself and Honey, but I wonder if he could really tell with such barriers between the two of them (language, the interpreter, and all that family stuff). If they’d been of the same culture and language, he might have been able to sense that she was insincere.
(BTW, did either Bubba or Honey know that their lives and futures were being so thoroughly analyzed and debated by a vast, international public on the SDMB? That would certainly unsettle me, were I in their position.)
That in itself would be pricey. Who knows how long the guy would have to stay in Russia meeting with local potential mail-order brides before he found a suitable one? And unless the guy happened to know how to speak Russian, he’d need to hire a local to act as an interpreter during his stay in Russia.
I’ve known two guys who have married mail-order brides. One of the guys probably fits the ‘loser’ mold. He’s a retired small businessman who’s financially comfortable but not wealthy by any means, and he married someone a lot younger than he is. Last that I heard was that they were both happy, but I get the feeling that he wasn’t getting many dates, and he probably wasn’t mature enough for the women he met.
The other husband is a nice guy and a fairly successful professional, but he’s a little aloof and is the sort of person who might think that he could call in an order for the best bride that he could find. Not coincidentally, he did just that. It seems to be working out. It might help that some of his friends are married to people from her home country.
BTW, one of the friends mentioned above is sort of an ex-mail-order bride. She married a soldier who was stationed in her country and divorced him years later in the states. I don’t know the details but it seems like she may have made the right decision. Decades later, her ex is still a lower level enlisted soldier and doing a menial maintenance job at a base somewhere. She’s happily married and living a normal middle-class life in suburbia.
In my mind, a retired small businessman who’s financially comfortable, or a fairly successful professional, isn’t what I’d call a “loser” guy in this context, unless he also was the sort that would be either physically or mentally abusive to his woman. From the point of view of an Asian woman who was offering herself as a mail-order bride looking for an American husband, these are the sort of guys they are hoping to find.
Just wanted to point out this question was more out of curiosity than actually wanting to get a bride from Russia. I’m not that big of a bum…yet 
This has always bugged me - why do we never hear about ‘mail-order’ husbands?
scr4, that site was a scream!! I especially liked the pictures of the possible husband material and their requirements. ‘Someone who knows how to dress a wound…’
Seriously, though, why do you suppose there’s no real market for this? Is the thinking that men need a wife more than a woman needs a husband?
I’m not sure they totally don’t exist.
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/philippines/pro-languages.htm
"English is generally used for educational, governmental and commercial purposes and is widely understood since it is the medium of instruction in schools. The Philippines are the third largest group of English speaking people in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Since English is widely spoken in the Philippines, it is common to hear Filipinos use a mixture English and Filipino words or phrases, known as “Taglish” (a mixture of English and Tagalog), in their everyday conversations.”
Filipinas are popular as mail order brides. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least that there are some wealthy Western men (in particular think of those who have made enough money that they can retire) who are looking to marry women from the Philippines that also want to move to the Philippines. The sort of Western guy who would seek a Filipina bride might also be the sort who isn’t exactly fond of the culture in the West. Given that English is so widely spoken in the Philippines, language wouldn’t be an issue.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/mar/19/yehey/top_stories/20050319top9.html
"In this predominately Roman Catholic nation of 84 million people, divorce is not a legal option.
“It is the last nation on earth, besides the tiny Mediterranean island state of Malta, where divorce is not legal. And, like contraception, the issue is seldom openly discussed for fear of incurring the wrath of the Catholic Church, which still holds considerable influence over the country’s politics and government.”
If I understand your question, you’re asking if there’s any evidence that men who use mail order bride services are the type of men who use mail order bride services. If so, then I’d have to say the evidence is overwhelming.
But I’m guessing that the question you meant to ask was if I believe that men who use mail order bride are losers. If so, it’s a hard one to answer. Being a “loser” is hard to quantify objectively. But I’d say there’s warning signs:
Has it been your experience that there’s no women on this continent who would marry you?
Do you find yourself in a disadvantage in a relationship with a person who has met you?
Do you consider “the fact that she’s willing to marry me” the main attribute you look for in a wife?
Do you believe that there’s something wrong with all American women nowadays and foreign women are inherently better?
Wouldn’t it be pretty much a given that an American guy looking for a foreign women to marry would tend to think that at least by and large, and for the most part, the foreign women that they are seeking would be better than American women? Otherwise why not seek out American women?
Maybe they’ve just listened to too much Guess Who.
He gave me permission to put the photos “on the internet”. The thread is Our Little Secret.
Bubba would answer “yes” to all of the above, if you add “and have my babies” to #3.
As of last week, Bubba’s still single. No 'merican girl would put up with him. Maybe some day he’ll find a nice young foreign lady that wants to come to the USA so much that she’ll give him a whirl. :eek: Or not.
ROFL. 
Although, you may have a bit of a point. Many US men looking for foreign brides may overtly reject many of the values of American society. Filipinas are popular as mail order brides. Most Filipinas are devoutly Roman Catholic, and would fit the mode of the ideal woman as mentioned in Christian scriptures. Think here of the letters of Paul. How many American women, even those who identify as Christians, fit that mold? Including American Catholic women. I can see why Filipinas would appeal a lot to American Christian men. Particularly those Christian men who tend to be politically liberal. (I’d doubt many Filipinas would find the politics of the US Republican Party appealing. Heck, even American Catholics have lots of problems with the Republican economic and military policies.)
I try to tell the men that I meet here in the Philippines that they should choose a Filipina due to liking the Filipinas culture, and not due to any dislike of American culture. I think a mans appreciation for the Filipina should be due to his respect and understanding of her culture, and not just because he is trying to run alway from American culture. Most Filipinas tell me that they want and respect a man that is responsible, supportive, and loving. I think most Asian women enjoy and are comfortable with being more feminine, and that is why some men might find them more attractive.
I would go ahead and add, “Are you using a mail-order bride service?” to that.
I’ve ran into several mail-order brides. Never once would I consider the guy a catch. There are definitely some scams out there. Sometimes the woman will fool the man into thinking she’s the “traditional woman ready to treat a man the way he deserves to be treated.” Then when they come over that whole act goes out the door.
I have distant relatives who are mail-order brides. Never actually met them. Both of them did so for the money to give to their families (about $2000 US). Their plans were to keep sending money back when they got a job in the guy’s country. One snuck away back home because she couldn’t handle it. The other is still advertising.
Well, I’m curious as to how he perceives the whole thing. Hopefully as a learning experience, rather than the end of the (cat-must-die) world.
Is he really that hopeless? I know you’ve said that he doesn’t like to talk about these things too much, but maybe
a little friendly advice would help him to get to know a few local gals.
If he tries the mail order bride thing again, I would hope that he could be a little more “worldly” about the whole thing–for his own sake.
Here in the Philippines I have seen many unattractive foreign men with lovely Filipinas. But, I also have seen many unattrative local men with really hot Filipinas. Not all cultures place an emphasis on “tall, dark, and handsome”. One of the great things about living here is that most of the women will tell you that they want a nice guy, and they mean it. The women here have seen far too many female relatives live in horrid poverty due to an abundance of irresponsible men, and so, many women here just seek a man that will be sober and responsible. Macho, arrogant, playboys tend not to do well with the women here. Quiet, polite, employed gentlemen will have more women than they can handle. Most women all over the world are seeking a safe ,secure life for themselves and their children. Since about 33% of the population here lives on less than a dollar a day, most employed men in other countries can provide a safer and better life. The average salary here is about $4 a day.
site: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/FI30Ae04.html
Ya’ know, I was just sitting here, reading all this, and thinking, “Hmmmm…I wonder where I could place an order for a Mail Order Husband who will cook for me and have sex on demand for two years…”