Patti Stanger
Encyclopedia
Patti Stanger is a Jewish-American matchmaker and television producer with her own Bravo TV show called The Millionaire Matchmaker
. She is the founder and CEO of Millionaire's Club International Inc., a professional matchmaking service for millionaires.
and graduated from Millburn High School
. She now lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from the University of Miami
in 1983.
. Stanger is a third-generation matchmaker
. Stanger was introduced to the fashion industry by Janis Spindel
, who had hired and scouted her at the age of 24 when looking to cast a part for a sitcom pilot. She worked for ten years in the fashion industry at Unionbay Sportswear, JouJou Jeans, and Saks Fifth Avenue
.
The hour-long show follows her matchmaking at Millionaire's Club. Each episode features her matchmaking two millionaires. First they submit a biographical sketch on a DVD describing the type of partner they want. Stanger then meets them individually to better understand their desires and welcome them to the club. She's been called "The Simon Cowell
of Dating," and makes very quick, very direct comments. "I am not paid to hide my true feelings," she said. Her "casting calls" or "recruiting sessions" where she screens women can be brutal. She told one woman she had a beautiful face but could not meet her millionaire because she was 10–15 lbs overweight. "I can't do much for women over 45," Stanger said in an interview, "and if they're overweight, it's almost impossible." She told another woman to take off her wig, then suggested she come back after she got hair extensions.
The millionaires and 30–40 women first meet at a cocktail party she hosts called a "VIP mixer," where they mingle and the millionaires get to evaluate the women. The men choose their top two women and have ten-minute "mini dates," then they pick the one that they like best. Stanger announces the choices to the group, and then the millionaires set up their "master dates."
The Millionaire's Club has a few rules. For example, millionaires cannot discuss sex or trade phone numbers at the mixer. No sex is allowed until the couple is in an "exclusive, committed, monogamous relationship." There is also a two-drink maximum enforced on each date. If a millionaire violates the terms of the club, then Patti can throw them out of the club.
At the end of each episode, Stanger calls each millionaire or invites them into her office to discuss how the date went; this is after she calls the person they chose for their master date.
The show concludes with updates on each couple, saying whether they are still together or not.
to host a 4-week special titled P.S. I Love You for XM Satellite Radio
. The live call-in program was simulcast on Clear Channel owned MIX channel 22
and The Pink Channel on channel 24 Sunday evenings. After a month hiatus, the program was returned to the schedule on a semi-regular basis, until it was moved to Thursday evenings in July 2009 and made a permanent fixture. Stanger continues to host P.S. I Love You on Thursday nights from 4 PM to 6 PM Pacific time on both Mix and The Pink Channel.
On August 14, 2010, Stanger announced via Twitter that she was ending her relationship with Friedman, stating, "I just ended my relationship with Andy. It hit me really hard that I want kids in my life. You have to agree on the non-negotiables." She has also stated in the season 5 finale of "Millionaire Matchmaker" that Friedman was like a "best friend" to her and that passion was lacking in their relationship.
After she was matched on her own show, she started seeing John, the man she picked, although it is not known how serious they are.
Stanger's first book on dating was published in 2009. It is entitled Become Your Own Matchmaker: 8 Easy Steps for Attracting Your Perfect Mate.
, Stanger made some remarks that many found controversial. When responding to a question from a gay man about a long distance open-relationship, she said, "There is no curbing you people," meaning that gay men are incapable of monogamy. She later told a viewer who Skyped in, "You are very handsome, I thought you were straight." She went on to explain that she meant he was not "queen-y." Stanger also made comments about Jewish men and smart women that were found to be offensive.
These comments quickly drew many angry responses on Twitter. Bravo and Stanger issued apologies with Stanger tweeting, "I am so sorry. I did not mean to offend anyone with my comments last night on Watch What Happens Live.”
Millionaire Matchmaker
Millionaire Matchmaker is a television series produced by Bravo and presented by Patti Stanger. Stanger founded the Beverly Hills-based "Millionaire's Club" in 2000 to cater to wealthy men looking for partners...
. She is the founder and CEO of Millionaire's Club International Inc., a professional matchmaking service for millionaires.
Early life and education
Adopted into a Jewish family, Patti Stanger grew up in Short Hills, New JerseyShort Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
and graduated from Millburn High School
Millburn High School
Millburn High School is a four-year public high school in Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, operating as part of the Millburn Township Public Schools. The school enrolls students from the town of Millburn, including its neighborhood of Short Hills...
. She now lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1983.
Early career
Prior to founding her business, Stanger worked as the Director of Marketing for Great ExpectationsGreat Expectations (disambiguation)
Great Expectations is an 1860 novel by Charles Dickens.Great Expectations may also refer to:Adaptations of the Dickens novel* Great Expectations , a silent, black-and-white version starring Jack Pickford as Pip...
. Stanger is a third-generation matchmaker
Matchmaking
Matchmaking is any process of matching two people for the purpose of marriage or a sporting contest.-Practice:In some cultures, the role of the matchmaker was and is quite professionalized...
. Stanger was introduced to the fashion industry by Janis Spindel
Janis Spindel
Janis Spindel, of Janis Spindel Serious Matchmaking, Inc., is an upscale matchmaker, author, and entrepreneur.- Biography :She started her business, Janis Spindel Serious Matchmaking, Inc. in 1993. According to her website, she created this business after she had matched fourteen different couples...
, who had hired and scouted her at the age of 24 when looking to cast a part for a sitcom pilot. She worked for ten years in the fashion industry at Unionbay Sportswear, JouJou Jeans, and Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
.
Millionaire's Club
In 2000, Stanger stated that "successful men in the dating arena needed a private, exclusive club where they could come to find their beautiful and intelligent wives."Millionaire Matchmaker
In 2008, Stanger signed a deal to have her own reality show called Millionaire Matchmaker on the Bravo TV Network. Stanger stars in the program and also produces the show.The hour-long show follows her matchmaking at Millionaire's Club. Each episode features her matchmaking two millionaires. First they submit a biographical sketch on a DVD describing the type of partner they want. Stanger then meets them individually to better understand their desires and welcome them to the club. She's been called "The Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
of Dating," and makes very quick, very direct comments. "I am not paid to hide my true feelings," she said. Her "casting calls" or "recruiting sessions" where she screens women can be brutal. She told one woman she had a beautiful face but could not meet her millionaire because she was 10–15 lbs overweight. "I can't do much for women over 45," Stanger said in an interview, "and if they're overweight, it's almost impossible." She told another woman to take off her wig, then suggested she come back after she got hair extensions.
The millionaires and 30–40 women first meet at a cocktail party she hosts called a "VIP mixer," where they mingle and the millionaires get to evaluate the women. The men choose their top two women and have ten-minute "mini dates," then they pick the one that they like best. Stanger announces the choices to the group, and then the millionaires set up their "master dates."
The Millionaire's Club has a few rules. For example, millionaires cannot discuss sex or trade phone numbers at the mixer. No sex is allowed until the couple is in an "exclusive, committed, monogamous relationship." There is also a two-drink maximum enforced on each date. If a millionaire violates the terms of the club, then Patti can throw them out of the club.
At the end of each episode, Stanger calls each millionaire or invites them into her office to discuss how the date went; this is after she calls the person they chose for their master date.
The show concludes with updates on each couple, saying whether they are still together or not.
Radio
In April 2009, Patti Stanger was hired by Clear Channel subsidiary Premiere Radio NetworksPremiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
to host a 4-week special titled P.S. I Love You for XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
. The live call-in program was simulcast on Clear Channel owned MIX channel 22
Mix (XM)
MIX, often branded on-air as Today's Mix, was a channel on XM Satellite Radio playing the Hot Adult Contemporary format. It was located on XM 12 and plays a mix of hit songs from 1980-present day, except for urban music...
and The Pink Channel on channel 24 Sunday evenings. After a month hiatus, the program was returned to the schedule on a semi-regular basis, until it was moved to Thursday evenings in July 2009 and made a permanent fixture. Stanger continues to host P.S. I Love You on Thursday nights from 4 PM to 6 PM Pacific time on both Mix and The Pink Channel.
Personal life
In 2003, Stanger started dating Andy Friedman, a real-estate executive whom she met through a matchmaker. On July 22, 2009, Lalate.com announced that Andy proposed to Patti Stanger on May 31, her birthday. They did not agree on a date for the wedding, although episodes of season three of The Millionaire Matchmaker showed Stanger engaged in wedding planning activities and she spoke openly to the media about details of the wedding.On August 14, 2010, Stanger announced via Twitter that she was ending her relationship with Friedman, stating, "I just ended my relationship with Andy. It hit me really hard that I want kids in my life. You have to agree on the non-negotiables." She has also stated in the season 5 finale of "Millionaire Matchmaker" that Friedman was like a "best friend" to her and that passion was lacking in their relationship.
After she was matched on her own show, she started seeing John, the man she picked, although it is not known how serious they are.
Stanger's first book on dating was published in 2009. It is entitled Become Your Own Matchmaker: 8 Easy Steps for Attracting Your Perfect Mate.
2011 Television comments
On September 25, 2011, during a taping of "Watch What Happens Live" hosted by Andy CohenAndy Cohen (television personality)
Andy Cohen is an American television executive and host. He is currently the Executive Vice-President Original Programming and Development at the Bravo cable television network, a subsidiary of NBC Universal...
, Stanger made some remarks that many found controversial. When responding to a question from a gay man about a long distance open-relationship, she said, "There is no curbing you people," meaning that gay men are incapable of monogamy. She later told a viewer who Skyped in, "You are very handsome, I thought you were straight." She went on to explain that she meant he was not "queen-y." Stanger also made comments about Jewish men and smart women that were found to be offensive.
These comments quickly drew many angry responses on Twitter. Bravo and Stanger issued apologies with Stanger tweeting, "I am so sorry. I did not mean to offend anyone with my comments last night on Watch What Happens Live.”
Television work
- Millionaire Matchmaker (2008– Present)
- Drop Dead Diva - Marcie LaRose (2011) 1 Episode
- Days of Our Lives - Herself (2011) 1 Episode