Patti Stanger Deals With "The Kid Option"

Last night’s Millionaire Matchmaker season premiere included nary a mention of Patti Stanger‘s recent breakup, but did we detect a veiled reference in her dressing-down of millionaire Derek Tabacco?

Given that Stanger says she broke off her engagement to fiancé Andy Friedman because she wanted kids and he didn’t, she may have a personal connection to the advice she gives Derek. I also like how she refers to procreation as “the kid option,” like a relationship is a car — a broken engagement has clearly not complicated Stanger’s keep-it-simple approach to love, for which I’m kind of grateful. Also note how sternly she regulates on Derek, who seems like a sweet guy, if lacking in discernment (twenty-four-year-old Colby, his pick, was pretty clearly not ready to settle down and make babies, which is what he wanted). She’s a lot softer on millionairess Bryce Gruber:

You could call this a gender double standard (and yeah, one of Stanger’s stock techniques is yelling at guys to keep their dicks in their pants), but I do think one of Stanger’s skills is knowing how to talk to people. Derek responds well to her commands; Bryce clearly needs a little stroking. Except neither of them actually gets a long-term match out of the episode, and both seem to leave with the problems they came in with. Stanger’s approach may be too simplistic, or maybe people are just assholes who won’t change. Or, probably, a little bit of both. Whatever the case, I’m glad to see Stanger emerge from her breakup with her confidence undimmed.