Rentable Friend Gears Up for International Friendship Day
June 19, 2007
Paris, France - - 06/20/07 - - Did you know that the first Sunday of every August is International Friendship Day? This is a holiday created to honor the sanctity of amity, but for one man it’s just business as usual. He calls himself “Rentapal” and sells his friendship by the hour. The upcoming holiday marks the start of his busy season.

Founded in 2002, Rentapal (www.rentapal.com) started out as an art project by New York City conceptual artist, Paul Rebhan. He didn’t know what kind of reaction, if any, to expect at first, but within weeks Rentapal was receiving dozens of emails each day asking for his advice on everything from love problems to career decisions. His inbox started overflowing after Variety magazine recommended Rentapal as one of the top ways to live a “lush life on loan.”

“I realized that the world needs much more friendship,” explained Rentapal during our telephone interview. “Even people who are not lonely sometimes need to talk with someone outside their normal circle of friends.”

In the beginning, he rented himself out in-person, meeting lonely people for movies, dinners, and even once playing the part of a boyfriend for a still-in-the-closet lesbian. “Meeting people started to take up too much time, So, now I mostly provide friendship over the Internet and by phone.”

Rentapal continues to receive questions from advice-seekers around the world, and has found many of them wanting to stay in regular contact. As a result, he recently added ongoing subscription services that provide weekly email exchanges, telephone conversations, birthday and holiday cards, and even flower or gift deliveries for special occasions.

His website promises subscribers that “you and Rentapal will get to know each other on a real and personal level.” I ask how he can call it real and personal when people are paying him. “All relationships have some sort of payoff. No one stays in a friendship unless they are getting a benefit out of it, even if the benefit is simply a good feeling. It’s still a friendship, and my advice to subscribers is the same advice I might give to my non-paying friends.”

Besides his busy summer season, Rentapal says that February is a popular month. “Some women have me send flowers to their homes or offices on Valentine’s Day. It’s a good way for them to feel better if they are not in a relationship at that moment.”

So this year, as millions around the globe celebrate International Friendship Day, it’s nice to know that even the loneliest among us can now have a friend.

Media Contact:
Janine Palladino
01 43 44 1673
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About the Press Release
He calls himself “Rentapal,” sells his friendship by the hour, and believe it or not, finds many eager buyers.


 
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