For prospective parents in the market for a blonde-haired, blue-eyed tot, Danish sperm

NY Newsday ^ | 6/5/05 | JAMIE TALAN

[wagglebee]

At 5-foot-11, Arnt has straight blond hair and blue eyes. He swims, runs, skis on water and snow, and works out. A law student, the 28-year-old describes himself as easygoing, a creative perfectionist with a good wit, an extrovert.

He's not advertising for a girlfriend. His sperm is for sale. Arnt is one of 50 men from Denmark whose sperm sits in one of three metal vats in Manhattan - waiting for a couple or a single mother desperate for a baby. In this case, a Viking baby.

The company, Scandinavian Cryobank, has been in business in Denmark for almost two decades. It takes credit for 10,000 babies worldwide. Two years ago, the company opened a New York office and began marketing Scandinavian sperm to infertility doctors and their patients with a sleek albeit controversial slogan: "Congratulations, it's a Viking!" Another advertisement shows a blond, blue-eyed baby and talks about his ancestors who beat Columbus to North America. "You'd better build a strong crib," the ad boasts.

[wagglebee]

Margaret Sanger, Darwin, Hitler and the rest would be delighted by this news.

[MadIvan]

This is eerily reminiscent of how the SS used to have "permission" to impregnate as many "suitable" women as possible, whose offspring would be taken care of in special homes.

Regards, Ivan

[Tijeras_Slim]

At 5-foot-11, Arnt has straight blond hair and blue eyes. He swims, runs, skis on water and snow, and works out. A law student, the 28-year-old describes himself as easygoing, a creative perfectionist with a good wit, an extrovert.

I understand that all these qualities usually skip a generation.

[Pukin Dog]

Tall, good looking people make more money and have better relationships. Cant fault people who cant have their own children for trying to give these kids all the advantages that they can.

[jocon307]

In this case, a Viking baby."

I've got one of those!

When she was little my 1/4 scando daughter used to chase the older, smaller, children around with her arm raised about her head, howling. She just wanted to play, she never actually hit them. I used to watch and think "This must have been how the English felt when the Vikings over ran their land".

She's 19 now and she won't be going to Aruba any time soon.

[Sloth]

Ewww.

[Alouette]

At 5-foot-11, Arnt has straight blond hair and blue eyes. He swims, runs, skis on water and snow, and works out. A law student, the 28-year-old describes himself as easygoing, a creative perfectionist with a good wit, an extrovert.

With such fine qualities, why doesn't he just find "Miss Right" and start a family the good old fashioned way?

Oh. He must be gay. Never mind.

[nuconvert]

I'll bet a lot of women would rather have Arnt (the heck with his sperm)

[Polybius]

Tall, good looking people make more money and have better relationships. Cant fault people who cant have their own children for trying to give these kids all the advantages that they can.

A 5-foot-11 man is not "tall"...........unless you're a fighter pilot. ;-)

[jocon307]

From the article "Blue eyes, light skin and height are valued. It would be a historic irony if we all ended up looking like that."

Yeah, it would also be a biological miracle. Only height is dominant, blue eyes and fair skin are recessive. The odds are we'll all end up as tall, brown eyed, brunettes.

[LibFreeOrDie]

And for those eugenicists who prefer that their designer children have brains instead of brawn, there are the "genius" sperm banks:

http://www.geniusspermbank.com/

[Last Dakotan]

Why do these men willingly reduce themselves to the lowest form of human expression? That of simply suppliers of genetic information to the next generation. Don't they realize how much they are being used?

[Loyalist]

Ladies, why settle for the bottled when you can have the draft?

[wagglebee]

Some of the "templates" used for their advertising:

[wagglebee]

and they include a free VHS copy of "Triumph of the Will".

My guess is that their average customer already owns one.

[brooklyn dave]

Viking Shmiking I'd prefer a big stapping Slav or a pretty dark haired haired black Irish Colleen if I were into choosing what the kid lookd like.

[wagglebee]

IIRC "Gattica" basically was about eugenics NOT WORKING.

[escapefromboston]

At 5-foot-11, Arnt has straight blond hair and blue eyes

She sounds pretty hot.
Oh its a guy?

Thats gay.