Chinese netizens are frustrated with an elderly man who visited a matchmaking market in the eastern city of Hangzhou and hid his daughter’s high educational attainment from fellow parents seeking spouses for their children, believing that downplaying her intelligence would lead to a better match.

In a viral video by Sixth Tone’s sister publication, The Paper, the man is seen holding a sign “advertising” his 38-year-old daughter to other parents with unmarried children. The sign says she studied in Australia before moving to Shanghai for work — but it doesn’t mention that she is a certified accountant with dual master’s degrees in finance and accounting. He claims that, in previous instances, other parents went from interested to disinterested as soon as they found out how well-educated she was.

In the 25,000-plus comments under the video, many netizens have criticized the father for seeming ashamed of his daughter’s intelligence and decried the outmoded, sexist belief that educated women don’t make good partners. Overwhelmingly, the commenters have suggested that the father butt out and let his daughter take charge of her own personal life.

“Why should you have to abandon your dignity to find an average partner (for your child)?” commented one netizen. “Perhaps she doesn’t want to get married. It’s better to respect her wishes — after all, marriage isn’t compulsory.” (Image: VCG)