Photo by Peter Rivera
As if our guilty consciences weren’t torture enough after holiday binge eating and drinking, now social networks are judging us for living it up.
BeautifulPeople.com, a controversial social network, has cut thousands of profiles from their website because of apparent holiday weight gain. Many people who posted photos of themselves after vacation were voted off the site by other kill-joy members who disapproved of their indulgences.
The following is a recent quote from the site founder, Robert Hintze:
“As a business, we mourn the loss of any member, but the fact remains that our members demand the high standard of beauty be upheld.
Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded.”
I’m not kidding, I can’t make this stuff up.
Photo by Matt Forsythe
Just how many people were expelled? 1520 Americans, 832 Brits, and hundreds of Canadians, Polish, and Germans. I can’t decide which fact disturbs me more, the shallowness of the site’s goals or the number of people who actually have/had accounts.
Here’s something else interesting. BeautifulPeople.com also offers a Business Area where people can view business and employment opportunities…restricted to beautiful people? Are brains at all a requirement?
Somehow I can’t see how a business can succeed if its number one requirement is attractiveness, unless it’s the Playboy Mansion. That’s not to say, of course, that beautiful people can’t have brains. But if you’re trying to find a job or expand a business, some ethical issues definitely arise when advertising to a website where only the high cheek-boned, slim waisted population is allowed to apply.
However, there’s no need to fret over the recent cut of members, because BeautifulPeople.com has sent emails to all ex-members encouraging them to reapply once they get back into shape. Nothing screams motivation like having thousands of users around the world vote you off a social network for being a fattie. Perhaps those voted off can try a more logical approach, like having endless plastic surgery to resemble Barbie or Jessica Rabbit.
Ah, BeautifulPeople.com. I may never join your high ranks of shallowness, but at least I’m not the annoying wiener at the holiday dinner party turning up my nose at a slice of pizza because I’m afraid of calories. Now pass me a beer and shut up.
Community Connection
How do you feel about social networks which judge people solely on appearance? Share your thoughts, or spread some positive self-image.
About the Author
More By This Author
- Garlic Finger Breakfasts and New Life Plans: The Hope and Heartbreak of Being Laid Off (21 comments)
- Extreme Crossdressing, and Other Fun Flickr Groups (2 comments)
- The Worst Invention Ever, Period (14 comments)
Related Posts
13 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Did not know this, damn that’s rough.
↵ -
Nothing surprising about it. I’m not saying it’s right, but clearly they’re just making controversial statements to get publicity. It’s best ignored. Don’t bite.
Kate Harding had a great piece about this in Salon. http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/feature/2010/01/04/beautiful_people/index.html
↵ -
I heard about this site, but honestly I thought it was some kind of joke. Anyways I’m with you Candice, I’ll take pizza and beer over a membership on this site. I’ll buy the first round
. Besides the Operational Beautiful campaign you’ve done shows what real beauty is – and it kicks ass over this shallow website.
↵ -
Whaaaaat? Never even heard of such a site. So superficial. Give me vegan pizza and beer any day. I feel sorry for the people that actually want to feel validation from joining a site like that. It comes from the inside, people!
↵ -
So many members on that site! Why?And while you´re at it, pass me a slice.
↵ -
What?! I never heard of that site. Sounds like middle school. Pass me a slice and a pint, too!:)
↵ -
Hell yeah, I’m proud that I started an epic pizza party! Glad you all agree with me.
↵ -
Eating the pizza will make us all beautiful on the inside because a good pizza is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Does that make sense?
Mmmmm…pizza.↵ -
A dating site that caters to the “beautiful people” of the world is no different than Jdate.com or any other social networking site that serves a specific community of people.
Let’s face it, it takes an investment of time and energy to work out, eat right, and be well-maintained- pedicures, the right clothes, hairstyling, etc. If a person is willing to spend time at the gym and in salons to look good, they are probably not interested in dating some unattractive or overweight slob that isn’t even trying. (Yes, that fat girl is probably “beautiful on the inside, blah, blah, blah”)
I don’t see anything wrong with that.
↵ -
It’s one thing to have personal preferences based on appearance, it’s another thing when you publicly humiliate someone for being a “fattie” and use hurtful words to tear someone down. I agree, great place to bring people together who are focused on looks, and I suppose people who sign up for such sites are just asking to be critiqued.
↵ -
(Licks the pizza box approvingly, though sadly that he arrived too late to get a slice
↵ -
Richard, you are totally my kind of guy.
↵
