As internet dating continues to gain popularity, some sites apparently see it fit to make their member list more exclusive, whether it be for income levels, education, religion, age or looks.
BeautifulPeople.com is one, where members ruthlessly select new members and exclude those who do not match their definition of beautiful. However, Guardian reports, that last month, they were attacked by a virus, Shrek, that allowed 30,000 new members to gain access that otherwise would not have met their beauty requirements.
A little harsh, but says Greg Hodge, managing director of BeautifulPeople.com "We have to stick to our founding principles of only accepting beautiful people – that's what our members have paid for. We can't just sweep 30,000 ugly people under the carpet." Are you rolling your eyes right along with me?
Sadly, this is not the first time they have pushed their beauty requirements. Last year, they cut another 5,000 members who appeared to have put on weight during Christmas. Again, rolling my eyes!! And how would they know? Do they have to post updated pictures weekly?
I find the whole site laughable, because it speaks volumes of the values of its members. Don't get me wrong, I too find looks important. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I truly find that someones personality and values adds or deducts from his/her attractiveness. Even so, I still feel sorry for the members who were booted off the site. Or to quote Hodge again, "for the unfortunate people who were wrongly admitted to the site and believed, albeit for a short time, that they were beautiful".
Guess I'm also cheering for the ones trying to get back on the site. Rachel Godfrey, a 31-year-old Australian nanny living in LA, said she received an email telling her she was rejected two weeks after being accepted. "I was getting on really well with this American guy and we were going to go on a date and then they said I'd been chucked off and they locked me out of the site," she said. "Now I can't get in touch with him."
Godfrey said she is planning to have a makeover and professional photo shoot before reapplying to the website. "What if he's the one? This is only way I'll be able to get in touch with him," she said. "If that doesn't work I'll see what I can do with Photoshop." You go girl! Post those pictures that look nothing like yourself. Especially during Christmas.
Contemplating trying internet dating? Not so beautiful? Then an alternative is the NotSoBeautifulPeople.com , "a dating community of average folks, a place where you can relax, be yourself and never worry about being judged by the hot people." Or you can do like me and stick to meeting people the good old fashioned way...
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