Lulu - an app for girls to anonymously rate boys

boing
21

If you’re a gamer girl and are interested in guys who also play, the app requires you to look for the lower-rated guys, because marking someone as a gamer is a mark against them. (Girls mark boys with a bunch of pre-assigned tags that are categorized/scored as positive traits (eg #RespectsWomen), neutral traits ("#CleansUpGood"), and negative traits (#VideoGamer)).

You can’t decide that video games are a good thing for you, you’re assumed to be a pink princess and toe the stereotype line.
The basic concept of a rating app is a good one, but the implementation is silly.

6 Likes
22

Speak for yourself, Mr. Spock.

3 Likes
23

Congrats on having the kind of relationship with your 16 year old daughter that you can have this conversation. You’re doing it right. I may ask you for advice in 5-10 years…

4 Likes
24

What makes you think this app is limited to teens?

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In most of the U.S. the age of consent is 16 or 17, and in cases where it is 18 there are typically some common-sense exceptions.

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If I were to score low I’m vehemently against this shallow, exploitative crap. If I score high, well, get a life you chicken littles!

2 Likes
27

I remember this app… from Amazon Women on the Moon.

1 Like
28

If you are a guy this is the screen you get after login into FB.

Really all you need to know as it goes on to ask you questions that are along the same lines.

photo.PNG640×1136 343 KB

2 Likes
29

App rejections are actually very rare; that’s the reason the media is still reporting on them. The bang with friends creators released a toned down version (Down) after their app got banned, which has no problems staying in the store. This is basically a toned down version of Down.

I think for Apple its more about not upsetting developers and giving users what they want than about freedom. Unless a line is crossed that might give the store a bad image, of course. Making money of teens is the goal of a huge part app store apps already.

I’ll give it a 10/90 at most. But I agree that it is a shitty app.

30

As someone who lurks on 4Chan and has seen the social section I will tell you this, a lot of people have some level of self esteem issues and look for validation is any way from outsiders. A lot of well adjusted “normal” people could look at an app like this and laugh it off, but at the same time many people could/would get sucked into the feedback and ratings.

It’s similar to all the hate on youtube comments. 95% of the shit comments are just noise…noise that can be mentally unhealthy to the reader, but of ultimately no positive/constructive use.

31

Well I’ll say this…at least they know their market. facepalm

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I don’t think they require any encouragement.

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Really? Chris Evans is a “10”? Guy looks like a total douche bag. Maybe that’s what the kids are into these days.

35

I predict Apple will pull this from the iPhone store very soon.

One would hope so. I can’t tell from the article if you think pulling it would be a positive move, though.

I concur with others. If this were an app for boys to rate girls, the BB article (if BB even bothered to cover such a foul, sexist thing) would be full of outrage and “How did this get past Apple’s censors?” grar.

36

I think (hope) you forgot your tag

37

So, your primary gauge of women is, to be vulgar, T&A ? Intelligence, personality, style are irrelevant ???

38

Looks like harmless fun to me.

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Tag… tag… tag… sarcasm tag? I thought it was obvious. But if you mean RFID or something, I’m baffled.

40

Um, the fact the article said:
“The “Best” hashtags for this particular guy [one of Sarina’s classmates] says”
and then listed that tag?

No one said they were all 16, but the article clearly says that those tags were used by his daughter’s classmates, and his daughter is 16.

1 Like
41

Ah yes, thanks. Missed that.