The new face (or lack thereof) of dating
Apps like ExRated and LULU have become the Yelp of dating.
Cinderella met Prince Charming after she had mistakenly dropped her glass slipper at a ball. Harry met Sally, by chance, when they embarked on a road trip from Chicago to New York City. Kim Kardashian met Reggie Bush, then Kris Humphries and then Kanye West when... Well, nevermind.
Gone are the days when a boy meets a girl organically -- at a bar or a ball. Enter the days when a boy meets a girl after reading reviews on mobile and computer apps.
Of course, you wouldn't stay at a hotel, see a movie or eat at a restaurant without reading reviews. But will anyone on a date without reading reviews as well?
Tinder, the mobile dating app that allows users to 'like' or 'pass' on other users, seems to have inspired a new generation of apps -- a generation that appears to be lost at the intersection of Match.com and Yelp.
ExRated, founded by Tom Padazana, allows users to search for a particular love interest and see what past partners have to say.
"Good kisser, but still lives with his mom."
"Won't hold the door for a date."
These are just some of the reviews that users can see. The site also offers the opportunity to rate your ex or view ratings of an ex, offer tips to future boyfriends or girlfriends, share what kind of relationship you had with the person or what type of relationship for which the person is best suited.
Exes receive an overall score and a detailed ranking of traits ranging from intelligence and manners to -- you guessed it -- personal hygiene!
Are you on the rebound? Better yet, are any of your Facebook friends on the rebound? Don't worry -- there's an app for that.
On The Rebound is an app that privately analyzes available data about your single Facebook friend's past relationships in the last six years. The app generates statistics, a rebound rating and advice for any friend you choose.
• Single for two weeks
• Has had two relationships since March 20, 2013
• Average time to the next relationship is 7 days
• Advice? "He's itchin' for some action!"
Picture this: a group of girls sitting around a table discussing the juicy details of their Valentine's Day dates.
Alexandra went on an awesome date with a great guy, but thought he might be a better fit for another girl at the table.
This true story happened to Alexandra Chong, CEO and founder of Lulu, who created the app as a "database of men, built by women, for women."
The interface is designed with pre-written questions about different guys in your social network so that the reviews remain useful and constructive.
When reviewing, the user chooses her current relationship with the guy -- friend, hook-up, ex, etc. -- and the questions are generated based on this information.
In 10 years he'll be saying...
"I give up"
"Fries with that?"
"Have your people call my people"
"You're fired"
"Cristal for everyone"
The best thing about him....
#PerfectGrammar
#SixPack
#CleansUpGood
#WillSeeRomComs
#DoesHisOwnLaundry
The worst thing about him...
#7thYearSenior
#SocialClimber
#PerfectForMySister
#HeLovesMeNot
#AlmostTooPerfect
Not only can girls review the guys of their choice, they can scroll through different profiles and share a guy's information (privately) with a Facebook friend (if you think it would be a good fit)!
"What really struck me was that we needed a place, as women, to kind of tap into this knowledge of each other and Lulu is the ultimate female resource where women can get this information," Chong said in an interview with Paste BN College.
The platform began, Chong explained, when she realized that there was no real source of intelligence on guys that girls meet each day.
"We’ve got these tools and resources on the Internet, but yet they’re all curated by the guy," Chong said. "It’s what he wants you to see -- it’s his Facebook, it’s LinkedIn profile -- we’re giving a place where it’s almost like references on these individuals."
This story originally appeared on the Paste BN College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.