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This is really weird. Everybody on HN appears to be praising this for the clever entrepreneurial idea. I'm kind of amazed that I'm apparently about to be the fi

by h2s 14y ago

This is really weird. Everybody on HN appears to be praising this for the clever entrepreneurial idea. I'm kind of amazed that I'm apparently about to be the first person on here to call this out as a hugely misogynistic endeavour. Women should not be treated as a SaaS product.

diminoten 14y ago
If it makes you feel any better, you can pay me $39 and I'll pretend to be your boyfriend on Facebook. On a slightly more serious note, this is, in itself, not really sexist in your typical "Internet at large" sexisism. Don't get me wrong, there is some very serious and deep seated (seeded?) woman hating that occurs on the Internet, but this isn't it. This goes way beyond the Internet, and into ancient mores that carry across time and culture, which are definitely sexist, but not the kind of sexist you find in Halo 4. More like the kind of sexist you find when you wander Amsterdam's red light district. Old-school misogyny.
noname123 14y ago
I agree. But I wish I could be treated as a SaaS product. I mean men are also objectified by socioeconomic status. Just go into any strip clubs and you'll see that it's not a man's character but the size of his wallet that determines a woman's attention. Or any bar or nightclub for that matter where it's determined by a man's race and social status in whatever social scene that the venue covets in. Man I wish I could monetize on my sexuality because I think I have plenty to give to any needy ladies. Sadly, the backwards 21st century social construct constricts me into repressive gender-roles where I have to solicit sexual services instead of being receptive to all outstanding sexual advances that are demanded of me out there. I only hope feminism could advance further to erase this injustice for gender equality for all.
Tichy 14y ago
While I also think it is sad if somebody decides to resort to that service, lets not forget that these "women" are virtual. No real humans are being hurt.
bambax 14y ago
This is not selling women, it's selling relationships. Fake relationships. If it's wrong, it's on the same level as selling fake reviews for apps or hotels. I don't think it will backfire for people using it, but it could backfire for Facebook. Because fundamentally, this is spam.
transitionality 14y ago
Women are selling contact from their own authentic profiles. If you claim that this is misogynistic, you are claiming that women hate themselves.
marvin 14y ago
This service is not reflecting misogny. It's reflecting _both genders'_ values, expectations and prejudices. It is not an example of men's oppression of women, it's an example of screwed up gender roles. So in a sense it's even worse. Okay, so this is somehow "objectifying" women. I might buy that argument. But what does it say about a society where men who are obviously more successful with women do better, both with other women and with their peers? I think that discrediting this as misogny is missing half of the story. Society, both men and women, are 100% complicit in the mechanisms that make this service a good idea. Pinning it on only the men is dishonest.
return0 14y ago
Let me get this straight: Men are being exploited to give their money to a scheme that capitalizes on the unfounded social hollywoodian illusion that "good men get the hot girls". Women make profits out of it in return for a few seconds of their time every day. And that's called misogynistic, as in, it's the women who are being exploited?! Let's apply some basic common sense here ...

by h2s 14y ago

diminoten 14y ago

If it makes you feel any better, you can pay me $39 and I'll pretend to be your boyfriend on Facebook. On a slightly more serious note, this is, in itself, not really sexist in your typical "Internet at large" sexisism. Don't get me wrong, there is some very serious and deep seated (seeded?) woman hating that occurs on the Internet, but this isn't it. This goes way beyond the Internet, and into ancient mores that carry across time and culture, which are definitely sexist, but not the kind of sexist you find in Halo 4. More like the kind of sexist you find when you wander Amsterdam's red light district. Old-school misogyny.

noname123 14y ago

I agree. But I wish I could be treated as a SaaS product. I mean men are also objectified by socioeconomic status. Just go into any strip clubs and you'll see that it's not a man's character but the size of his wallet that determines a woman's attention. Or any bar or nightclub for that matter where it's determined by a man's race and social status in whatever social scene that the venue covets in. Man I wish I could monetize on my sexuality because I think I have plenty to give to any needy ladies. Sadly, the backwards 21st century social construct constricts me into repressive gender-roles where I have to solicit sexual services instead of being receptive to all outstanding sexual advances that are demanded of me out there. I only hope feminism could advance further to erase this injustice for gender equality for all.

Tichy 14y ago

While I also think it is sad if somebody decides to resort to that service, lets not forget that these "women" are virtual. No real humans are being hurt.

bambax 14y ago

This is not selling women, it's selling relationships. Fake relationships. If it's wrong, it's on the same level as selling fake reviews for apps or hotels. I don't think it will backfire for people using it, but it could backfire for Facebook. Because fundamentally, this is spam.

transitionality 14y ago

Women are selling contact from their own authentic profiles. If you claim that this is misogynistic, you are claiming that women hate themselves.

marvin 14y ago

This service is not reflecting misogny. It's reflecting _both genders'_ values, expectations and prejudices. It is not an example of men's oppression of women, it's an example of screwed up gender roles. So in a sense it's even worse. Okay, so this is somehow "objectifying" women. I might buy that argument. But what does it say about a society where men who are obviously more successful with women do better, both with other women and with their peers? I think that discrediting this as misogny is missing half of the story. Society, both men and women, are 100% complicit in the mechanisms that make this service a good idea. Pinning it on only the men is dishonest.

return0 14y ago

Let me get this straight: Men are being exploited to give their money to a scheme that capitalizes on the unfounded social hollywoodian illusion that "good men get the hot girls". Women make profits out of it in return for a few seconds of their time every day. And that's called misogynistic, as in, it's the women who are being exploited?! Let's apply some basic common sense here ...