ELIZABETH SIMS
Staff Writer
Your boyfriend is on there. So is that hook-up from last week, your ex-boyfriend and your crush. But so are your brothers, your dad and your friend who died last year. Nearly every man in your life is on the app Lulu.
What is so special about this app? It has given women the opportunity to check up on the guy they like, their boyfriend or their family members, all while staying completely anonymous.
The app allows women to review their male counterparts based on everything from looks, money and sex experience to how they smell, what car they drive and even how they treat their dogs. But some women are using the app to get revenge on their exes, bad hook-ups and men who just did not pay them enough attention
“It’s like Yelp! but the reviewers get to stay anonymous,” said TechFeed reviewer Annie Gaus. However, this anonymity is allowing for some subtle forms of cyber-bullying.
“It’s probably unethical. It’s like people talking about each other behind their backs, but the thing is, that’s nothing new,” said communication professor Dr. Stu Minnis.
There is no way to know you are on the app unless you are checking it; this allows women to bash men they don’t like without their knowledge. Because of this, some men are getting bad reviews, and even getting joked in private circles based on a very biased review. However, some of the men on the app are taking a much more light-hearted view on this.
“There definitely could be bullying, but they’re entitled to their own opinion,” said sophomore Connor Kirkham. “If that’s how they feel about someone then that’s how they feel.”
He was given 8.5 out of 10, with his reviewer saying he “LooksHotAllTheTime,” but is “NotTheSharpestKnife.”
“I’m on Dean’s List! Come on now! But it is kind of fun to see how other people responded about me,” said Kirkham after looking at his rating.
“I’m not even mad. It happens. Stuff like this happens all the time. I mean, yeah, it’s weird, but what can you do?” said sophomore Thomas Morgan. He received a 9.4 out of 10, with his best comment being “GlassHalfFull” and his worst being “TrustFundBaby.”
“Girls are going to talk no matter what, so this is just a way to talk to girls you don’t necessarily know,” said sophomore Olivia Birmingham. She has used the app off and on for six months, but said that guys do not need a similar app.
“[A similar app wouldn’t be] helpful to guys. From what I’ve heard about guys who know they’re on the app, they don’t care,” said Birmingham.
As of now, no legal actions have been taken against the app, though there has been talk of harassment charges according to TechFeed. However, it is still on both the Android market and the App Store for iPhone. If you are curious, download it and check out what people think of your brother, best friend or boyfriend. But do not worry too much if it is negative.
“Responding to criticism is just a testament to someone’s character,” said Kirkham.
Who knows? Maybe you even have a secret admirer out there. It is all just part of the fun.
