Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2007
Please tell us about BeautifulPeople Network.
BeautifulPeople.net is an elite online members club for beautiful people only. An exclusively beautiful community, it was founded for the purpose of creating personal and professional relationships between people who stand out from the majority because of their attractive appearance and personal qualities. If the online market was a nightclub, BeautifulPeople would be the VIP section. BeautifulPeople Network (BP) is the first online networking community of its kind. In order to gain coveted membership to the exclusive club, applicants are required to be voted in by existing members of the opposite sex. Should applicants fail to impress, they are ruthlessly voted out. The vote is fair and democratic. BP does not define beauty, it simply gives an accurate representation of what Japanese society’s ideal of beauty is. In life and relationships, chemistry is important; BP simply removes the “first hurdle,” as every member is beautiful as deemed so by their fellow members.
What kind of reaction have you gotten?
The concept has been very well-received in Japan. We often get a big backlash from the media, particularly in countries like the US and the UK, with retorts of “this is so shallow and elitist!” But the media in Japan has been somewhat reserved. Naturally, the concept is controversial; however, it is human nature that we all want to be with someone we are attracted to, and there is nothing shallow about that. It is interesting to note that the Japanese ideal of beauty is very high in comparison to the rest of the world. BP operates in 13 countries, and Japan is the hardest site to gain acceptance—only 1 in 10 new applicants make the grade. It’s also fascinating to see the different ways in which men and women vote. This is true on all BP sites, and Japan is no exception. Women take into consideration the more materialistic aspects of the male applicant, such as their income, whether they own their own house, and where they are going in life. Men, on the other hand, tend to vote on the picture alone.
Who decides who is beautiful and who is not?
The members decide who is beautiful through BP’s patented rating module. Existing members of the opposite sex vote for new applicants. For the first time, the people are deciding what is beautiful to them, instead of Hollywood or fashion magazines dictating what is beautiful. The power is given back to the people.
Do you hate ugly people?
Yes.
