“People
become commodities and you order them much like you would your Chinese takeaway
on a Friday night”
- Becky Lomax, producer & director of The Secret World
Of Tinder
 |
Pete poised ready for Puppy Play
|
Did you see
it? Last night a documentary aired on Channel 4 exploring how dating apps have
transformed the modern world of love & lust. From puppy play to a guy
regarded as a "legend" for sleeping with over 100 women… we were
given an insight into what goes on after you swipe right.
The odd,
No doubt
about it, online dating increases the opportunity to meet new people and the
more recherché your sexual tastes, the more useful these apps are likely to be.
The show featured several members sharing details of some of the most extreme
and downright disturbing messages they've received as well as explaining some
of the wacky dates they've had as a result.
This includes
a woman who is aroused by men REVERSING a car! Explaining the date, Chris says:
"This girl was aroused by the act of a man reversing a car. I said, 'Are
you OK?' and she said, 'I don't know how to tell you this but I really get
excited when a bloke puts his arm around the headrest and reverses.’
Then (our
favourite bit) she started saying, 'Reverse for me, reverse for me, Chris,
reverse.' I was going round the block like a nutter."
We should add
this is from a guy who claims to have asked out 15,000 women on dating apps
though. And just one person face-to-face!
There is also
the girl who received a message saying ‘I want to smear you in green paint and
spank you like a disobedient avocado.’ – just how disobedient can an avocado
be?!
What’s
the oddest message you’ve ever received?
the
specialist...
Now, we’ve
encountered a fetish or two, but Apps like Recon are for the more specialists,
shall we say! Cue Pete (pictured above) - Pete lives with his long-term boyfriend but likes
something a little alternative when it comes to the action between the sheets.
The couple
agreed at the very beginning that their relationship would not be monogamous so
they could explore their likes and dislikes with other people. For example
‘puppy play’, which is pretty much what it sounds like - dressing in leather
and acting like a puppy with another person.
‘It’s for gay
men who have specific fetishes,’ explains Becky. ‘There’s something like 16
sub-categories for men who are into leather, maybe uniforms, fighting,
wrestling and more… whatever their niche fetish is, there’s a category for it. Well we
never, 16!
We also meet
Joanna, a young single mum living in suburban Surrey who doesn’t hind her
intentions. After a failed heterosexual marriage, she is on the hunt for women
looking for a no-strings kind of relationship, AKA polyamorous. She describes
the apps as a ‘godsend’ and says, ‘apps have been especially useful for gay
people in general. I think it’s a way of connecting with people that’s easier
than if you went up to someone on the street.’
And there's
Jack, 23 (above), who loves to go out with his pal, meeting groups of other guys. He
even admits it now seems "bizarre" to go on a date one-on-one.
...and the
downright dangerous
Whatever your
likes, dislikes or intentions you must put your safety first… dating apps do
have a darker side!
One single
man we meet has a second app, one he calls his ‘vault’ and it contains nearly
700 photographs of women he’s met online!
So what does
it mean for the future of dating…?
This
documentary captures the funny and heart-warming situations online dating can
bring. Yes there are darker sides but with 1 in 5 modern relationships said to
now begin online, there’s clearly some lovely people out there using online
dating to find someone special.
And, no
matter how you arrange to meet up, or whichever app you use, there’s just no
substitute for good old-fashioned CHEMISTRY!
