One of those things is a major problem for the much-hyped app, which has been heralded as the straight version of the gay hookup service Grindr. Like its predecessor, Blendr uses your smartphone's GPS system to show a photo lineup of users closest to wherever you are. It also allows you to filter users by interests, or check into particular locations, see who else is there and interact with them -- virtually or otherwise. For the first few days after the service launched, I couldn't even get my profile to go online so that I could chat with other users. When I did manage to start some conversations, I kept getting kicked off, and apparently it wasn't personal. Interestingly, though, it's straight female jealousy of gay male culture that inspired Grindr's founder, Joel Simkhai, to create Blendr in the first place: His female friends said they wanted access to a similar app. What he created, though, was an entirely different, and neutered, animal. Also in luck: people who want to meet up with total Internet strangers based on a shared interest in one of the generic categories provided e. But those expecting a sexual playground will be disappointed. Anthony Weiner is a suave pickup artist in comparison. The question remains how many hetero women would actually use a bona fide boning app. Clearly Simkhai didn't perceive a large enough audience to make it worth his while, and the gender imbalance on Craigslist casual encounters would certainly back that up. It strikes me that much of the interest straight women express in Grindr is vicarious. Maybe it represents the fantasy of a hookup environment with fewer one-sided repercussions being called a slut, getting pregnant, etc. Also, despite the common wisdom that women can get sex whenever they want, I often hear attractive female friends lament the difficulty of getting laid. Sure, they might be able to walk into a bar and find a man willing to have sex with them -- but, even when they're only looking for a one-night stand, they have certain expectations of what an appealing candidate would look or act like. It could be that straight women's interest in casual sex is more conditional and specific than can be fulfilled by an iPhone app. But, of course, we won't know until someone actually tries. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. SALON ® is registered in the U. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon Media Group Inc. Associated Press articles: Copyright © 2016 The Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
