GoodGenes teeters dangerously on the precipice of selective breeding. The premise is simple - only graduates and faculty of what they deem to be 'elite' schools are permitted to join the site.

It is understandable that intellectuals often prefer the company of other intellectuals, as demonstrated by the success of groups like Mensa. However, Mensa membership requires nothing more than the results of an IQ test that can be taken by anyone.

In contrast, GoodGenes requires graduation or faculty status from one of their schools, an opportunity that is not available to everyone - regardless of their level of intelligence.

Furthermore, Mensa is designed for friendships while GoodGenes appears to be geared towards marriage-minded people who are interested in procreating.

Intellectual elitism is prized by GoodGenes and the site supposedly conducts rigorous background checks on new members to ensure their credentials and pedigree. I guess they're worried about smart high school graduates slipping through the cracks … LOL

This exclusivity when applied to a dating site, particularly one with a name like GoodGenes, seems to be a step backwards - on a number of different levels.

GoodGenes stops short of promoting any sort of eugenics and, indeed, may not have been designed with selective breeding in mind at all. Nonetheless, for daters who may have relatives who have fallen victim to selective breeding schemes throughout history, everything about the site is blatantly distasteful.

From the perspective of 21st century awareness of historical and cultural issues, a site named GoodGenes is insensitive at best.

Sites like GoodGenes stand as a sad testament to how unaware some 'intellectuals' truly are. Sure it's good to be smart - in all sorts of ways.

However, having a high IQ doesn't preclude someone from being a jerk. And the fact that you've graduated from an 'elite' school doesn't even mean that you're particularly smart. Yes, it's an indication but that's all it is. The fact of the matter is that there are many people who never went to college who are infinitely more intelligent - in every way that can be measured - than many college graduates.

Daters who espouse the liberal values of equality and inclusiveness, and who understand that a degree from an Ivy League college is often nothing more than a product of childhood privilege, are advised to steer well clear of GoodGenes.

GoodGenes

Posted by Lisa.