【the eroticization of gender: a materialist analysis of patriarchy and gender identity】

Tinder has made searching for love even easier...and obscenely expensive. The the eroticization of gender: a materialist analysis of patriarchy and gender identitydating app announced Friday a new ultra-premium VIP subscription model that allows users to literally search for lovefor a measly $499 a month (or about $6,000 annually).

Maybe "literally search for love" is a bit of an exaggeration, but the new "Tinder Select" subscription is described by the company as the best way to unlock "unrivaled access to the absolute best of Tinder." Some of the perks that come with the new model include a DM feature that allows subscribers the ability to message other users without having to match and a "Skip the Line" feature that will allow others to see your profile even if they themselves don't have a Gold or Platinum subscription.

This VIP experience is, however, not available to everyone (yet). In Bloomberg's initial report of Tinder's announcement, the company made clear that, for now, "Tinder Select" is only available to the top 1 percent of the app's "most active" users. What the platform defines as "most active" was not clear and Tinder did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment. Tinder Chief Product Officer Mark Van Ryswyk told Bloomberg that there is "a subset of highly engaged and active users who prioritize more effective and efficient ways to find connections."

Even though access to "Tinder Select" is extremely limited, the subscription does come with a vetting process — albeit, not a robust one. According to the website, potential users must meet Tinder's "5-Point Select Screen," requiring profiles to have 5 interests, 4 photos, a bio of at least 15 characters or more, clear relationship intent, and be photo verified. Considering Tinder and other dating apps already have a predator problem, this application process doesn't seem like it'll do much in the way of keeping bad-faith actors from having premium access to users in their area.

Regardless, Tinder's parent company Match Group Inc. has had this expensive subscription model in the works since at least 2019. According to Bloomberg, "Tinder Select" will be available to all users eventually on a "rolling basis." If $500 a month doesn't do it for you, users can try Tinder Plus, Gold, or Platinum which costs $20, $30, and $40 respectively. Or you can try meeting people the "old-fashioned" way — which is both free and utterly terrifying.

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