Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Hookup App Forced To Apologize After Sending Users Tone-Deaf 'All Waves Matter' Notification

Hookup App Forced To Apologize After Sending Users Tone-Deaf 'All Waves Matter' Notification
Eva Hambach/AFP via Getty Images

A dating app that primarily caters to gay and bisexual men was slammed for sending notifications some users considered tone-deaf.

According to Pink News, Jack'd was criticized Monday night after its users received a notification that read "All Waves Matter."


Like other similar hook-up apps, a wave is a virtual signal users send to other members they are interested in or want attention from.

But Jack'd, which touts itself on its website as being the "most diverse community for gay, bi, trans, and queer people," rubbed many of its diverse users the wrong way with the use of the phrase.

Many interpreted the app's latest notification as a play on the anti-Black Lives Matter movement's slogan "All Lives Matter."

Although the Director of the University of California Humanities Research Institute—David Theo Goldberg—said "All Lives Matter," was "a truism," and "a given," he argued:

"The universalizing politics of 'All lives matter' is one of racial dismissal, ignoring, and denial."

Many users of Jack'd are people of color—roughly 80%, according to Out.


Jack'd responded to the controversy with an apology. However, they claimed not to know how the push notifications were sent out.

They said:

"Hey everyone, we saw the notification too… and we're working on getting to the bottom of how this happened. In the meantime, we are sincerely sorry. That statement is not, nor has it ever been our stance on the matter. #BLM."

Jack'd user Kodi Seaton—who goes by @Grindrwhileblk on Twitter—wrote: 

"Brands need to stop trying to be so f'king cute when it comes to social issues. Period."

In a follow-up tweet, Seaton added:

"WHAT HAPPENED was this message was proposed, vetted and approved by a tone deaf team."
"You weren't hacked. It was a conscious decision. Stop playing in people's faces."
 


 

Later, Seaton posted a message that read "Casual corporate racism is the thief of Black joy" and accompanied it with the following tweet:

"It was all good an hour ago and now I get to bed pissed because @jackd showed their a**. One of the joys of being Black: Companies use your ethnicity for attention, clicks and headlines."

It appeared he was later blocked by the dating app.

 

The next day, Seaton tweeted:

"I got blocked on @jackd's Instagram for VALID comments/thoughts/questions. Where's the accountability, y'all?"


Jack'd addressed the backlash and issued the following statement.

"We want to unconditionally apologise to our members for this push notification."
"The writing process for marketing communications at Jack'd involves brainstorming, workshopping, and approval before messages are sent.

They continued:

"In the case of this notification, a brainstorming session, which included Black and POC team members, was held several weeks prior with the intent of coming up with messages that celebrated a sociopolitical movement we value within our community, Black Lives Matter, that was inclusive of all Black lives."
"This draft should have been disqualified during this session, but was mistakenly added to a list of approved messages."

The Jack'd team put a stop to the notifications three hours after the first one was sent out when they "recognized the error in its inclusion and delivery."

The team concluded their statement with:

"Moving forward, we are working to ensure that our entire team has a common understanding of the sociopolitical issues affecting all of our global members."

Similar location-based gay dating apps like Grindr and Scruff help users find dates by enabling filters for age, height, relationship status, and weight—and on some of the apps—ethnicity.

But in June 2020, Perry Street Software—the parent company of Jack'd and Scruff—announced they would remove their ethnic filters as an act of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

More from Trending

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
DRM News/YouTube

Trump Ripped After Going Off On Bonkers Rant About Room's Decor During Cabinet Meeting

During Tuesday's cabinet meeting while the press was in attendance, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump gave a rambling stream of consciousness speech that went all over the place before landing on paint versus gold leaf, leading people to again question the POTUS' mental acuity amid a notable cognitive decline.

In a disjointed monologue about the decor in the cabinet room, Trump said he stole a grandfather clock from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and chose a painting of James Polk because the frame matched the frame around his favorite President—Andrew Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Eric Adams
@ericadamsfornyc/Instagram

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Roasted After Viewers Notice Awkward Detail In His 'Morning Routine' Video

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely mocked after he shared a video on social media of his "morning routine," with time stamps showing his activities—only for viewers to notice that a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of the video showed a very different time.

Adams jumped on the latest Instagram trend this week, sharing his version of a “morning routine” video with his followers. The trend, which has already begun to fade, typically features sped-up clips of people going through their early rituals—complete with edits, ambient music, and timestamp overlays.

Keep ReadingShow less