We've all heard of member-only health clubs. And we've heard of private clubs that only the rich are invited to belong to. We've also heard of universities that only the smart can attend. And you've probably even heard of religious organizations that welcome you as a member only if you believe everything they believe. That covers the healthy, wealthy, wise, and soulful. Now there's a club for only those people in the world who are bold enough to call themselves aesthetically attractive. Good-looking people, who have "personal qualities that stand out from the majority," that is.

It's called BeautifulPeople.net. This new Online social networking community, launched in the U.S. on Thursday, July 28th 2005, was designed for the purpose of creating relationships, both private and professional, between people who didn't earn it, didn't work for it -- except perhaps in the gym -- and who don't have to even believe in it. They just have to be beautiful enough, in the eyes of the creators and existing members, to be accepted.

GenM, a Gem of a Beautiful Person

They call it "Networking for beautiful Likeminded People."

BeautifulPeople.net wants you, but only if their members say "yes."

MWhite986, One of BeautifulPeople.net's 10 Most Popular

A Private Heterosexual Club

If you read the fine print, it looks like gay people need not apply. Then again, I suppose you can apply. But it will be members of the opposite sex who will determine if you are worthy or not to be invited in.

At the time of publication, thus far 2,847 people courageous enough to apply have done just that.

Of those nearly 3,000, 488 have been accepted. That's only 17%.

When I checked out the site, 62 of the 488 were online at that moment, attempting to connect with one another.

KMLewis, A New Member of BeautifulPeople.net

The good news is: Men in Army boots are being accepted. At least MKLewis was recently accepted.

Those with the most "hits" this hour were "BronzedCutie", Daniel John, angelo and USTrader.

So, you ask, "Why BeautifulPeople.net?"

The initiative behind BeautifulPeople.net is derived from an individuals increasing need for an easier more focused way of seeking and finding likeminded people of a similar social standing and physical appearance.

The average on-line user spends most of their time, filtering out and having unsuccessful mail correspondence with people who are far from their ideal match. This is a result of too many online mainstream communities, which target all demographics of people. BeautifulPeople.net being a niche site and catering exclusively to attractive and successful people eliminates this problem.

BeautifulPeople.net is an elite online members' club, which introduces beautiful people to truly beautiful people. It is a meeting place which is reserved for people, who because of their attractive appearance and personal qualities, stand out from the majority.

It is a place where attractive people can mingle and create personal or professional related acquaintances across age, gender, job and social status.

The decision to allow you to enter our exclusive club lies with our members; who are given the chance to rate all new applications during a three day rating process. The majority vote is final.

We are proud to be the first online community in which existing members decide whether or not a new applicant should be accepted through our revolutionary rating technology. Once you have uploaded your profile, you will be rated by existing members of the opposite sex over a three day period. They will judge whether your picture and profile are deemed attractive enough to grant you coveted access.

While you are awaiting the rating verdict, you may browse members' profiles and mail them; this might improve your chances of getting accepted.

You will notice that all the members in BeautifulPeople.net are exactly that: beautiful.

72-Hour Beauty Contest

If you want to see if you cut the mustard, put your photo and profile up, and they'll show you off for 72 hours. That's how long you get to be "judged" by the current members.

As the membership grows, if you don't get accepted the first time, try again. While the result of the first "vote" is final, at a later time you can re-submit your application perhaps with a better profile and picture.

Tenacious or Desperate?

For one Danish applicant, it took her 50 times before she was accepted.

Apparently, only one in 15 people get in. At least, that's the reported case with their U.K. site. Out of 30,000 applicants, only 2,000 were welcomed to join.

Carolina Trower, a 38-year-old English member, compares it to going to a ritzy bar rather than a dingy pub full of "dirty old men."

Trower said:

We don't want any low standards, any dodgy people, anybody who's going to be offensive.

Hodge added:

Being accepted on to the site is the beauty equivalent of entering in to Mensa.

Yes, it's elitist - but that's what people want. And every avenue in life discriminates against some in favor of others.

All we do is give an accurate representation of what society's ideal of beauty is. You are voted in by your own peers.

The obvious beautiful people behind the BeautifulPeople site claim their platform is beyond anything seen on-line so far. Their sit allows its "chosen few" to take full control of both the visuals of the site, as well as the format.

Eva, An Elite Member of BeautifulPeople.net

Their description states:

The Mail, Forum, Profile and Rating windows exist separately, enabling you to place them wherever you want them on the screen. A user can view e-mail content, member profiles and photo albums all at the same time.

The only challenge? The computer can lie. Air brushed photos make it easy to fib about reality -- just like most fashion and beauty magazines, these days.

The only other challenge? You've got to have Internet Explorer 5.5 to get all the bells and whistles the site has to offer. Firefox fans, I suppose, are smarter, but they don't make the cut when it comes to being able to browse the elite members of BeautifulPeople.net online.

As reported in USA Today:

On the surface, "you go, 'Oh, this is so lame.' But in some ways it is a great marketing opportunity," says Charlene Li, principal analyst at Forrester Research, a technology/market research company. Whether you're actually beautiful is beside the point, Li says: it's more about attitude.

BeautifulPeople.net Managing Director, Greg Hodge says, "we're giving power back to the people."

Robert Hintze, founder of the BeautifulPeople Network explains:

The ratings process is fascinating. We don't decide who is beautiful enough to enter our club; the members do.

So if you have ever wanted to know just how attractive you really are and are brave enough to face the naked truth, you need look no further than BeautifulPeople.net.

For those in America bold enough to put their best photo to the test, go to:

Evidently, BeautifulPeople.net is not the first to offer this elitist service to the online community. Lorraine Adams has been doing this with her Gorgeous Networks for quite some time.

eHarmony.com, a site that matches applicants to equally good-looking people, as well as potential mates with soul, has also been around for a bit longer. While BeautifulPeople.net got it's start in the U.K. in April and the U.S. as of today, eHarmony has been perfecting its unique model for five years. The match-making service is having great success. Their proof is in the number of wedding bells chiming.

eHarmony claims they have had more marriages per match than any online dating personals service.

But maybe you're not looking for a mate. If you're just looking to date, perhaps BeautifulPeople.net is the just the ticket.

When you're ready to set up an even more unique social club for the "healthy, adventuresome, soulful" give us a call.

After all, true beauty is much more than skin and screen deep.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "survival of the 'fittest'" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC