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http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/07/24/gay.iphone.app.controversy/

Apple using double-standard for gay iPhone apps?

updated 10:40 am EDT, Fri July 24, 2009

 

Gay iPhone app controversy


Apple is maintaining a double-standard when it comes to gay-themed iPhone apps, a developer claims. Attempting to draw publicity, Terry Ray claims that his iGaydar title was rejected from the App Store on the same day as Bruno -- an app based on the Sacha Baron Cohen movie -- was approved. iGaydar was rejected for "objectionable content," despite being considerably less graphic than the Bruno app, according to Ray.

iGaydar pretends to detect a person's sexuality, first displaying a random percentage and then announcing a tongue-in-cheek statement, such as "Honey, not even your priorities are straight." By contrast the Bruno app lets users undress Cohen's character, and touch various body parts which can elicit potentially offensive responses. Bruno is only on the App Store as a result of major studio backing and publicity, Ray charges.

Apple has rejected a number of apps with sex-related themes in the past, even when the titles did not show anything explicit. Naughty Loaded Dice was briefly blocked earlier in July, while an e-book reader, Eucalyptus, was temporarily blocked in May. Though only meant as general-purpose reading software, one of the books available for Eucalyptus is the Kama Sutra, a centuries-old Indian religious text that Apple deemed "inappropriate sexual content."


by MacNN Staff

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 iPod, iPhone, iPhone apps, App Store

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Comments

  1. climacs

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2001

    +2
    07/24, 10:46am | report spam | Reply |

    all you need to know

    Attempting to draw publicity

  1. Salty

    Professional Poster

    Joined: Jul 2005

    +8
    07/24, 10:48am | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Maybe...

    Maybe they rejected it because it enforces negative stereotypes about g** people. Personally I as a g** person have no problem with this app being rejected.

  1. njfuzzy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2001

    +5
    07/24, 11:06am | report spam | Reply |

    The joke is...

    There is a vibrator app on the app store now, clearly marketed as a s** toy... but it's rating is All Ages.

  1. dliup

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

    +3
    07/24, 11:15am | report spam | Reply |

    haha vibrating app

    Yeah good one. That vibrator app looks like it has more features than I thought it would have. LOL.

  1. slider

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Oct 1999

    +2
    07/24, 11:25am | report spam | Reply |

    Reject Because

    The problem with the iGaydar app is that it's about HATE. The vibrator app and Bruno and the like are not. There's a huge difference. if it's not clear to you, just stick in a race slur between the 'i' and 'dar'. If it's not clear to you, well I suggest you go sit down and watch Fox News some more.

  1. sammaffei

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2004

    +9
    07/24, 11:49am | report spam | Reply |

    How about app spamming?

    They need to stop the junk apps like "Top s*** Ladies..." which has about 200 variants. The app provides 5 pictures of a female celeb and charges $5 for it. Obviously, it's spam scam to grab unsuspecting idiots.

    But, I guess Apple doesn't care about that since it ups the overall app count.

  1. iphonerulez

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2008

    +8
    07/24, 11:58am | report spam | Reply |

    It doesn't matter to me

    about people being g**, but these apps are really not necessary at all. I'm glad I'm not in Apple's shoes trying to decide what apps pass and what don't. Why Apple is jumped on if it makes some bad decision, I really don't understand.

    People complain that the approval process takes too long and it must take quite a while to make decisions of approval on some apps. None of you probably know how the process works. Whether Apple uses individuals or a committee. What bugs me is that so many of you think you can do a better job. I've been on approval committees and it's downright tedious and time-sucking weighing the pros and cons.

  1. TiberiusMonkey

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jul 2008

    +1
    07/24, 03:10pm | report spam | Reply |

    Salty...

    ...it's funny you should say that, a few g** friends said the same thing to me when I emailed this to them.I also have to agree with iphonerulez, approval committees are life-suckingly (yes I invented a word) tedious and it's hardly any surprise that there will be cases like this.

  1. gaydargun

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jul 2009

    -1
    07/24, 04:16pm | report spam | Reply |

    Reject Because..

    In response to iGaydar being about hate.

    The creator of iGaydar Terry Ray is g** and has created other Gaydar related products. There is nothing hateful about iGaydar, the Gaydar Gun or Gaydar the Movie. There are unfortunately misperceptions regarding the intent of the application.

    Some background info:

    iGaydar is an offshoot of our original Gaydar Gun (http://www.gaydargun.com) which was derived from our independent short film Gaydar which featured Jim J. Bullock and Charles Nelson Riley. (http://gaydarthemovie.com).

The Gaydar Gun has been embraced by the g** community and the g** media as well. (As we are sure you are aware, g** people do have a sense of humor about themselves and so do straight people!). Even though we launched the toy late in the Christmas season, still numerous major g** publications across the country rushed to include the Gaydar Gun in their lists of Christmas gift recommendations. A partial list of those publications includes: Instinct, Time Out Chicago, Frontiers, Time Out New York, FAB, Dallas Voice, Out Front Colorado, Edge and SHE Magazine.

    

Take a look at the iGaydar application on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE5qUWa7nHE

  1. testudo

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -5
    07/24, 04:18pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: It doesn't matter

    but these apps are really not necessary at all.

    And how many apps in the appStore are actually 'necessary'? And define 'necessary'? Is it necessary we can make f*** noises with an iPhone? Apparently so, and they are tasteful, since Apple approved them.

    People complain that the approval process takes too long and it must take quite a while to make decisions of approval on some apps. None of you probably know how the process works.

    There is complaint because Apple INSISTS on approving each and every app. If you're going to control the whole thing, then you've got to be willing to deal with the bad press and articles being negative about you.

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