The world’s busiest gay hook up app, Grindr, is about to sell up and the asking price is a lot.
Reuters is reporting that the current owners of Grindr, Beijing Kunlun Tech will be selling off the app immediately and the price tag is reported to be around $600 million.
That’s quite the mark up over what it paid for the app just a few short years ago.
The CFIUS ruled that the treasure trove of data held by Grindr would be a concern for the national security of the United States so it effectively forced the sale of the company. The ruling from the Committee on Foreign Investment also ordered that the firm cannot share any data harvested from the app.
The ID of the buyer is said to be San Vicente Acquisition LLC who will have a mound of data on around 4.5 million users.
According to Reuters, the CFIUS will need to approve the latest deal.
A reader asks whether he should stop hooking up with guys from dating apps, during the coronavirus outbreak.
Dear Uncle,
I’m really concerned about the spread of coronavirus and wondering whether hooking up with random guys off grindr is safe.
What do you suggest?
Matthew
This article has been updated read the new response here.
Dear Matthew,
You ask a good question and one that could be applied to any number of viruses or infections that we face every time we make the decision to hook up with someone random off an app.
Every time we decide to hook up with someone we haven’t received an entire up-to-date health scan from (read: basically every time) you are at some risk, but overall we make the call that the risk is worth the play.
I think coronavirus could be a good engine for change or adaptation for our community. It might invite us to start talking more openly about our sexual health, testing and well-being in general and there’s no harm in having a conversation with someone about their health before you hook up.
The more we talk about these things, hopefully, the less stigma there is attached to our health.
But with that said, it would be prudent to take some precautions.
You could ask the person you’re planning to meet with whether they’re likely to have come into contact with the virus – i.e. have they travelled from one of the places hardest hit with the virus – like China, Iran, Italy or South Korea.
However, given that the incubation period for this virus is assumed to be around two weeks, even someone who isn’t showing any symptoms may actually be carrying the virus.
Be wary of your own heath – do you have underlying health conditions that could lead to complications should you become infected with the coronavirus.
Keep the NHS website in your bookmarks for updates from the medical professionals and make your decisions based on their advice.
Matthew, in the end, it’s up to you. I wouldn’t stop having fun at this stage, but I’d urge you and others to self isolate if you think you’ve started to get symptoms and not just with Corona – don’t hook up with guys if you’ve got a cold, flu or if you’re in treatment for an STI.
Let’s not spread infections around.
We’re a community that needs to protect each other.
While I’m at it, why not go for a sexual health check-up – ask about PrEP, the HPV and Hepatitis vaccines.
Everyone’s favourite big, gay bus is hitting the road again, as Felicia, Tick and Bernadette unplug their curling tongs and go bush, travelling across the Australian outback and making their way to perform a show in Alice Springs. Between the breaking down, bickering and bigotry, the trio learns about life, love and friendship whilst strutting their stuff in their high heels.
As Felicia says at one point in the film that the show is based on, “there’s nothing like new frock to brighten your day, girls.” The show has been re-imagined and like the bus itself, it is given a fresh coat of paint. But not every frock is made of satin and this production, unbelievably, manages to suck most of the fun out of what is, in reality, a superb show.
Joe McFadden is woefully miscast as Tick, hardly making any eye contact with the audience and flipping between being virtually inanimate to over-exaggerating every gesture, whilst Miles Western portrays transsexual Bernadette more as a gay man than a trans woman; with only Jordan Cunningham bringing much to the main trio as Adam and his drag alter ego Felicia.
The corrugated iron-based background set is bland, gone are the recreations of the Oscar-winning costumes (to remove the flip-flop dress is a crime) and the titular bus doesn’t fare too well either. There is an abundance of unnecessary creative decisions – the “comedic” shooting of a kangaroo, a flashing nun and the addition of a set of dancing hicks whilst Adam belts out La Traviata from the top of the bus – which simply don’t sit well within the show. The delivery of the script fell flat. There is an increase in the sexualisation in the show, containing more groin thrusting that is really needed and seemingly replacing the camp with a vague sleaziness.
The choreography was safe rather than outrageous, and the staging made the performance space seem almost empty when the ensemble cast were performing. Those who are seeing the show for the first time may well find much to enjoy, but disappointingly, this is an incredibly uninspiring production.
On the plus side, the Divas’ were able to belt out the tunes, the soundtrack comprising of a selection of disco classics is stomping and the musical numbers are undertaken with energy and enthusiasm by the ensemble. But sadly, the re-imagined show looked cheap, the costumes were disappointing and tacky, the performances from the main cast were broadly poor and the over the top camp felt sadly lacking.
It must be difficult to drain the life out of such a buoyant and uplifting show, but somehow, this production manages to do just that.
