Not all of the students in these facebook.com groups are really models, but at least someone thinks they should be.
The student networking database is home to several groups claiming to list GW’s most attractive students. The groups include “The 25 Hottest Girls at GW,” “The 25 Hottest Guys at GW,” “The 25 Hottest Guys in GW,” “The 24 Hottest Girls at GW” and, of course, “GW’s Hottest Not In the 25 Hottest Group.” There are hundreds of facebook.com groups, which are typically made up of students who share a common interest.
Members of these “hot” groups are either invited to join or voted on for admission by a panel of opposite-sex peers – the group’s creators.
“(The 25 Hottest Girls at GW) is just fun to look at because they’re hot girls … and to see if you know any of them,” said Eben Hall, a junior and member of the “25 Hottest Guys at GW” group.
“The 25 Hottest Girls,” created by junior Eric Hanna, was one of the original “hot” groups. It wasn’t too long before copycats started popping up. Sophomore Chad Harlan was one-he created the “24 Hottest Girls at GW” group last year.
“I was looking at (“The 25 Hottest Girls at GW”) with my friends and we wanted to create a group that catered to our tastes,” Harlan said. “We wanted to represent a more diverse group of women.”
If diversity is what they are after, they don’t seem to be looking too far. The group’s online description states that they prefer a “nice Jewish woman.”
Harlan said his group is “less superficial” than others, since admission was based on the girls’ interests and other information listed on their online profiles, in addition to, of course, their snapshots.
“I guess it could be conceived as shallow, but it’s more about character,” Harlan said. “Beauty transcends appearance. At least that’s how I feel.”
Today, “The 24 Hottest Girls,” along with the other original “25 hottest” groups, is no longer updated with any regularity. Many of their member numbers are way below the advertised 25.
“I think the guys probably got sick of it,” said a sophomore, who was too embarrassed to be named. She dropped out of “The 25 Hottest Girls at GW” shortly after a friend persuaded her to join. “It was just a stupid idea to being with.”
The drop in popularity of the “25 hottest” groups has left the door open for a new generation of hotness judges.
The newest “hot” group is called “Fresh Meat: The 10 Hottest Freshmen at GW.” The creator, senior Drew Putzel, and friends have been inviting freshman girls to join since summer.
“I think it’s really dumb, but I also don’t take facebook seriously,” said freshman Alexandra Becker, who received a facebook message asking her to join last summer. “I feel bad for any girl who took it as a compliment that they got asked. (The creators) are not looking at the girls as themselves, they’re just looking for freshman girls that have pictures on facebook.”
These groups are certainly not unique to GW. Schools across the country have a “25 hottest” group or a similar attractiveness pecking order on facebook.com.
