When you tire of your dull unattractive friends, buy new ones. At least that's the premise of the latest social networking tool to hit the Dartmouth campus -- Catch27.com. What started as a parody of thefacebook and Friendster has become a social trading card network including thousands of players across U.S. college campuses.
According to E. Jean Carroll, the creator of Catch27, the site is completely evil, but at the same time represents human nature, as all social life is merely a game.
Catch27 is based on the premise of trading friends like baseball cards, involving the trade of current friends, for "hotter, smarter friends," Carroll said.
Carroll says the creation of Catch27 was a complete accident.
"Last year, I was getting many questions about thefacebook. I immediately thought, facebook is great -- they just ripped it off Friendster," Carroll said.
"But then young women in East Coast schools, sorority girls -- they were all taking it so seriously! So I made a spoof site of the dull Friendster and facebook."
Catch27 has now developed into an elite trading card game reserved for only the good-looking. Players in the game are divided into 10 different categories, ranging from "bitches" to "freaks" to "geeks" to "wiseasses."
Yet a quick perusal of even the geeks category reveals a whole assortment of extraordinarily good-looking people.
"Everybody that comes on Catch27 is handpicked -- you have to be invited by someone," Carroll said. "And I sit there periodically and throw anyone who's ugly off the site."
Social image is extremely important for members of Catch27. The website also offers patrons the option of purchasing cards -- high-ranked members can be valued as high as $27, new members, as low as $2. Trading card values may fluctuate based on looks, intelligence, beautiful friends in the pack, the number of page-views and the number of trades involving the particular card.
Notoriety was an important value for Carroll in designing Catch27.
"If you're going to be alive, you might as well be famous. It's good if you have a little renown. Then you can do good in the world. People listen to what you say," Carroll said.
Catch27 offers several other bonus features that are not offered on thefacebook.
The weblog tool provides an outlet for thoughts and potential increased popularity based on amusing blog entries. The wiretapping tool allows for instantaneous pop-up alerts and communication between players.
And the crowning aspect of the site that keeps many addicted to the game is the prospect of prizes. By collecting 27 cards of certain types of people, such as 27 people wearing hats or 27 people named Sarah, a player can win prizes ranging from iPods to Catch27 hats.
"Twenty-seven is a magic number," Carroll said. "Kurt Cobain died at 27. Jimi Hendrix died at 27. Janis Joplin died at 27. Jim Morrison died at 27. Your life is over at 27. I'm telling you -- live now. You're all going to be dead at 27."
Dartmouth students are unconvinced, however, of Catch27's social value.
"This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen," Tamara Battle '07 said. "The categories don't seem very accurate, and I don't really understand why anyone would join."
A former writer for Saturday Night Live, Carroll has plenty of experience with humorous parodies.
Her popular "Ask E. Jean" column has run in Elle magazine for the last 12 years. She also writes for Esquire magazine.
Having traveled to the College as a reporter in the later 1980s, Carroll holds some opinions about Dartmouth as well.
"You're, like, dead socially unless you pledge," Carroll said. "Those [fraternity] guys were so much fun. They came over to my hotel and serenaded me. Then when they finished, they dropped their pants. I love Dartmouth."
