Title: Attack of the Genpets
Author: Nancy Roberts
Date: 9/28/06
The best scams are the ones that have a little soupcon of fear associated with them: that just might be true because it’s something I’m actually fearful of.
A recent rather clever – and certainly artfully executed – scam falls in to that category.
Visit www.genpets.com and prepare to laugh, but be slightly disturbed.
The site claims to offer a new biologically engineered “pet” that comes complete with a “freshness” band – assuring that the limited-lived pet will give the buyer plenty of quality pet time before it expires.
Getpets are supposedly biologically engineered from a combination of animal and human DNA, and come available in different personality types. They are in a sort of hibernation when you purchase them, and when extracted from their packaging, they wake up, imprinting on the purchaser, and requiring pet-like care and feeding from that point on. “Like dolls, puppies, or human babies,” says the site’s developer, with what we hope is a more than a touch of irony, “they must be looked after and cared for.”
The site is made all the more disturbing by featuring links to real-life websites such as the National Geographic for more information on the state of human-animal hybridization science.
But rest assured - as Snopes.com tells us, it’s all a very cleverly executed hoax by artist Adam Brandejs, who wanted to get people thinking about the concept of bioengineering, and where its exploration might lead.
Another one for the Brave New World files.
Author: Nancy Roberts
Date: 9/28/06
The best scams are the ones that have a little soupcon of fear associated with them: that just might be true because it’s something I’m actually fearful of.
A recent rather clever – and certainly artfully executed – scam falls in to that category.
Visit www.genpets.com and prepare to laugh, but be slightly disturbed.
The site claims to offer a new biologically engineered “pet” that comes complete with a “freshness” band – assuring that the limited-lived pet will give the buyer plenty of quality pet time before it expires.
Getpets are supposedly biologically engineered from a combination of animal and human DNA, and come available in different personality types. They are in a sort of hibernation when you purchase them, and when extracted from their packaging, they wake up, imprinting on the purchaser, and requiring pet-like care and feeding from that point on. “Like dolls, puppies, or human babies,” says the site’s developer, with what we hope is a more than a touch of irony, “they must be looked after and cared for.”
The site is made all the more disturbing by featuring links to real-life websites such as the National Geographic for more information on the state of human-animal hybridization science.
But rest assured - as Snopes.com tells us, it’s all a very cleverly executed hoax by artist Adam Brandejs, who wanted to get people thinking about the concept of bioengineering, and where its exploration might lead.
Another one for the Brave New World files.
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