Skip to main content

Laura was beautiful, but turned "vicious" once she located her ex's "soft-white underbelly."

Andi was "an incredibly difficult but sexy woman who, frankly, smelled better than any human I've ever met since."

Another woman, mercifully unnamed, was "awesome" if you could "suffer the rhinestones."

For those who relish public pillorying, a new website called ExRated.co lets users rank their former partners with a handy star-system that grades them on intelligence, "mojo," empathy, maturity and even personal hygiene.

"Improve people's dating manners by encouraging them to strive for a good rating," advises the website, which mandates that users keep their rants down to 140 characters (perhaps they've been practising on Twitter).

Rubber-neckers aren't welcome: Users must rate an ex to view other reviews on the site. Only then can they cross-reference what other exes have spewed about their ex – a collective shaming.

"You wouldn't go to a restaurant that hasn't been reviewed. Especially in the era of Internet dating, why would you go on a date with a person who hasn't been reviewed?" New York-based founder Tom Padazana told the Huffington Post.

The site was launched in June; another strikingly similar venture, ExRated.info, appeared on the scene in September. The cauldron of stewing exes is hot, apparently. "Think Yelp or TripAdvisor – but for people you're thinking of dating," reads the tagline on the newer site, which blithely claims to increase "accountability" in the dating game.

Ex-shaming websites such as Don'tDateHimGirl.com and liarscheatersrus.com have let scorned women and men vent for some time, but the latest offerings don't expose exes for cheating so much as humiliate them for day-to-day peccadilloes: "I should have known something was up when we met for coffee and he brought his own cashew milk. He's a sweetie, but forget going out to eat!"

Cashew milk: the new deal-breaker.

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe