Genpets (shrinkwrapped pets)

Status: Hoax (art project)
image Meet Genpets, the cute, cuddly (kind of ugly) pets of the future, that come shrinkwrapped in plastic:
Genpets are living, breathing mammals. Bio-Genica is a Bioengineering Company that has combined, and modified existing DNA to create the Genpets lineup. Genpets are flesh and blood just like any other animal... Genpets are designed to be sold on retail store shelves, not traditional pet stores. This is why they are packaged in plastic.
It should be pretty obvious that Genpets aren't real, though the Genpets site is well designed. The Genpets site is the creation of artist Adam Brandejs. Apparently he's actually been hanging these things in store windows. And the real-life versions of them look like they're alive, thanks to some robotics and circuitry. He writes:
Genpets seems to create a reaction wherever they go. While in the store window of Iodine Toronto, the shop owner began sleeping in the store as many nights, people would bang at the windows furiously. Some in protest of the small Bio-genetically engineered creatures trapped in plastic, some wanting to wake them up or buy them. Hordes of teens wanting a bioengineered pet met confused, baffled, or even shocked looks from parents. For an upcoming generation, through our own marketing techniques, life and the idea of life are quickly becoming viewed as disposable commodities. It’s easier to dismiss Genpets as a hoax or exaggeration when you’re not faced with a wall of them. The experience of a grainy photo is different than standing face to face with a breathing, sleeping Genpet.
(Thanks to Torbjørn Solstad for the link)

Animals Technology Websites

Posted on Wed Jun 14, 2006


Comments

Eeewwwwwww!
Posted by Big Gary  on  Wed Jun 14, 2006  at  06:57 PM
They're kinda cute...
Except can you imagine telling your kid: "okay, here's your pet, but don't get too attached, it's programmed to die in one year from today..."
Posted by StarLizard  on  Wed Jun 14, 2006  at  07:05 PM
They also look kinda creepy with the way that they're displayed on the wall...Reminds me of a movie I once saw where they had humans strung up like that. (No, it wasn't the Matrix, either).
Posted by Smerk  on  Wed Jun 14, 2006  at  11:21 PM
Woah, I want one. Seriously.
Posted by Mewtaila  on  Thu Jun 15, 2006  at  03:30 AM
They sort of look like a skinned Gremlin, zip-tied to a piece if cardboard...
Posted by Christopher  on  Thu Jun 15, 2006  at  04:41 AM
By far the best hoax website I've seen in ages! Absolutely brilliant! Bit uncomfortable about the technophobe subtext, but what the hey.
Posted by outeast  on  Thu Jun 15, 2006  at  05:03 AM
Starlizard, that's mean..."And remember, a GenPet is just for Christmas, not for life..."
Posted by Owen  on  Thu Jun 15, 2006  at  06:29 AM
The pictures of the kiddies getting one and being all excited are hilarious... personally, if I got one of those I would be like "wtf, thanks?!" because according to their website, if the creatures were real, they only played like infants. So basically, they eat, poop, don't make much sound, and crawl slightly.
Not very athletic, there.

Personally, I like my kitten who does flips to try and catch his toy and mews like crazy.
... I just don't like how he thinks... it's okay to wake me up via licking.

but I'd prefer that over a genpet licking.
Posted by Mera  on  Fri Jun 16, 2006  at  10:58 AM
it's not technophobic at all if you acctually read what he says...

"Secondly I
Posted by Ania  on  Fri Jun 16, 2006  at  10:36 PM
First off... I'd like to say that you've done a very good job making fun of the laws of human nature. Not only did you have me convinced, You also triggered me to have dozens of people repost bullitens on myspace, to have Genpets shut down. you did a good job on fooling me, and thousands of other people, and only to make us angry. I hope you're happy you fucking piece of shit.
Posted by Spookidy  on  Sun Jun 18, 2006  at  01:01 AM
RE: Spookidy
Your comment only proves the artist right. Had you done a google search and noticed it's art, you wouldn't have wasted anyones time. dumbass.
Posted by Matt  on  Sun Jun 18, 2006  at  07:45 AM
RE: Spookykid
If you were stupid enough to not check this out first before blabbing to your friends on myspace (Which is really crap anyway) then you deserve all you get.

Otherwise the whole things pretty cool. Spooked me out and reminded me how weird it would be to 'play God'.

Saying that I think some countries actually allow the patienting of dna now.
Posted by Alexander  on  Sun Jun 18, 2006  at  01:09 PM
yeah i totally feel like an asshole now. I'm sorry for anyone i offended, including the artist. *walks away in shame*
Posted by Spookidy  on  Sun Jun 18, 2006  at  01:36 PM
I agree with everyone else on this. This is obviously a fake. The site uses all sorts of contradictory statements. It
Posted by bessy  on  Tue Jun 20, 2006  at  10:02 AM
I think if they where real i would be able to find a picture of one alive, somewhere on the web!
Posted by SpongeBob  on  Thu Jun 22, 2006  at  09:29 PM
This is... weird. Alex has Genpets clearly labelled a hoax/art project: there is no uncertainty about it and some commenters above have even quoted the artist. Yet still there are commenters feeling the need to 'prove' it's a hoax - like SpongeBob and bessy above. Why? It's like carefully and logically explaining that the joke you just told about the Englishman, the Irishman, and the American is obviously not true because Superman doesn't exist. Weird.
Posted by outeast  on  Fri Jun 23, 2006  at  01:14 AM
I don't know. Uncertainty? I see it more as the commenters are wondering how anyone could have believed it to be true in the first place, rather then trying to re-prove it as a hoax.
Posted by Razela  on  Fri Jun 30, 2006  at  06:26 PM
They are dead cute even if it
Posted by nitedrive  on  Thu Aug 03, 2006  at  03:46 PM
I'm not too sure what to think. I have heard that they are real, i have also heard that they are robots. If they are just robots why would the company go through all the trouble of advertising "Genpets". And taking the risk of being sued for false advertisement? Because they did say that they are real breathing living things. I was going to buy one until i heard that they are fake and now I'm hearing all this controverse abnout "Genpets".
Posted by magicking4489  on  Tue Aug 15, 2006  at  03:10 PM
That would actually make a really good furby-like toy. Only twice as creepy and even more prone to be lit on fire or put into microwaves by their owners.

Magicking4489: They weren't distributed, so no one lost any money. 😉
Posted by Mike G.  on  Sun Oct 08, 2006  at  12:54 PM
What is wrong with you people it took me half a second to figure out this was a hoax. I mean come on Bonzai Kittens is almost as good a hoax as this is and you people were probably going on and on about that to. And lets face it people, Christians are so up there own ass about what is playing god that even trying to cure things with Bio engineering has become a one way ticket to holy hell!!!!!
Posted by YYYYYYYiii  on  Thu Oct 19, 2006  at  08:44 PM
ok... here's the thing... iot might be a hoax right now(which i doubt... the gov. probably has these but are hiding the fact that they can do it) If biotechnology gets this advanced we will not like it they will adapt and grow, get smart and... yeah.. not so good for humans.. so all you who want them dont... they are not good at all....
Posted by hotchick2121  on  Wed Nov 08, 2006  at  08:06 AM
iot might be a hoax right now(which i doubt... the gov. probably has these but are hiding the fact that they can do it)

OK, so you can't spell 'it' - can you spell 'paranoia'?

Heh heh:)
Posted by outeast  on  Wed Nov 08, 2006  at  08:12 AM
ok, ok... i cant proofread my own typing... but just take a moment to think about what can happen eventually with this technology.... then read the book The bar code tatoo.....
Posted by hotchick2121  on  Fri Nov 10, 2006  at  07:52 AM
WTF are these damn things....alls i know is that thier scary why the fuck would someone say these little shits are cute...it could make a grown man shit his pants and piss 'em to if those things are real (which is most likely illogical) then our government will hide them like area 51 look up videos on area 51 its sick operating on an alien man i can go all day if aliens are real then so are these i for one believe aliens are real i mean seriously there is for all we know endless space so...think of all the possibilities hell, there could be a sub-spieces of human but, you people don't want to read about me rambleing on and on about some shit that you guys think is fake right?
Posted by skaterjerk  on  Tue Dec 26, 2006  at  10:44 PM
i just wanted to see how it looked as "skaterjerk in your ass" lol
Posted by skaterjerk  on  Tue Dec 26, 2006  at  10:46 PM
OMG
Posted by Natalie  on  Fri Jan 26, 2007  at  08:39 AM
I feel relieved.
Ever since I found about this so called Genpets,
I had a sense of confusion.
I think it's awful to mix various species with one another.
Thank God this was not true.
Posted by Hooshmand Irani  on  Mon Jan 29, 2007  at  01:15 AM
they're not real but ccheck out this wiki, it has more info on other cross speices;

.'
Posted by twat flap  on  Fri Feb 09, 2007  at  10:34 AM
Whats is really the gen pets???

please, send me a photo more especified, and explain me ..
i'm to curious,...

tanks
Posted by alex mayor  on  Thu Apr 26, 2007  at  10:03 PM
these things are fake... I don't see how hard it is to grasp the concept... it's noted in a multitude of sources... do your research

in addition animal rights?
playing God?

like these are new concepts... go look at any testing lab and you'll see stuff more disconcerting then a "genpet"
Posted by cpalermino  on  Tue Jun 05, 2007  at  02:37 PM
ladies and gentlemen this is the image of our future... wake up and feel the danger...we try to be better and more and more and more perfect... this will lead us to make the perfect man. and we will destroy our kind. very good idea to wake us up.
Posted by apostolis stikas  on  Tue Sep 25, 2007  at  06:51 AM
man, i sooo wanted one. AND THEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS A HOAX! I refused to believe it at first - that is soooo awesome!
Why don't they just make it? Obviously its gotten a reaction from the public, whether that be good, or bad. I think we should recognise how far we've come today re. technology
Posted by babyslug  on  Thu Oct 18, 2007  at  09:44 PM
... wow babyslug... killer screen name

they can't make them "for everyone" because we humans haven't created life out of plastic yet

and also because companies though close aren't going to produce things for the whims of people, especially shrink wrapped life forms

an artist made them

not mattel
Posted by chacha  on  Sun Oct 21, 2007  at  10:03 PM
Have you seen Resident Evil?
Think well about it.....
Posted by me  on  Wed Jan 02, 2008  at  04:44 AM
EEEWWW It looks like a dead baby.
Posted by Nicaroo  on  Tue Feb 05, 2008  at  03:57 PM
omg this is the best pet ever im getten one of those things and namen it sparkie! this is the best animal science ever! keep it up you guys make some more kewl animals!-Eecie<3
Posted by ElisE  on  Fri May 23, 2008  at  04:17 PM
I will get one definatley Eecie<3 talked me into them cute lil things were both definatly gettin them things we'll have playdates together 2. People say they'll eat you in your sleep like my friend daniel. NOT TRUE PEEPLE!
outy Livso

P.S. Im naming mine Geraldo
Posted by Olivia  on  Sat May 24, 2008  at  12:05 PM
Hey, you know what is so funny about their FAQ answers? there is a question that says if genpets bite! and the answer is that they should not bite, however they come with teeth remover kit!!!
Wow!! thats so cruel! would anyone teaches a kid to remove their pets' teeth if the pet bites!! would you do that to your dog!
I believe this website is desined by some psycology student working on some kind of semi research on peoples sadistic capabilities! Maybe to see how far would people go to be sadistic trowards an imaginary creature that they think is made by human so is destined to be turchered by human. Or if people care at all!
Posted by lADAN  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  07:06 PM
When i heard about them I thought it is breakthrough and rushed to the website and well it was obviously a hoax! but the saddest part is there are many people out there believing in it!
Posted by MSH  on  Sun Jul 20, 2008  at  05:51 AM
They are LIVE Orcs like Lord of the Rings :(((((
it makes me feel creepy
Posted by Van Helsing  on  Tue Aug 12, 2008  at  01:32 AM
that is sick u dumb noobs
Posted by the bEst  on  Sat Sep 06, 2008  at  11:31 PM
These will haunt my dreams for months to come.
Posted by Tripp  on  Sun Sep 14, 2008  at  09:52 PM
I don't beleive any one any more, not museum of Hoaxes not even genpets. I hate you are all liers , go to hell with your ugly speechless toys
Posted by Hadeel  on  Sun Oct 26, 2008  at  01:26 AM
I was watching the mexican news this morning and the did a very small and informal thing about the genpets, AS IF THEY WERE REAL!!
I was shocked. A simple google search shows its a hoax and yet one of the largest news shows in Mexico reports this as a new and real development in the genetics industry!! What a shame.
Posted by Hector T  on  Tue Nov 04, 2008  at  10:53 AM
Yes what a shame, I think they try to see people reaction to it & how they feel about it, as if we are (Lab Rats)
Posted by Hadeel  on  Tue Nov 04, 2008  at  10:49 PM
You people took this too seariusly.
They fooled me for 2 minutes, while I read the webpage (which is very good).
But the lack of pictures of one of those alive, and the fact that is packed in a shrink wrap, gave it away.
As soon as I typed it in google to confirm it, the answer was reveal.
Very controversial art,
Posted by Peppy  on  Tue Dec 02, 2008  at  01:05 PM
Cute????? This thing is CUTE??? It's creepy, gross, ugly and totally unatural. And even creepier to think that tomorrows generations think that life is worth nothing. And did we not learn anything from "The Fly?" All this bioengineering, cloning, playing god, etc. is just going to bite us in the butt!
Posted by gaby O  on  Mon Dec 08, 2008  at  03:58 PM
people really don't read and just follow their emotion without realizing that it's not true and the website is just a marketing ploy.
Posted by kwatog  on  Sun Jan 11, 2009  at  10:43 PM
omg people, this is a giant HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX HOAX.
Posted by Snaffer  on  Tue Mar 03, 2009  at  02:09 PM
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