An empty Bumble claw game became a sad metaphor for online dating

Online dating is hard. We get it. There are countless tweets about the difficulties of finding an internet soulmate, and a whole subreddit dedicated to telling the worst dating stories. We've even written multiple lists, articles, and opinion pieces about the struggles of finding love through an app.

But nothing quite encapsulates the online dating experience like this photo of a sad claw game machine, branded with Bumble's logo and colors. Writer Hannah Murphy snapped a picture of the game, emptier than all of Twitter's dating prospects.

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Murphy called the prizeless machine a "chilling metaphor," and is there anything more relatable?

Twitter users and fellow members of the Lonely Hearts Club agreed to use the photo as defense against nosy friends.

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While some people took a more positive approach, others used the opportunity to trash Bumble's rival dating apps.

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Darth, one of Twitter's most beloved Photoshopping gods, even edited their avatar into the machine -- and if you have any experience with dating apps, Darth's image is a pretty accurate portrayal of what swiping is like.

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Although the Bumble social media team reached out for details, fans of the empty claw machine begged them to leave the unintentional statement art as is.

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Bumble often hosts pop-up spaces with yellow themed activities, which is probably where the sad, desolate machine came from. Most recently, a three-month event known as the "Bumble Hive" took place in Los Angeles, inviting active Bumble users to stop by for drinks, networking opportunities, and chance to win a prize from Bumble's claw machine.

Bumble hasn't responded to requests for comment yet -- hopefully the company has a more positive outlook on their dating app than this claw machine shows.