Dating Shows- Finding “love” on the Most Dramatic Season of “Reality” TV!
Originally Published March 14, 2020
“This is the most dramatic season in Bachelor history” -Chris Harrison
Excuse my language, but holy hell… my first blog post was about all the wonderful things to come in 2020, then fast forward two weeks and people are asked to start quarantining themselves because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. I will create a separate post for that because it is such a huge and uncertain topic right now, but I would like to focus on the second most discussed item across the United States- The Bachelor and finding love on tv. What a concept. This brings me to the discussion pertaining to two popular tv shows- The Bachelor and Love is Blind.
The Bachelor
Season 24 of The Bachelor just wrapped up and can we just focus on how much of a fiasco this season was? Your home girl actually applied to the show around July and didn’t even get a call back. I know what ya’ll are thinking… what about Evan and shouldn’t I be really embarrassed for disclosing this information? Spoiler alert, I’m not embarrassed, and yes, Evan and I broke up for a hot minute over summer (no I will not explain why, but don’t worry that time apart made us reflect on ways we could both grow in our relationship, and we are in such a great place now). But can I just start by saying, thank god I wasn’t even considered for casting and Evan and I lived happily ever after? Because 1. I would not have wanted to deal with 22/23 year old petty drama, 2. I couldn’t even imagine having Barb as a monster in law, and 3. I like a guy who knows what he wants and is not afraid to commit 100% (cough cough, this is not Peter).
As much as I like The Bachelor and will continue to watch the show, this season was a real let down for me (as I am sure it was for many). It just seemed anticlimactic and immature, seeing that 20-something-year-olds were screaming at each other about stolen champagne, who was there for the right reasons (reality check they are all there to promote themselves), and past pageant drama, blah blah blah.The season involved lots of crying (which considering the way Peter’s mom, Barb, acts, it make sense why Peter would keep cryers around). Don’t get me wrong, showing emotion is a real strength, but the constant crying over really dumb shit is just annoying. This season was also controversial in the sense that Peter kept a woman around who had been accused of infidelity and DUIs, yet it was such a big deal to him and his family that another woman was saving herself for marriage since he likes to bang. I’m sorry, what???? In the end, to naively think 22/23 year olds are ready for marriage, it’s no wonder why the element of “love” was lacking this season, aside from maybe the connection Madi and Peter shared. So this begs the question- can people fall in “love” on reality tv? Is it an age thing? Is eight weeks too soon and unrealistic for an engagement? Should we allow our mothers to have the final say in who we pick as our partner (aka Barb)?
Love is Blind
Another popular show,”Love is Blind,”which can be viewed on Netflix, has similar premises. The goal is to fall in “love” with someone based on the emotional connection they make in the pods (long story short, these people talk to one another through a wall and are supposed to fall in love without aspects of physical appearance, race, age, height, etc. influencing how they feel). Once a proposal is made in the pods, the happy couple gets to finally meet in person. They go on a pseudo honeymoon, meet their partner’s family and friends, and plan a wedding that is supposed to take place in a matter of four weeks. This experiment is to test whether love is actually blind. Hence, I think this experiment is interesting, and while an emotional connection is so key to a successful relationship, isn’t physical appearance just as important? I mean sure, we all become old and wrinkly eventually, but it’s nice to know a connection can be made on all fronts- mind, body, and soul. It just seems silly to me that an individual would be down for an engagement after five days of talking to someone through a wall. What if they are a serial killer? Look at Ted Bundy – smart, charming, charismatic, and psychotic. But that’s the point, these men and women could never fully know that after five days of talking. To me it seems foolish and 100% scripted (even though I am a big Cameron and Lauren fan). But then again, I could be more superficial- a physical connection is just as important to me as an emotional connection. It could also be a question about love language preference. Some people value words of affirmation over physical touch, and some people, like myself, find physical touch to be a crucial aspect of a partnership.
Is Love on Reality TV Meant to be?
In the words of Bachelor contestant, Madison Prewett, can love conquer all? Or is love truly blind? Or better yet, is reality love a script created solely by producers for the entertainment of audience members like myself?
