Trust me when I say I’m an expert on reality TV with over 20 years experience as a viewer.
It has always had a knack for drawing us in with its absurd premises, and Netflix’s ‘Love is Blind’ is no different.
Picture what would happen if you agreed to get engaged to a stranger after knowing them for a week, and then tying the knot at the 30-day mark of your acquaintanceship, all for us at home to view.
That is what currently has me hooked. The show is now in its seventh American season, while there are Japanese, British and United Arab Emirates versions.
Despite being a literal train wreck, I just cannot pull my eyes away.
While it’s clear, to me at least, that the show is circling the drain with its dramatic, poorly matched contestants, a tiny part of me enters each new season with a bit of hope that, just once, we may actually witness true love.
It’s all a voyeuristic thrill. I think that’s the basis of our obsession with watching other people. It’s like there is something just so pleasurable about being a fly on the wall in some of the most tender and romantic moments.
But let’s be honest: The concept is becoming stale, and the quality of contestants has been on a sharp decline for a while now.
The idea of people falling in love without seeing each other first once felt like a refreshing take on reality dating shows, offering a cool twist on the typical formula.
But with each season that comes out, there is a greater departure from the heartwarming connections we were promised, focusing more on emotionally immature individuals who are simply not ready for a lifelong commitment.
Take, for instance, the guy who was caught cheating within a few days of being engaged.
Why sign up for a show centred around marriage if you’re not even capable of being faithful for an experiment?
Then there’s the man who doesn’t know how to boil water, the one who is refusing to wear condoms, the judgemental lady with serious intimacy issues, and the dude who conveniently forgot to mention having three children before getting down on one knee.
While we all love a little bit of drama, it’s these kinds of contestants that make ‘Love is Blind’ feel like a revolving door of poorly thought-out decisions.
Rather than inspiring confidence in the experiment and in love, it makes me wonder if producers are just in it for shock value.
What ‘Love is Blind’ desperately needs is a change in direction and an overhaul of the premise.
They also need to vet contestants with genuine emotional intelligence and a sincere desire to find love.
Drama is great, but not when it comes at the expense of authenticity and what could be a heartwarming story, like the ones we saw in their first iteration.
We are not asking for perfection, just a little more maturity, grace and thoughtfulness.
At this point, I watch it because it is there, but I can see that if they continue like this, the show won’t last for much longer.
– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer, and social commentator. Follow her online or email her at annehambuda@gmail.com for more.
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