Hotmail
|
By Megahn Perry
Special to MSN TV
Finding true love on a reality dating show is about as probable as finding that elusive needle in a haystack. Yet season after season, year after year, TV execs hurl a heap of shows our way dedicated to the process of finding love in mostly ridiculous ways. Real love takes time to develop, not to mention understanding, perseverance and strength. Love is personal. It's not likely to be found under the glaring lights of a television studio (or a fancy house on a hill converted to a television studio). Yet the dating shows keep rolling out.
Enter "Dating in the Dark" (July 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC), which asks three men and three women to go on dates in a pitch-black room, thereby removing physical attraction from the equation. Also new this summer is "More to Love" (July 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX), which is built on a more familiar concept. Think "The Bachelor," only with plus-sized contestants instead (it's been dubbed "The Fatchelor").
Though dating show formats get tweaked every season, reality TV simply isn't conducive to falling in love, although it certainly makes for entertaining viewing. Here's a breakdown of the different categories these dating shows fall into, and why each of them is pretty lousy at finding long-lasting relationships.
Who Wants to Marry a Virtual Stranger?
Back in 2002, "The Bachelor" made its debut, bringing with it an onslaught of like-minded programming centered on the same theme: One person looking for love (regular girl, nerd, celebrity, farmer) amidst a dozen or so suitable (at least according to producers) suitors. These contestants then spend from eight to 10 weeks getting to know each other in clearly manipulated date-type situations in which all parties involved vie for attention and time. At the end of each episode, one contestant is eliminated, usually in a torrent of tears -- or at least the threat of revenge.
Let's face it: Asking someone to take enough shots to kill a horse and then compete in a pole dancing competition isn't dating. It's ancient Roman entertainment. Anyone looking for love on a "Bachelor"-type show has to have a screw loose. That's what makes these shows work, and the relationships that come out of them fail. See just about every season of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" for proof (though kudos are due to you, Trista and Ryan). See also: "Farmer Wants a Wife," "The Littlest Groom," "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?," VH1's "... of Love" series, "A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila"
Who Wants Someone Else to Pick the Virtual Stranger You're About to Marry?
Not quite as popular as the "Bachelor" genre, but a menace to TV screens all the same, are the shows that depend on a friend, family member, or, in the case of "Married by America," total strangers to pick a mate for someone.
(Story Continues On Next Page...)
| Page 1 of 2 |
|
