We’ve all heard of Love is Blind, the hit TV show that paired couples together without them knowing what each other looked like. The first season was a runaway hit, with 30 million households watching it within four weeks of its release. It even stayed in the U.S. Top 10 for 47 consecutive days.
Since then, the show has released eight more seasons, with the ninth season premiering on October 1.
Certainly the first season was very entertaining, and its subsequent seasons have done well too (in fact, it’s sixth season was its highest streamed). But coming into a ninth season, one can only ask: how much is this about love anymore?
is love is blind problematic?
The show has not been without allegations — there have been multiple lawsuits against the production for maltreatment. This article contains a list of all of them (so far!) and it’s pretty shocking stuff. Issues of sexual assault, ’emotional warfare,’ and false imprisonment are included among the lawsuits, for instance.
Outside of this, the show has not been entirely successful in creating love. Of over 50 couples, about 11 are still together. Some seasons produce zero successful couples. Despite this, the show is actually more successful than most in producing couples that stay together (aside from 90 Day Fiancé, which tends to involve pre-established couples anyway). In this sense, the show is actually fairly engaging in its results. Other long-time shows with a similar romantic niche have had way less success — for example, the 29-season-long The Bachelor.
the influence of social media
Despite this relative success in terms of the show’s matchmaking ability, it certainly struggles in other areas. For one, lots of people who now sign up for the show are wannabe influencers. It makes sense — a show this successful gives you exposure, and people wanting a little bit of fame may wish to capitalise on this. It’s the same with lots of TV shows in the same niche — after a while, it’s easy to wonder how many people are truly there for love. One show that has somewhat avoided this problem is Married At First Sight, which has an extreme vetting process and pairs people up manually rather than having people choose. This show’s format, however, is very unique, and would not work the same way for Love Is Blind.
In a similar vein, the producers have supreme control, and whilst the show is not necessarily scripted, they do edit and splice to spark controversy. As with most reality TV, people are cast their lot: villain or hero. And, like a lot of American TV, people are cut-throat to one another, especially when it comes to love. Where’s the love and support for each other that we get from shows like The Great British Bake Off?
The truth is, though: whilst producers aren’t giving them scripts, they’re still playing games behind the scenes. This is not just true of Love is Blind, but of all reality TV shows. Still, it has made its way into some of the lawsuits against the show, and there’s a level of corruption inherent in this act of, essentially, puppeteering people for views and money. Love is Blind is particularly guilty of this.
politics…
Season 8 was particularly interesting for some viewers given two couples broke up due to differing political beliefs. It was a stark underlining of the two-party system in America. One of the couples broke up as a result of views on abortion rights, and the others due to thoughts on Black Lives Matter. The producers, I’m sure, pick people with opposing views in the case that they do match up or interact to generate virality.
This article is another good read, talking about the consequences of the fallout and what a rise in right-wing politics, particularly in men, means for dating in America.
Final thoughts: watchable?
The show has certainly been watchable, proved by its large number of views and extensive reach. I cannot help but wonder, however, at what point we have gone too far (or like Icarus, have flown too close to the sun). Nine seasons in, and more influencers than ever — I will not be watching this season (in fact, I stopped many seasons ago). Whether you choose to is up to you, but it’s certainly worth thinking about whether the show is still good TV or if, at this point, it’s just reheating old nachos.
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Want to read my other reviews? Here’s my most recent one on R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis.