A new “Love is Blind” season premiered on Netflix on February 11th, with the finale on the way (at the time I am writing this) on March 4th. “Love is Blind” is a reality show of single men and women trying to find love, without ever seeing each other, to see if emotional attraction is stronger than physical attraction. But if season 10 has proven anything so far, it’s that love might be blind in the pods, and then suddenly crystal clear at the reveal.
This season especially has at least three couples – Alex and Ashley, Devonta and Brittany and Chris and Jess – who formed strong emotional connections, but are now unsure now that physical attraction entered the picture. Now, viewers are asking the same question they do every season: if you know you have a strict physical type, why go on “Love is Blind” in the first place?
The “Type” Problem is Everywhere This Season and I Mean Everywhere
One of the biggest problems this season is how often men talk about their “type.” In the pods, personality is enough. The singles talk about their values, connections and their plans for the future. But the second they get engaged and it’s time for the reveal, suddenly their physical appearance preferences start to matter again.
Alex admitted that Ashley isn’t his usual type and that he normally goes for brunettes instead of blondes. Devonta said he doesn’t usually date women of color and isn’t fully attracted to Brittany. And Chris told everyone he was willing to work on the physical chemistry with Jess — but the way he actually spoke to her came off completely different, as if trying to tell her that she was undesirable to him.
It makes this season so frustrating to watch. Three genuinely beautiful women—mind you, one is an infectious disease physician and one a registered nurse. So if you ask me, they’re better without these men. They make the women think that they built great emotional connections, but in the end, somehow their partners are still unsatisfied.
Sometimes it feels like the men are using having a “type” as an excuse for an out.
Love Isn’t Blind if You’re Comparing
It’s crazy how many contestants are comparing their partners to an imaginary ideal. One guy wants a blonde. One doesn’t want a blonde. Another wants an athletic Pilates-type girlfriend, usually dating girls “who do “f—ing Pilates every day,” which implies that Jess isn’t his preferred tone type.
They’re standing next to women who are obviously attractive and emotionally compatible with them — and yet it still isn’t enough.
This proves that for some people, love might not be so blind after all. They might say they’re open-minded, but mentally, they’re still checking boxes.
Everyone can have a type or preference, it’s up to you, but at this point, with the many seasons of “Love is Blind,” you know what you’re signing up for. If you’re not open to dating outside your usual preference, then “Love is Blind” clearly is not the right show for you.
Attraction Can Grow if You Let It
To be fair, attraction doesn’t have to happen instantly. It can build overtime, and we have seen it happen before. One couple from season seven, Taylor and Garrett, admitted in a People magazine interview that they weren’t immediately attracted to each other when they first met. They were open to letting the experiment work, and have their attraction grow instead of shutting that door.
That’s what is missing to the audience this season and many other seasons. Many contestants are unwilling to even try. Once they see their partner is not what they expected, they start to pull back. In a conversation, Devonta expresses to Brittany that he was surprised when he saw her outside the pods, because inside the pod Brittany sounded like a white girl. Which makes you think, is that why their marriage isn’t gonna work? Not because they don’t get along, or their values don’t align, but because Brittany is not what he imagined his partner to look like.
If you walk into the pods already thinking of a specific look you want your partner to have, then what made you think a relationship from the show was going to last?
Most contestants are probably just looking for fame and sponsorships, because it’s pointless to go in with the mentality that your marriage might not work if they don’t look like you imagined them.
So… Is Love Really Blind?
Season 10 makes it seem like emotional connections can be strong, but not everyone is willing to let go of their checklist. If you’re still focused on what your partner should look like instead of who they are, then maybe love, in fact, is not blind.
Physical attraction has become an expectation. Instead of being open to whoever they connect with emotionally, contestants are thinking “I hope she looks like this” or “I usually go for this type.”
At the end of the day, if there are many gorgeous, emotionally available women right in front of you and yet they still aren’t enough … then the problem isn’t attraction – it’s the expectation.