Cafe Weekly
Dating shows have become so scripted and planned, that viewers don't get much excitement when watching these cliche reality nightmares. There's always that girl who comes from a rough background who refuses to let her guard down, and then manages to get kicked off the program for bad behavior. Then there's the one who seems to have a few screws loose, drinks entirely too much in the first few days of the ghastly designed mansion and happens to do something outlandish enough to get eliminated. Finally there's the contestant who comes from a down-home background with dreams and aspirations beaming through her naturally white smile. She's the one who pulls through all of the craziness and somehow wins the heart of the millionaire, the rock star or the 15-minutes of fame reality junkie.
When I came across the previews for ABC's, "Dating in the Dark," I truly believed we would be in for another train wreck when flipping through channels. Then I saw the three men who were testing the waters of the show to see if they could find a compatible partner. All of the men were attractive in their own unique way, and seemed to have enough personality to substitute any physical flaws. The women were all very pretty, but not in a sleazy or trashy kind of way. When the contestants were introduced to America they all seemed to think personality was one of the most important qualities of a partner, and they definitely got a large does of it on this show.
Each participant has a chance to go on a mini-date with each contestant from the opposite gender. All of the dates are conducted in a completely darkened room where there is no chance of seeing the other person. Some of them were feeling around a little bit to get somewhat of an idea of a body type, and some of the dates ended with a steamy kiss. After a few dates and much thought, all of the participants are given a result of a test to show which person would be the compatible choice. The daters ignored the statistics and chose according to the person they felt had chemistry with. This week's episode even had sketch artists who drew what the contestants felt their match looked like.
At the end of each episode the three pairs are allowed to go back into the darkened room for a chance to come into the light. The two that are in the room at the same time get to see a few seconds of the other person in the light, and then both go out of the room to make the final decision. If one person doesn't like the other, that contestant leaves the home and the other is left without a match. If the two participants felt like continuing onto a real date they get to meet at the end of the show and go off together.
It was a bit surprising to see some of the reactions from certain contestants. One woman seemed to take the high road when she declined to even see the face of her date when she felt there was no chemistry. Rather than realizing he was attractive and trying to make things work solely on that reason, this contestant left with personality being the main reason she didn't want another date. The opposite occurred when one woman felt a strong connection with her date, but after seeing him she left without the possibility of another encounter. Even though she was the heaviest of the female contestants, this woman was upset that her male match had a receding hairline, despite the fact that everything else looked great. Her date noticed her extra curves, but seemed to be content with her looks since she had such a vivacious personality. The decisions of these contestants bring truth about the shallowness we face in our society today. How many times have you glanced over at someone and thought about how you would never see yourself dating that person because of some flaw you've discovered? Stereotypes, criticisms and hypocrisies run wild in the world of dating, and it is just a fresh breath of air to see a show that brings forth these true feelings.
I hope that viewers of this show can learn a valuable lesson from some of the contestants. A lot of these people are just saying what we have been too afraid to discuss in the fear of sounding too shallow. Some are quite the contrary since they think about these shallow issues and put them aside after feeling a true connection with another person. You truly cannot judge a book by its cover, as cliche as that may sound. Many of the reality dating shows we watch display the most beautiful bodied women vying for the love and attention of a bachelor. The quality relationship the end result of a couple can actually have is not the greatest, considering the shallowness of the show. When the main bachelor kicks the heavier or not as good-looking women off in the first episode, you can start to guess that he's not really looking for just a great personality. The great thing about, "Dating in the Dark," is that the matches that really feel a connection seem to put looks second and feelings first.