Intimate Exposure: TV Dating Shows
It doesn't seem all that long ago when the spiciest thing on TV was The Dating Game. Back in those days, no one would have ever guessed that in 2003 we could get an eyeful of bodacious beauties cavorting in a hot tub in the hours before the six o'clock news.
But now, every day on college campuses across the nation, viewers are glued to their TV sets to watch sexy singles dish, drink, frolic, and fight their way through televised love connections.
Reality dating shows have boomed in the past few years. Programs like ElimiDATE, Shipmates, The 5th Wheel, and Blind Date -- each featuring a seemingly endless stream of young, vivacious singles looking for love -- can be found at all hours of the day and night. And the mega-important college-age demographic is not only tuning in, they're clamoring for a chance to be a contestant on any one of these series.
"[Dating shows] are the soap operas of our generation," Shipmates host Chris Hardwick told the CSUN Daily Sundial. "There is escapism, voyeurism, and it doesn't require a ton of thought. [And] college kids have the mentality of wanting to see someone fall on their face."
The humiliation factor is high on reality shows. Contestants are encouraged to berate and belittle those who do not measure up to their individual dating standards. But a little embarrassment can't outweigh some peoples' desire to have their moment in the spotlight.
Thousands of young people respond to ads such as this one: "5th Wheel, the nationally syndicated hit relationship dating show is back. We are looking for super hot, incredibly sexy, drop-dead gorgeous men and women with outgoing personalities between the ages of 18 and 35."
An online poll of women - who make up the majority of the viewing audience for dating programs - shows that the number-one reason singles desire to be featured and fought over on national television is "fun." But coming in at a very close second is the prospect of meeting a perfect match.
"As a single girl I'm always up to meeting new people," Beth Henshall responded to the poll at Cybergrrl.com. "Hopefully, [I'll meet] a guy who is a party animal but sincere -- and he has to know how to dance."
Another motive cited by online pollsters for wanting to appear on a reality dating show was to exact revenge on an ex-lover. And the most popular reason given by those who would not like to be a contestant was because they were "too shy."
John Tomlin, co-executive producer of Shipmates, says that most of the candidates that want to be on his show are honestly on the hunt for Mr. or Mrs. Right.
"It's not about sex," Tomlin said. "I interview all the candidates. They want to meet someone."
Alex Duda, creator of ElimiDATE, agrees.
"The people who go on our show are just looking to meet someone nice, to have some fun, and if they find someone special, so much the better," Duda told the Knight Ridder Journal.
The chance of getting some brief television fame also helps to attract some daters.
"I did it just for the chance of being on TV," Harvard student and ElimiDATE contestant Samantha Goodwin told her college's newspaper.
Perhaps the artist Andy Warhol was right when he said that the time would come when everyone would experience 15 minutes of fame. He probably just didn't think that we'd be out on a date when it happened.
Scott J. Smith is currently working as a freelance writer and Web designer in Central Florida.
© 2008, Young Money Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
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