As a former TV addict during my previous adolescent years, I almost always knew the hottest shows. Now, being a waitress and getting home at around 11 p.m., there was never any time to keep up with the latest dramas. Naturally, I still heard and read all the buzz on, "The Bachelorette" and "PLL", but I was always more of a reality TV show girl myself. Nearly anything and everything on MTV or VH1 used to spark my attention, and I've come to the recent conclusion that it still does.
With a glass of Moscato in one hand, and the remote in the other, I found myself turning to my old stomping grounds to see a new show called, "Dating naked." The premise didn't surprise me much, because the world is growing increasingly stranger, but I can honestly say I never saw a show like it. There are a handful of strange, strange dating shows with different tasks and games to peak the senses of your average American, but this was certainly a new one. It caught my eye, so I tuned in.
The concept was simple- It was your basic blind date, except both parties are stripped down to their birthday suits before entering the date. Meaning, they saw each other completely in the bare flesh for their first interaction, and that is how it stayed throughout the remainder of the date. This concept really caught my attention. At first I thought, wow, this is an honest, nothing to hide environment. I think the suitors will show their true personalities, because there's not much more to hide at this point. I also thought it was empowering that these individuals had the confidence to say hey, look, here I am. If you like me, like me. If you don't, don't. With that being said, not all of the candidates were Victoria's Secret models, so even more props.
So, here I am thinking, it gives the greatest potential for full honesty. However, in this day and age, society is shallow. So much is based on attraction and the rest follows. So often people pick a match based on looks first, which doesn't pan out too well as you realize their personality does not entertain you as a person, at all. Its presumed that these naked suitors took away the chance for judgment, but did they really?
There was NOWHERE to go and NOTHING to hide. Spanx couldn't do you justice, or even that cute new bra couldn't take a little bit of attention away. As soon as a less fortunate looking person would walk out, I immediately knew, despite how the rest of the date went, that the individual would choose the person they had physical chemistry with and this theory didn't fail me. I only tuned in a few times, so I hope there were exceptions to this, but for the most part, the harsh truth is that there won't be.
We are a shallow society that puts a LOT of weight on the exterior of a person. So, is this show doing more help or harm? Being stripped down to the core allows all of the attention to be put on the interior, but at the same time, you've seen it all, so your mind has already processed that part, and it could influence the rest of the date whether you want it to or not. I say fat suits would be a better option to get to know people. Put every individual on the same playing field, so you look at what's underneath with no distractions, because that's the part that really matters.
While looks are only skin deep, it plays such a large role in relationships. Dress everyone the same, appearing to be close in weight - that's a way to find your soulmate. Just an idea for the producers of the next crazy dating show like this one.
