I caught the first episode of the new FOX reality dating show More To Love last night. It appears that thanks to Hulu, I can find ways to unproductively use my time even without a TV in my home (see Exhibit A: Momma’s Boys).
After watching the premiere (full episode here), here are my thoughts.
1. It’s unnecessary to list each woman’s height and weight below her name. I doubt that many women (whether they are a 6 or a 16) would want their personal information to be put on TV for the world to see.
2. Luke seems like a nice-enough guy, but 20 cute ladies + 1 single man basking in their attention = the balance of power is dangerously off.
3. The first girl out of the limo, Malissa, looked gorgeous in a deep cut blue sheath. And she’s studied abroad in Paris. Forget Luke, I’m a little smitten myself.
4. The rings. Oh my. The rings that signify “Luke’s promise to get to know each of the woman for who they really are”. Call me old-fashioned, but I thought there were engagement rings (i.e. you are engaged to be married), and maybe promise rings (i.e. you are making a promise to get engaged in the future). What do these rings represent then? Although… this can be a new marketing opportunity for jewelers: “A Promise To Get to Know You” ring, anyone?
5. The script about the rings. Luke: “Will you wear this ring?” Lady: “I will!” Luke said, “the future Mrs. Conley might be in this room.” I get it .There’s no need to knock us over the head with the obvious SYMBOLISM of the ring ceremony.
6. The giving back of the rings and the regiving of the rings. It’s mean for the ladies to have to give back their rings, then wait for it to be re-given. I prefer Bachelorette’s rose ceremony. At least the Bachelor ladies aren’t handed out a rose only to have to give them back.
7. The rocket scientist who kept apologizing to Luke about her rocket scientist job. I was bummed she was sent home (I hope it’s not because Luke was intimidated by her). But I hope she knows that she should never apologize for her intelligence. A man who “loves you for who you truly are” will be proud and supportive of your accomplishments.
8. It makes me sad to hear a girl say that this show is her ONE chance at love, or something along those lines. That’s a lot of stock to put in a guy you’ve met once (and has 19 other girls competing for him).
9. Reality dating shows remind me of group interviews, except a thousand times worse.
In a group interview, an applicant wears a suit and heels and tries to both play nice with fellow candidates and stand out from the crowd to attract the attention of the hiring manager.
In a reality dating show, a participant wears a party dress and tries to both play nice with fellow contestants and stand out from the crowd to attract the attention of the hiring manager man of the moment.
In a group interview, your prize will be the job you wanted. In a reality dating show, your prize is a relationship that past experience has shown will last a month after the show wraps up filiming (to be fair, except for Trista and Ryan).
10. I’d really like to see reality dating shows discuss the issues of money in relationships. But I guess that’s too boring of a topic for TV. But putting a bunch of people in a fancy mansion with no worries about money doesn’t quite seem like a “realistic” way to begin a relationship.
Have anyone seen More To Love? What are your thoughts?
Right on! I would say they don’t introduce issues of money on reality dating shows because it’s a sure fire way to upset people. It’s hard to talk about finances with people even if you’ve been dating for a while so it’d be even more awkward if you had to do it with someone you’ve known for a few weeks!
Are you kidding about about the “rocket scientist” being intellegent. I’ve been in the aerospace industry for years and have never heard anyone call themself a “rocket scientist”. They call themselves “engineers’. And who uses their career as an opening line? If she isn’t getting dates it’s not because her body is big, it’s because her head is big.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the producers of the show told her to introduce herself as a “rocket scientists” – I bet on the application form she put down “engineer”.
Elena – I don’t know if she mentioned she was a “rocket scientist” because she’s egotistical… she seemed insecure about it. Or maybe she thought it would make her stand out.
Anyway, this show made me feel sick. They were all so whiny and weepy and desperate. That first girl was one of the few who wasn’t, so kudos to her, and I hope she wins.
I won’t be watching this show again unless my boredom reaches its peak. 😛
The show was brutal – it was a train wreck, we just couldn’t look away.
(we = my three roomates and I watched the show together)
It was mostly sad, all of these women, so convinced that it was their weight holding them back. It was so obvious with some of them that it was a confidence issue (which yes, is obviously tied to weight), but if they worked on the confidence first – the weight would likely come off, or not matter as much any more
There are reality shows that deal with dating/marriage and money! Till Debt Do Us Part is one, and Maxed Out is another (it doesn’t specifically deal with relationships, but they are usually involved). Both shows are Canadian I think but play on TLC or some other channel that I get on cable. So addicting; I wish they had a US version.
I haven’t watched this because the previews make me so frustrated I can hardly stand to get through them. I find it horrifying (though not entirely surprising) that they had to make a special dating show for people who have “more to love.” It makes me sick. Why couldn’t they have just had a season of the Bachelor where the women were normal-sized and the man wasn’t a supermodel? Why do they have to create a whole new, separate show?
Ok, I know why. And it still makes me angry.
The fact that they listed the women’s weight (or dress size or whatever) just further illustrates that this show is about being heavy (“Wow! Look! Fat people can find love too!”), and not about finding love. Not that shows like The Bachelor are actually about finding love anyway…and not that one can expect to find love on a reality show anyway.
I guess my point is that I’m sick of superskinny “perfect” people (that usually look pretty similar, if you ask me) being regarded as normal and ideal. I’m sick of average (or even heavier than average) bodies being regarded as something that needs to be singled out and capitalized upon.
And now, off the soap box.
Riveting and entertaining in a horrible manner! Why am I drawn to watching other women cry about the fact that they haven’t found love? Oh and not to mention that I’m a “plus sized” woman and I never had trouble finding dates! I don’t get it.
Right on about the height and weight. Why does it matter how much each of them weigh? And the rings? Ridiculous.
I got sucked into watching this too. 🙂 It is a little sad. Especially when the narrator said that the average woman on other dating shows is a size 2. It’s really not so much the weight that bothers me, though, as it is at how desperate the women on all of these shows are to get married–that they would subject themselves to being on such a show. I mean, don’t get me wrong–when I was single, I worried that I would never meet anyone; now, I worry at times about if and when BF will propose. Still, these girls are taking it to a whole other sad level.
I agree with everyone here that the women were whiny. I watched it when it aired (though it was on the Tuesday here), and couldn’t help but think that this was a collection of desperate women who were using their weight as a crutch, and really, as a scapegoat.
I also agree on that point about the display of these women’s weights. I was horrified that was highlighted on the TV, as though it’s the most important thing about these women. Really, it doesn’t matter. We can *see* that these women are overweight, we don’t need to know all the details.
Overall, I found the women annoying. I wish they had more confidence and belief in themselves – if they can’t appreciate and respect themselves, how can they possibly expect anyone else to?