Fifteen single men and women are placed in soundproof pods, stripped of their phones and left with only their voices and personality to find true love in 10 days that extends beyond physical attraction. With a blind eye as to who is on the other side of the wall, singles meet, fall in love, and get engaged in the honeymoon location, determining whether love really is blind.
“’Love is Blind’ is a wonderful show, however it sets unrealistic standards of love that makes people see things as something they’re not,” sophomore Amy Jigon said. “I feel like no one can truly express everything by just talking. Nothing is fully converted through a wall. Although, this is a really fascinating concept that can completely change how people see the world.”
After the engagement, couples embark on a week-long honeymoon. If the couple makes it through this week together, they are placed in the real world for four weeks, allowing their relationship to further grow. Here, secrets are uncovered, feelings are developed and relationships either strengthen or break beyond repair. If the couple can successfully make it through this time, they get married.
“Love is Blind” has streamed for six seasons, and out of the six seasons, only nine couples are still married. Within the thirteen couples in the last two seasons that found “love” behind a wall, only two couples, Milton Johnson and Lydia Gonzalez from season five along with Johnny McIntyre and Amy Cortés from season six, have endured. However, behind the scenes, almost everything is staged and manipulated, squeezing every emotion out of everyone on set to engage the audience.
It’s true that none of what the participants say is directly scripted, however, scenes and events are strategically placed by the producers to ensure dramatic reactions of the participants. Many reality TV shows, including “Love is Blind,” “Love Island,” “The Bachelor,” and “Perfect Match” filter what scenes make the final cut to be seen by the public. Because of this, it has been revealed that participants in “Love is Blind” feel nervous to reveal certain things about their life to the general public in fear of getting bullied, judged, or hated. This has led to participants of reality TV shows revealing molded versions of themselves, creating unrealistic standards for viewers.
“I really do think that reality TV shows in general are glamorizing this whole entire process,” science teacher Ms. Radonis said. “I think that there is an emphasis on the big [wedding} day, but these shows fail to emulate that fact that it is not just the wedding day; the years and years of being together after that are kind of lost. It seems like this show is attempting to form blind relationships, however it is clearly not that successful despite devoted efforts.”
Amidst the ongoing heat over season six regarding couples’ children, shared locations, meeting up with exes, and true personalities and identities emerging, Netflix has confirmed that “Love Is Blind” is making a comeback for season seven. Although the date and time has not been released, sneak peeks show that casting takes place four hours from New Hyde Park in Washington D.C.
Love is not something that can be rushed and overlooked, but instead a connection that can happen on and off screen regarding the circumstances. Is love blind? Or is it another figment of reality television molded to fit its viewers?
