Television
Netflix's 'Love Is Blind' Probably Won't Get an LGBTQ+ Version Soon
A showrunner cited "logistical difficulties in the current setup."
March 12 2020 10:58 AM EST
May 31 2023 4:26 PM EST
MikelleStreet
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A showrunner cited "logistical difficulties in the current setup."
Love Is Blind, the new dating show on Netflix, took over social media like a storm. The premise is simple .. and chaotic: put a group of single (mostly attractive) adults into a house, divided by gender. Let them date one another without ever seeing who they are dating and force them to propose to the ones they fall in love with, without ever meeting face-to-face. Oh, and do this within days.
Then, over the next three weeks, put them on a little honeymoon where they finally meet, and move them in together, forcing them to adjust to their lives while also planning for their wedding. Record everything! Yeah, like we said chaotic.
The show served up quotables, viral clips, a couple the world fell in love with (hello Lauren and Cameron) as well as a few characters we all love to hate (Jessica the Messica, we see you.) There was even one bisexual who has a penchant for reality television and saw his pursuit of love come to an explosive end.
Obviously once the show went live, there were multiple calls on social media for a queer version. But a show runner for the series points out that the way that the game is set up now, it doesn't lend itself to that.
"This is not a show that is particularly about sexuality," Chris Coelen told Metro. 'But with that said... I do think that, based on the setup of it, a LGBTQ+ version of that has some logistical difficulties in the current setup."
And he's not really wrong.
The way that Love Is Blind currently orientates itself is forcing contestants into tunnel vision while they are in the dating phase. They do very little all day besides build camaraderie with those of their same gender who they get to see, and chat with those they might have a sexual and romantic interest with through a wall. The show, essentially, deprives them of any other options for romantic interest besides what they find behind these walls. As we all know, it's different with us queers!
In it's current format, Love Is Blind would have to force queers into a bit of a heteronormative construct. Top or bottom? Dominant or submissive? And even if that were done, that still doesn't keep two tops, or two submissives, from seeing each other as viable options, and trying to take a chance on the person they can physically see and feel now, as opposed to what might possibly be behind a wall.
Of course, bisexuals are different. In the case of Carlton from Love Is Blind season 1, he had decided that he wanted to marry a woman -- and also ostensibly didn't really have any other choice while in the house as all the men were straight. This doesn't erase his sexuality as being queer but it does allow him to fit more neatly into the format.
Hopefully, the show can come up with some god awful twist that makes the format applicable to all. Until then, we always have the Dekkoo version of the show.
RELATED | 'Love Is Blind's Carlton Was Once on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta'
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
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