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Contestant Mistreatment in the 鈥淟ove Is Blind鈥� show?

The successful reality TV series Love is Blind, which debuted on Netflix in 2020, promised a fresh and intriguing method of dating. It is one of the most viewed dating reality shows on Netflix, and I get it, the show hooks you to the screen and you end up watching episode after episode.

The idea of the program is to encourage singles, men and women, to fall in love with people who are basically strangers to them. Nevertheless, despite the show’s early success and popularity, reports regarding abuse of the competitors during and after filming have recently arisen. These allegations have taken many by surprise but, I hate to be that guy, I saw it coming. This is the dark side of many reality shows, why should it be an exception.

Consider the fact that the plot of every season of the show is exploiting the contestants by pushing them to the edge for unscripted entertainment. I think it鈥檚 high time we learnt our lesson, that not all reality shows are actually the reality. The former contestants accusing the show of mistreating them claim that the shooting environment was poor and that they were subjected to exploitation, neglect and “emotional warfare.”

Curious to know what emotional warfare means? Well, following an interview of one of the contestants with insiders, “during one-on-one interviews in the shows, producers preyed on contestants’ anxieties, pushing them to divulge their deepest insecurities and traumas.” Shocking right!

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According to a production assistant, who wishes to remain anonymous, producers routinely gave PAs instructions to top off cast members’ alcoholic beverages during filming seasons two and three. Come to think of it I really noticed the heavy drinking that the contestants engaged in the show. Contestants just somehow always had alcohol no matter where they were or what they were doing. They were usually in poor health conditions considering that lack of sleep and food does not go well with lots of alcohol.

The Business Insider report state that former cast members claimed that, 鈥淭he production company, Kinetic Connect dictated when they could sleep and where and when they could eat.” They also said that they endured up to 20-hour filming days on the windowless set, which to be honest always gave me the creeps, why is it windowless?

Moreover, several former cast members, including former season 2 stunning couple Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson, have spoken out about their experiences. I don鈥檛 know if you remember these two but they were on the spotlight during their season. They claim that they were left physically and emotionally exhausted after long filming days and that they were not given enough mental health support before, during, or after filming. These allegations have truly damaged the show’s reputation if it鈥檚 not already damaged.

Both Ruhl and Thompson opened up to Insider about the psychological challenges they encountered. Ruhl revealed to Insider that she had undergone background checks and psychiatric exams and had disclosed her history of mental illness including her attempted suicide,” I kept telling them, I don’t trust myself. I’ve tried committing suicide before. I’m having suicidal thoughts. I don’t think I can continue in this.鈥�

Despite all these, she claims that the producers heavily persuaded her to stay in the show yet she clearly didn’t feel mentally stable enough to continue filming. She even recalled having a panic attack and hiding in the closet to prevent it from being captured on video since she thought there were hidden cameras in the room.

She remembered thinking at the time, “I cannot do this,” according to Insider. My concern is shouldn鈥檛 there be an in-house or standby therapist incase such cases happen. In this current society, promotion of mental health is no longer as foreign as it used to be hence, a therapist ought to have been on-hand just like any other unscripted show.

Many may not sympathize with the contestants because they believe that they have the option of quitting, which is true but quitting comes with a cost, a very high cost. Following an outline of the terms of the cast members’ contract for the show, it allegedly includes fines for quitting the production early. The exact amount is not clear but based on the popularity of the show, it can be presumed to be quite high. From the Business Insider report, “Contracts stipulate that engaged couples must attend their wedding even if they don’t want to marry their partner and that cast members must pay $50,000 in damages to Kinetic Content if they leave the show early without producer approval,”

It wasn鈥檛 long before a response from the producers was made public; Kinetic Content sent a statement to Variety, Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone, stating: “Kinetic places a high priority on the welfare of our participants. To take care of each person before, during, and after filming, we have strict processes in place. Honesty can be bought, and the truth is whatever the person with the most power wants to spin it as.”  It sounds scripted or something drafted by an intern behind a desk. The producers sound insincere and inconsiderate as they try to save what is left of their reputation.

I鈥檓 surprised this is only being talked about with this specific show, it should follow suit for other reality shows with similar mistreatment claims. No one should go through such conditions, even celebrities despite the idea that the contestants voluntarily signed up for the show and understood what they were getting into. My biggest question, which remains unanswered, is how does this happen? Most sets nowadays are unionized; especially big budget ones such as Love Is Blind. It simply does not add up, yet here we are.

Love is Blind may have begun as an original and intriguing idea for a reality TV program, but it following the allegations of emotional manipulation, exploitation, and neglect the show’s reputation is basically trash. It’s crucial to keep in mind that the power dynamics at play on a reality TV set may be complicated and troublesome; it鈥檚 not always what it seems to be on the face of it. Since it has already happened, all we can do is call for better treatment of contestants and hold production firms responsible for their deeds.