An Additional Thought On: Dating Shows as Reality TV?

Broey Daschanel’s recent video essay titled ‘Love Island: A flirtation with surveillance’ unpacks the history and appeal of reality TV. She also explores how it is executed, filmed, and remains ‘real’ and engaging despite being a produced media.

She takes about Michael Foucault’s Panopticon concept showing the invisible power of surveillance. In this scenario, the cells of a prison are positioned in a circle around a central guard tower that has a view into all of them.

The inmates in the Panopticon have no way of knowing whether there is a guard in the guard tower, therefore must act as if there is one there at all times; thus resulting in them self-regulating their behaviour.

A true realisation of this in the modern day, she says, is Love Island. She goes into the concepts that liken the show to the Panopticon.

However, it encouraged me to think about the juxtaposition of shows based on the premise of building intimate connections, whilst being observed (or with the possibility of being observed) and broadcast to millions of strangers.

With 73 cameras around the villa that follow the islanders' every move, the islanders must act with the assumption that everything they do may be broadcast to millions of strangers on the final cut.

With this consideration, the conversations that are needed to build intimate connections have the possibility of becoming knowledge of the public. Personal stories, family history, and close details about a person are shared with the producers and possibly the world. Indeed this must create difficulty in being open and transparent with someone. Certain personal anecdotes and information will be left unsaid, and conversations are more likely to remain surface-level. Not to mention, a side of your personality that comes out when you are around someone you love might be something you are conscious of being made public. No doubt, the producers are conscious of what they broadcast, but there are still hours of B-roll scrutinised by at least one other stranger, in addition to the people in the conversation.

There is also the factor of public opinion at play in the villa. Like in the Panopticon, the islanders regulate their behaviour according to what they think the audience and the producers will want to see (because they must act with the assumption that everything they do will be broadcast or is at least observed). Therefore, the true self of the people in the villa is hidden and replaced with the regulated self that is tailored for possible scrutiny, popularity contests, and the opinions of the general public -  all deciding their success after they leave the villa. This is, however, in the complete juxtaposition of the intention of going on the show; to ‘find love’, or genuine connection.

Too Hot To Handle, a show that pretends to recruit for a reality-dating show but instead penalises contestants for sex, kissing and other intimate acts with the hopes of creating genuine connection, also falls into this juxtaposition. The show is gaining popularity and ex-contestants enjoy fame and popularity. ‘Successes’ from the show are not judged in your relationship, but instead in what is made available to you upon leaving the show. Therefore, once contestants know they are appearing on Too hot To Handle, they will unconsciously or consciously tailor themselves towards find fame rather than towards making genuine connections.

Reality TV is a modern phenomenon that is watched and enjoyed by millions. Therefore, the addition of genuine connections, intimacy, and love, seems juxtaposed to its original model.