Is Love Truly Blind?
Published:Monday | March 9, 2020 | 12:15 AM
We’ve heard this rhetoric in RnB jams: love is blind. So it’s nothing new. But Netflix decided to test its theory with a show, designed to prove whether or not love can be truly blind, in its literal sense. It’s not until watching the episodes that you discover the double entendre.
I’ve always been fascinated by reality television. All the drama and affairs, I was there for it. Over time, however, the shows became too scripted, too predictable, so they lost their appeal to me. When I saw the pop up ad for Love is Blind on Netflix, I ignored it. It wasn’t until it was up for discussion among my loved ones that they revealed, based on the trailer, that I would love it. They were spot on!
The concept was pretty catchy, interesting from the jump. No phones, no internet, no social media, no faces, not of the dates anyway. Potential lovers would meet in pods and talk in their individual rooms that faced each other. In order to feel closer, they would speak directly to the fourth wall with their hopeful on the other side. Here comes the good part: once you find a match, you will have to get engaged. Only then are you able to meet face to face and prepare to get married, all in a matter of month. Crazy, right?
My favourite from the get go was Lauren and Cameron. And I’m not just saying that because they make it to the very end and say I Do (spoiler alert - the finale has been out from Thursday, get with it), but because they were always so genuine and seemed to really connect with each other. This couple is living proof that love can be blind. Lauren, a beautiful black queen, who hadn’t dated outside of her race, developed an emotional bond with a white prince charming, Cameron. They dealt with issues like mature adults and really discussed matters that would affect their relationships.
He had the ideal combination of being smart and a gentleman. Loving, caring, he wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable and show his emotions from pod days to the wedding day. She was the complete package: beautiful, brilliant and funny. And she was open minded to the process. The truth is, if it hadn’t been for this show, they would not have ever met. It just goes to show that there is a plus to pursuing options you wouldn’t readily entertain. He not only hit it off with her, but he impressed her mom and survived meeting the dad unscathed. Plus their parents have the same names, Pat and Bill, if that isn’t fate, I don’t know what is.
But then there is the other side to love is blind - loving someone so much that you are unable to see their faults. That brings me to Amber and Barnett. He was confused in the beginning, juggling not one, not two, but three women. That would be all well and good in the real world of dating. But when you’re forming bonds with more than one woman and they all live in a house together, women talk. She never let that stop her from fighting for her main prize, which she collected in person post proposal. But Amber came in with credit cards and student loan debts, acting rather nonchalant about not paying on them. Barnett seems thrown by the fact. Let’s add the fact that his brother wasn’t fond of her or the situation. That took a toll on him as well. So much so that by wedding day, he was having cold feet. They shared moments, but mostly stayed on the side of lust. Was he blinded by her devotion to him? We will never know. But they too said I Do.
Here are a couple things I learned from the other couples who didn’t get married. You can be so blinded by perfection, that you don’t realise that your relationship lacks burning desire and infatuation. Kelly and Kenny taught me that. I was rooting for them. Self sabotage goes both ways and too many times, persons blame their partners rather than holding themselves accountable for their own actions. At least Gianina put everything on the table, but she was blindsided by Damian’s blame game and ultimate let down at the altar. He was over the melodrama and the need to make up for everything. Talk about this show bringing in reality with the fact that he might have lost his job because of the extended vacation taken.
Jessica. Jessica, Jessica. Where to begin? Sometimes, the reality that we fear isn’t external but rather internal. She was apparently blinded by her love for Mark, that she uses him to somehow become a better person, only to say I do not to him at the end. But let’s give a round of applause to Mark! He turned out to be a true gentleman, wise beyond his years who knew who he wanted from the start. I only wished that he wasn’t so blinded by his love for her that he didn’t realise she hadn’t shared the same sentiment.
Do you believe love is blind? Share your thoughts with us at lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.
Story by Krysta Anderson