Love is Blind, the hit 
Netflix
reality series that tests whether an emotional connection can trump physical attraction, is facing some scrutiny from viewers following its eighth season. Now in its fifth year, the series follows single men and women entering the “pods,” where they date sight unseen, making strong connections based solely on conversation. Throughout its run, Love is Blind has amassed a massive following and spawned international spin-offs, but Season 8 is being critiqued online for the quality of its male cast members.
During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Executive Producer Ally Simpson addressed these concerns, emphasizing the series’ pursuit of “nice men.”
“If you look at the husbands who come from the show, it’s the really nice guys who it works out for. We just need nice men. Sometimes I feel like social media is scaring some nice guys off, so we’ve enlisted the help of some former participants who are big fans and they’ll sometimes get on (the phone) with people before they come (on the show) and answer questions about what’s it’s really like and they’ll put them at ease.”
This focus on niceness follows a season marked by breakups stemming from political differences and off-screen controversies surrounding two of the men. While the cameras followed six Minnesota-based couples that left the pods engaged, only one couple, Taylor Haag and Daniel Hastings, ultimately said, “I do.” Even before audiences saw the two exchange vows, Daniel had easily become the season’s favorite male cast member.
‘Love is Blind’ Season 8’s Controversies & Disappointments
Of the remaining couples, three others made it to the altar: Monica Danús and Joey Leveille, Ben Mezzenga and Sara Carton, and Devin Buckley and Virginia Mille. The latter two opted not to get married due to differences in politics and social issues. The remaining couple, Lauren O’Brien and David Bettenberg broke up before their wedding day, but Bettenberg has also faced backlash online for being too reliant on outside voices instead of listening to and believing O’Brien. Simpson acknowledged the show’s responsibility in tackling sensitive topics, including politics.
“Those are the kinds of things that make or break relationships. We take it very seriously that we are able to talk about these important topics in a way that most unscripted shows can’t, and we want to be a reflection of society at large,” she said.
The reunion, which aired on March 9th, fueled even more viewer disapproval. Even Leveille, likable throughout the series, faced criticism for messaging another female castmate while engaged to Danús. While TikTok drama surrounding Mezzenga made it on the show (with Carton questioning allegations from a social media user that Mezzenga had manipulated women), another major online allegation about a separate cast bermem was never addressed on air. Rumors circulated online that Alex Brown, who didn’t make it out of the pods, had previously hosted house parties where he would provide alcohol to minors. While Brown attended the reunion, he was not questioned about those concerning rumors (at least not in the episode’s released cut).
Fans of the US series often cite the show’s beloved first season as the most authentic, but that was long before its global expansion into numerous international versions, including Brazil, Sweden, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, and the UK. Without a doubt, Season 8 of Love Is Blind won’t go down as one of the show’s best seasons. While they can’t all be Cameron Hamilton or Brett Brown, we are keeping our fingers crossed that Love is Blind‘s hunt for “nice men” delivers, and viewers get a more compelling Season 9.
Source: Rolling Stone
Love Is Blind
- Release Date
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February 13, 2020
- Showrunner
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Chris Coelen
- Directors
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Chris Coelen
