Dating in the Dark

[Trekker4747]

Anyone else watching this?

Out of curiosity I caught last night's episode. Interesting premise and it was "refreshing" to see some reality/dating show contestants who didn't look like they just got back from a magazine-cover shoot.

Anway, if you've not seen it the premise is this:

3 men and 3 women are set up on literal blind dates. There's first a "group date" round, they get to riffle through the other group's luggage, they figure out which person they "most want to date" and then there's a series of dates between couples. All of the dates are done in pitch-dark rooms (with night vision cameras for the audience to see what is happening) until finally during the last "date" they get to see each other and then decide if they're going to continue dating post-show.

In last night's episode one of the women was of, I'd say, an average size. She wasn't very fat, but not slim either. (I believe she was a US Dress Size 6 or maybe 8). She was very cute and curvy. I'd consider myself lucky to date someone like her.

Anyway, the guy who was "matched" with her was disapointed in her "size" saying he prefers a much more "petite" woman, even though the two really seemed to connect. (In the end he did end up meeting her on the balcony to continue to develop a relationship.)

So first of all, the guy wasn't much of a catch himself. He looked like a young Joey Slotnick so it seemed dumb that he would be so judging on this woman's size (based on feeling her during their dates and the sizes of her clothing in her luggage.) And, sure, he ended up meeting her on the balcony but he was shown to have some struggle to decide to (during the "reveal" his face wasn't... kind. Wasn't mean either, but...)

Anyway, I'm sure much of what I'm reading was due to some unkind editing, but it just got me wondering on what "plus size" or "fat" is. (This girl was called "plus size" or some similiar term by the guy and the other "contestants") The girl really wasn't that bad looking at all. She had a nice set of legs and the clothing she was seen in wasn't flattering to her figure but that has nothing to do with her actual weight.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

How could they not call this "Blind Date"? Too obvious?

 

[Trekker4747]

How could they not call this "Blind Date"? Too obvious?

There was already a TV series that ran under that name (its premise set people up on the more commonly known style of blind date.) It was a first-run syndication dating reality show. I don't believe it's making new episodes anymore but it runs in rerun-syndication and I suspect the copyrights are still valid on it.

 

[Broccoli]

^ That or they didn't want to confuse this show with the earlier one.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

He looked like a young Joey Slotnick so it seemed dumb that he would be so judging on this woman's size (based on feeling her during their dates and the sizes of her clothing in her luggage.)

Well, everybody has their personal taste. Some very skinny people like a partner with lots of bodyfat. And some sizable people like a skinny partner. It's a bit strange of you to suggest that someone has to conform to such an image himself; it's a preference, not an ideal.

She had a nice set of legs and the clothing she was seen in wasn't flattering to her figure but that has nothing to do with her actual weight.

Then it's her fault, isn't it? She should have put on some better fitting clothes. Men aren't all that intelligent, they can't extrapolate what they can't see.

 

[Trekker4747]

Then it's her fault, isn't it? She should have put on some better fitting clothes. Men aren't all that intelligent, they can't extrapolate what they can't see.

Ummm. If he can't see her, then he can't see her poorly fitting clothes to think she looks fat. His hands feeling her would tell him that she is/isn't fat.

Anyway, my rant is more on the "body standards" people have. Where a woman who is a healthy weight and size is considered "fat." That girl was not fat. She was perfectly normal sized.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Then it's her fault, isn't it? She should have put on some better fitting clothes. Men aren't all that intelligent, they can't extrapolate what they can't see.

Ummm. If he can't see her, then he can't see her poorly fitting clothes to think she looks fat. His hands feeling her would tell him that she is/isn't fat.

Anyway, my rant is more on the "body standards" people have. Where a woman who is a healthy weight and size is considered "fat." That girl was not fat. She was perfectly normal sized.

Well, he can hardly call her "not his size" if he didn't see her, so he probably saw her at the end.

And I don't agree. Most people on television nowadays are "curvy" at the least, and "fat" at the worst. Especially shows that tend to show "normal" people. There's all these hysterics about showing a thin girl; as if all thin girls are anorexic, while most are simply healthy but thin. I haven't seen the show, but I'd guess she probably was on the upper side of her BMI.

 

[Trekker4747]

Well, he can hardly call her "not his size" if he didn't see her, so he probably saw her at the end.

He mentioned reservations about her size early in the episode after he had "felt up" her body while helping her use some sort of surfing in-door toy and a make-out session. He said following this dates -to his fellow "contestants" and even to the girl in a later date, that he usually prefers a "more petite" woman.

I haven't seen the show, but I'd guess she probably was on the upper side of her BMI

I'd say that's probably true. There's full episodes of the series available on ABC's website. It's episode 2 of 'Dating in the Dark" if you want to give it a quick look to see the girl.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

He mentioned reservations about her size early in the episode after he had "felt up" her body while helping her use some sort of surfing in-door toy and a make-out session. He said following this dates -to his fellow "contestants" and even to the girl in a later date, that he usually prefers a "more petite" woman.

If he mentioned it before even seeing her, that's different. But then again, perhaps he didn't mean anything by it, beyond a simple "my ex-girlfriends were thinner" sort of thing.

I'd say that's probably true. There's full episodes of the series available on ABC's website. It's episode 2 of 'Dating in the Dark" if you want to give it a quick look to see the girl.

I can't see the episodes on ABC's website (I'm not a US resident) but I'll go have a quick look on YouTube or something.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

I have to agree with you half way. She isn't fat, not by a long shot. However, she isn't very shapely either; I see no difference between the width of her hips, her middle and her upper section -- there's no shape there. I can understand him calling her "not petite", if he's used to girls that have more of a shape.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I just took a look at the first episode. I usually hate these types of shows, but the premise intrigued me and I thought the red-head with the Aussie accent was hot (yeah, that's right, I can be shallow even if they can't). It's an interesting show and I think it confirms that appearances definitely impact how people date, but they aren't the only thing. The one girl in the first episode who didn't go out with the guy at the end gave me the impression of being fairly shallow (then again, the guy she was paired with was kinda that way too), so it wasn't a surprise that looks factored into her final decision.

Interesting premise. I'm not in the mood to get into the "fat chick or not" debate, but I'll give it some thought if I watch the second episode.

 

[Trekker4747]

Ok. The men on this show are fucked up in the head.

Tonight's episode, again a man is show the woman he's been "dating" for the first time in light and, again, the woman is prefectly average and pretty. Not a fat by any stretch.

Again the man calls the woman a "bigger girl."



Apparently the men they get on this show only date stick figures who make Olive Oyle look fat.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Was it all three men or just one in each show?

 

[Trekker4747]

Was it all three men or just one in each show?

In tonight's episode just one guy was "choosen" by the ladies for the final meeting -the other two were rejected- the guy said one of the girls was a little larger than he prefers even though she was perfectly average.

Last week it was one guy with his "match" and though he ended up meeting up with her to continue their relationship beyond the show's focus he also was grumbling about her weight -she, too, was fairly average.