Don’t ask me why, but there was a time when I used to read Drum magazine’s Aunty Rhoda religiously. For those who don’t know her, or of her, she was a very opinionated columnist who helped people who wrote to her seeking advice with their problems.
I probably shouldn’t have been reading some of the things my young eyes came across, but I could not help myself. However, I stopped reading her column after the magazine confirmed she would no longer appear in Drum and another Aunty Rhoda would take over.
Now, as a kid, you don’t like harsh truths like that slapping you in the face. No one had told me she wasn’t real, just a fictitious character created to help people to talk to someone about their troubles. But one thing I will never forget is that when I read her column, the bulk of the letters was about people looking for love.
You might think that was then and that people have changed with all the ways of meeting new people available to us today, but you would be wrong. People still feel the need to dive into the world and hope to find love with a stranger.
Look at Most Eligible: Dallas, a reality TV show about a group of young people who are looking for love. The cast includes Neill Skylar, Matt Nordgren, Tara Harper, Drew Ginsburg, Glenn Pakulak and Courtney Kerr. They all are fairly good-looking youngsters who are casting their nets and hoping for incredibly happy ever afters.
If you are a reality series addict then similar titles are already running through your mind: The Bachelor, For the Love of Ray J, Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch and Real Chance of Love, among others. This is just a sample of the plethora of shows dedicated to finding love.
You then wonder why, if you look back, the so-called “found” love never lasts. Are these people really looking for love, or are they in love with the idea of looking for love?
However, with episode titles like Plenty of Fish in the Big D and When Pigs Fly, it looks as if Most Eligible: Dallas (Club MED as they call it) will raise the bar when it comes to the love search genre. The drama will probably match that in The Real Housewives of New Jersey and all the Kardashian series combined.
But despite how great the programme may be, it would be even better if the participants were sincere about their intentions. It raises suspicions when they break up with their newfound love right after the show’s season ends.
Since this is only the first season of Most Eligible: Dallas, we will give them a shot, but whatever you do, do not put your heart into this reality show.
• Most Eligible: Dallas premieres August 21 at 8.30pm on Vuzu (DStv channel 123).