The TikTok Forest Fire that is #LoveIsBlind S4 Shows how Reality TV has Changed Forever
Let’s talk about it, and some of the changes that are coming to this newsletter (and I've found grants!!)
TL;DR
Love is Blind has taken over my feed and I haven’t seen a single episode
Changes coming to HTA
Grants, grants, grants!!
Love is Blind has taken over my feed and I haven’t seen a single episode
For those of you how, like me, haven’t seen this season:
THIS video first, then THIS video and that’s all the information you need to know.
After the absolutely tragic landslide that was Love is Blind season 3, I decided not to watch the latest season. Literally every man in the last season was either a villain or an alleged criminal and I didn’t have the mental space to watch more people getting traumatized in real time. That being said, somehow, my FYP on TikTok is inundated with Love is Blind season 4 in a way that I’ve never experienced before in all of my garbage reality tv watching years.
We, the viewers, are actually a part of the drama and can get real answers, in real time, faster than the multi-million dollar showrunners can.
For example, I know that Micah is one of the first villains of this season. Her mask was never fully fastened so we, the viewers, were able to identify her from the beginning. When the, “meet my friends,” episode came around and Micah’s friends were being incredibly mean to her husband, the internet exploded again. Not just because they helped the viewers to make sense of who Micah is, but also because her friends were posting reaction videos to TikTok of people talking about their behavior.
Zack has made exposé style videos on TikTok answering questions that people have about him. Jackelina, aka Public Enemy #1, has had one-on-one video interviews about her actions on the show BEFORE the reunion even aired.
The fact that we, the everyday viewer, can comment, stitch, engage, torment, advise, and generally communicate with people in the middle of a reality tv show is insane to me. Sure, the show was officially filmed almost a year ago but, technically, the season isn’t over until the reunion airs. So all of our input is not only taken into account by the producers but also by the cast members. Imagine if you wanted to find love (or, let’s be real, build a career in social media), it didn’t work out, and all of your mistakes and heartbreaks were publicized for millions of people who can directly message you from around the world BEFORE the season is even finished.
There’s something fascinating, and a little scary, about this and how it relates to “reality tv” specifically. Because, what’s even real anymore?
Cast members from multiple shows constantly talk about what was left out in editing (i.e. the fight between Mitchel and Jackie this season). In this case, the producers and editors are the ones who determine what we watch–what we think is reality. Then you go online and watch cast members explain their sides of the story–their reality. Then we stalk the couples that do make it through the marriage ceremonies as they pose for IG pictures and make curated couple’s TikTok accounts and we, at some level, buy into this manicured reality that they are showcasing. Sure, it’s addicting, but is any of it actually real? And, more importantly, why are we participating in this highly curated version of someone else’s “reality” instead of creating our own?
It would be one thing if these shows were highlighting healthy relationships and giving us lessons and tools to implement into our own realities but it’s just a never-ending garbage pile of lovelessness and trauma.
Now, I’m not saying that we all need to stop watching reality tv. I know I can ingest a lot of nonsensical television, especially after a stressful day, but I want us to consider why we watch the shows that we watch. How do we engage with these shows? Is it healthy? Is it purposeful? Or is it just a distraction, a small room filled with lots of noise to keep us from remembering we experience our own un-televised reality?
Changes coming to HTA
Without getting into too much detail, some changes are in the works for HTA. I’ve found that now that my TikTok has been permanently shadow-banned, it’s harder to get in contact with the business owners I’ve been trying to feature. What does this mean for HTA?
It means that it’s time for a pivot. Not a full rebrand! But definitely a pivot. I’ll be sharing my ideas on that tomorrow.
Grants, grants, grants!!
I came across THIS TikTok account that showcases different grants, many of which are specific to Black entrepreneurs. Some of the grant applications in this video have past but several of them are still live! Def check them out!!