CBS is hooking up with Project Runway and Top Chef producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz for a reality show on arranged marriages. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series, tentatively and uncreatively titled Arranged Marriage, will follow four unlucky-in-love adults, age roughly 25-45, who allow their friends and family to choose a spouse for them because they’re that anxious to commit. The couples will legally tie the knot, and the series will document their lives together post-ceremony.
Now, I know I’m supposed to be disgusted that reality TV has sunk to this level (the one where TV execs essentially make an honest man out of The Bachelor). But I can’t decide if I’m there yet. The truth is, I will watch this show, and I won’t even feel guilty about if the participants are sane people who were planning on taking this drastic step even if the casting call hadn’t been issued. But that’s the question isn’t it: What kind of person willingly submits to an arranged marriage, let alone allows a production company called Magical Elves to film it? Yes, as an exhausted 33-year-old single woman, I have days when I’d be happy to have my sister and friends, who I trust and adore, deal with my love life for me. But something keeps me from signing away control. (I like to think that I can adapt to anything but a bad cable package; Deep down, I know that I’m wrong.) Why can’t these contestants just, you know, agree to go to coffee with the person their parents or pals want them to meet? Because that wouldn’t make for good, controversial TV guaranteed to do good ratings for one or two eps?
So, what do you think? Is Arranged Marriage the closest sign we’ve had to a TV apocalypse since Fox’s Married by America, pictured? (That show ended with the couples America voted to unite not marrying. CBS is smarter than that unless you’re talking about sending children into a ghost town. You get the rings on those fingers upfront!) Or, are there circumstances under which you could watch — or, gulp, participate in — this show and not hate yourself?
More on memorable reality TV:
Producers’ Diary: Cutforth and Lipsitz reveal the ‘8 Simple Rules of Reality TV‘
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The networks are getting d***n close to the Apocalypse, running out of original ideas or ideas period. However, I’m curious to know what is the “prize”; how much are they getting paid for this? Heck, I’ll apply if there’s money in it. And is this limited to young people ONLY? What about the seniors?
Can I nominate my boss?
It ticks me off to no end that CBS can do this as a ratings ploy, yet I can’t legally get married because I’m gay. Sanctity of marriage, indeed. I’d boycott CBS in a heartbeat…provided there were anything on there worth watching to begin with.
have we turned the corner? growing up, whenever i’d talk about being a muslim, 9 times out of 10 people would recoil and say something along the lines of “oh my god, does that mean your marriage will be arranged?!?” as if it was the horror of all horrors, lol.
by the way, if arranged marriage is done with the best interest of both sides at heart as it is in most arranged marriages believe it or not, it’s really not a disgusting proposition. what would (and probably will) make it disgusting is that the magical elves holding the puppet strings will likely make sure that what’s best isn’t necessarily a priority.
The show would be more compelling if it followed people from a culture who normally embrace arranged marriages. For instance, on 20/20 they recently did a segment on an arranged marriage in India and it was fascinating. I think that they said the divorce rate in India for arranged marriages was only about 5%. That culture must be doing something right! In contrast, I have a feeling that this show will take a lighter approach to arranged marriages. I hope that the people on the show truly intend to commit for life, but sadly I think it is probably just people who want to get on TV and would be only too happy to get the marriage annulled once the filming ends. Doesn’t that just make a mockery of the institution of marriage?
Marriage is a big deal and those participating would do themselves a favor by learning how to do marriage well. Watching “Marriage Uncensored with Dave and Christie” (PBS & online at http://www.marriageuncensored.com) will give them an edge on doing the marriage right. Marriage Uncensored is a cross between “Regis & Kelly” and “Dr. Phil”. The show offers real hope and help to couples and is definitely worth checking out. As the show host says, “You’ll never regret putting your marriage and family first”
Soooooooooooooo, where’s the Focus on the Family on this one? Or the Family Research Council? Or any of the other ones? They seem so vocal on the gay marriage issue wherein their response is to the (in their minds) possible desecration of marriage. But here is the actual, factual desecration of marriage and for profit no less, and I’ve read nothing from them, let alone the type of response the aforementioned “possibility” gets. I think I’m getting a faint whiff of hypocrisy.
Didn’t Fox run a marriage/beauty pagent kind of deal when they first started? The couple actually wed, even though the ‘bride’ went a little crazy when she discovered it was ‘real’.
Honestly, I don’t care what some attention-starved people do for wedlock, but this is the kind of stuff that makes marriage a “travesty”, not gay marriage. I gives me a headache. I won’t watch.
I don’t really have any thoughts on the show.
I’m just a little blown away that Fox basically used a picture of a bride, a groom and a slightly more tasteful use of a glory hole to promote “Married in America” a few years back.
If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. What are you going to do about it? Call for a constitutional amendment to ban entertainment? I’m disgusted with religious zealots! Get a life, get laid, and keep you pious laws out of my private life. Also, I’m expecting the California Supreme Court to destroy prop 8! You’ll be powerless to impose your controls over us!
Sara…thats what i thought the series would be as well. I have always found other cultures practicing arranged marriages fascinating. Some type of documentary on that would be great. This idea is stupid.
This seams stupid, look at some of these countries that have arranged marriages. The abuse that goes on, we have people in our own country that can’t get married because of their “life style” Why would CBS even consider this? So, I guess my vote it no.
IT is taking A RISK
IT’S A FAILURE FOR SURE
unless it’s careful research it is a bommer!!!!
but some loser’s will watch and participate
calling all losers
As weird as it sounds, there are also some successful arranged marriages. there are some cultures where it’s the norm. it’s not just in cultures where women are treated as chattel; not all cultures look at marriage with the notion of romantic love.