Love Is Blind Embraces the Manosphere

When Netflix dropped the first season of Love Is Blind in February 2020, it offered a reprieve from the washboard abs that normally seem like a casting requirement for reality TV shows.

The premise—that couples get engaged “sight unseen” after talking to each other through pods, then, following a big reveal, decide if they want to get married—featured just the right amount of mess. Who can forget Jessica allowing her dog to sip wine or an insulted Carlton throwing his fiancee's engagement ring into a pool? Meanwhile Lauren and Cameron's unvarnished conversations highlighted the awkwardness that sometimes accompanies interracial dating.

It was a reality show, but it seemed like a format that could actually allow people to fall in love without getting bogged down in superficial distractions and expectations. Maybe.

Now in its 10th season, Love Is Blind is a cornerstone of Netflix’s reality TV ...