Dating shows don't mimic the realities of courtship

As college students, we spend an inordinate amount of time procrastinating and avoiding any and all worthwhile activities. Thus, when 2 a.m. rolls around and we have a choice between getting a good night's sleep or staring bleary-eyed at a cheesy reality dating show, we frequently find ourselves slumped over on the couch, clutching the remote andenjoying the latter. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes that these dating shows' portrayal of the dating scene is almost as accurate as a blind sharpshooter.

Actually having to endure the dating process can be embarrassing, confusing and depressing, often leading us to question why we even bother. Why then, do we love watching these late night shows that attempt to imitate the painful experiences of meeting that special someone? It's not a shock to realize that American's voyeuristic inclinations have caused reality TV ratings to soar. Furthermore, it has been proven psychologically that seeing other people in bad situations makes us feel better about our own sorry love-lives. Clearly, the clever executives realized that building shows around those real-life awkward moments with real people put into a game-show format would be the next big television product for public consumption.

But the truth is, for the most part, these shows feature contestants that are extremely attractive, from the Calvin Klein model look-alikes in the tight black t-shirts to the tan, voluptuous women with breasts as fake as their pleather mini-skirts. Thus, the "realness" of those shows quickly becomes surreal.

One of the late night staple dating shows is called Blind Date, which is on the WB network at 2 a.m. As is implied by the name, strangers are paired up and sent on dates without having ever met each other. Blind Date is perhaps the most realistic of the dating shows because it doesn't focus completely on the aesthetics and, most of the time, the people involved do not like each other. Like most of these shows though, it of course has its moments in which it is unbelievable.

ElimiDate, which is another one of these dating game shows and one of my personal late night favorites, puts four suitors against one another in the hopes of wining the affections with the main guy or girl. In each half-hour episode of ElimiDate, we as viewers get to go along on the date to witness the interactions up close and personal. Three out of the four players will be eliminated periodically throughout the game, leaving them struggling to outlast their competition by flirting, charming and seducing. Viewers also get the opportunity to hear ridiculous and sometimes heartfelt comments of the contestants as they size up their competition and predict who they think will be the show's winner. ElimiDate is shot in cities all across the country and so every episode also offers a regional look at the world of dating.

Another show that is interesting to watch in a decline-of-Western-Civilization sense is The 5th Wheel, where five singles try their hand in a crazy game of high-speed dating. This is how the game works: Two guys and two girls are set up for a night out together in a fully equipped limo-bus. Each player tries to impress and win the heart of their chosen mate. Just when they start getting along, a new player (always trashy and scantily clad) will be introduced as the "The 5th Wheel." Though this show has the chance of proving that big boobs or big muscles don't always win out over brains and morals, it instead reinforces the notion that all we look for in a lover is looks and a willingness to be shamelessly exploited for a few lousy Neilsen points.

With the wide array of these shows popping up on every network for us night owls to see, it is important to remember that there is nothing "real" about these reality shows, and in no way should they be used as a gauge in assessing one's own dating life. Trying to find someone who is worthy of spending substantial time with is a hard and often unfulfilling process that is not made clear by these shows. There is nothing wrong with watching them purely for entertainment purposes, for there is truly nothing more enjoyable than seeing how many guys and girls out there are complete tools with no social skills. Just make sure to remember that reality television is still just television, manipulated to gain the widest array of late night viewers. That, and those cans ain't real.