There arenew dating showspopping up every day. People eat them up and love every moment of drama that comes from beautiful people spending prolonged periods of time together. But whatever happened to the quick, one-and-done dating shows? The ones where people just went on a date and saw what happened?
With the advent of shows likeThe Bachelor, we’ve all been shifted to these “can I steal you for a minute?” type shows. There are big revelations and even bigger plot twists. Larger-than-life personalities mixed with perfect teeth and ample amounts of alcohol. But what if that was all literally stripped away? Then you’d haveNaked Attraction.
The Brits Do It Better
In the US, we are left with a very specific set of shows due to arcane rules regarding decency. It is a holdover from the 1968 implementation of the MPAA censorship guidelines. These were holdovers from the original Hays Code that decidedwhat was considered decent. That is why we are somehow able to see plenty of violence but very little sex and nudity.
In the UK, censorship laws are a bit more lax. They are famous for having Page 3, a typical newspaper page that prominently features at least one nude woman in daily newspapers. It was seen by some as racey but was so widely accepted that it became a feature in multiple papers.
On the same note, reality shows are widely uncensored. Famously,Big Brotheris an entirely different entity in the UK than in the US. They do not censor their contestants. This means language, nudity, and sex. The US version is far tamer, with contestants being given certain rules as well as being blurred during broadcasts.
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These arcane rules have led the US to play fast and loose with the concept of innuendo. Shows are often built around possibilities.The Bacheloris famous for its fantasy suite segments that are essentially a way to get around saying “sex time” on broadcast television. Everyone knows it’s happening but goes along with the sneaky way networks get around certain rules.
But now, with streaming, we are able to see a bit more. However, even streaming has curbed certain things to stay in the good graces of the MPAA and other governing bodies. Yet now we have a UK show,ported over to Max, and featuring something that the US has not really had a chance to see: Average naked bodies.
What Is Naked Attraction?
Naked Attractionis, in essence, a shortform dating show. It takes place in a studio without an audience, has a single host (Anna Richardson), and one bachelor/bachelorette. They are given six possible partners to choose from, and once they have chosen their final person, they go on a date with them. They then report back on whether the date was a success or not and whether they are interested in continuing the relationship. Itis boilerplate datingin the most 1970’s format.
The big difference is that each of the possible partners is contained in a large, colored box, and they are completely naked. As the show goes through successive rounds, the front of the box is raised to show the potentials from the waist down, then have them turn around, raise the box to chest height, and then show their faces. During these rounds, the participants are eliminated.
When the final two potentials are chosen, the contestant leaves the studio, strips down themselves, and reenters to meet their final choices. This leaves only the host still clothed. It can be jarring, silly, and sexy.
Regular People? Yes Please
One of the other main differences betweenNaked Attractionand other dating shows is that these are people with very typical bodies. They are not all models and sexy stars. These are people who are sometimes older, sometimes younger, and in at least one case, even have a prosthetic leg. The potentials are chosen based on the likes of the contestant and are, therefore, not everyone’s cup of tea. People have piercings, tattoos, scars, and a variety of other physical attributes that would never be seen on typical sexy-people dating shows.
And yet, it works. Sure,the entire showis built around a gimmick, but what dating show isn’t?Naked Attractionsets itself apart by being as up-front as possible. We just aren’t used to it. In a society where we’ve been told that naked is for private time,Naked Attractionis a show that people can watch with their friends and feel just a bit naughty while also doing what they do with every other dating show: yell at the screen. We want to tell the contestant they’re choosing wrong! Because isn’t that the point? We know better than they do. And they need to know it.
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Each show gives ample time for viewers to make the call by having two different mini-episodes, each featuring one contestant. It is also a show for everyone because it is not just a cis-gendered show. It is about the contestants and who/what they have specified beforehand.
Naked Attractionis worth a watch and will be an eye-opening experience for any US-based lovers of dating shows. It is now available towatch on Max.
