One of Alisha's most favorite things is reality television, which is something I know exactly zero about unless it's the great British baking show or the great Canadian baking show. So today as a special treat, Alisha is going to convince me to watch a particular reality television show. I'm Sarah Wendell.
I'm Alisha. I welcome to lovestruck daily, where we bring you a love story every single day. I'm in love with you I'm in love with you,
Alisha, I understand that you have a reality show that you want to convince me to watch. This is a tall order. It's a very tall order. Tell me what reality show I need to watch.
Okay, first of all, I want you to watch every reality show with me. Okay, I can't do that.
That is way too much people who are cast by by the drama that they bring, and I try to have a tranquil life.
Tara, you make my life hard. Sometimes I know other people's drama makes me tired. I want to talk to you about things I love and I can't do that.
Hearing about the things that you love, even if I don't know what on earth you're talking about,
I want you to tell me, okay, here's the thing I really want you to watch. The love is blind. Okay, tell me everything. Okay, so it's on Netflix very accessible. I also think like the production value on it is so bananas. Like, I don't understand what cameras they're using. But they're like high high, high def, I can see everybody's pores. And I know that's like a weird thing to focus on. But when you watch reality shows, like 90 Day fiance or something like that, for example, the camera work is not that great. And then you see this, it's like a, like high end reality show. Like I think it's positioned themselves.
So this is the the friendship pay
the Cadillac of dating shows, yes, yes.
Okay, all right. I'm in. I'm in so far, okay. But
the conceit for anyone who doesn't know is that these people are, it's all heterosexual couples, which is, I guess, its own issue. But they are they separate out the men and the women. And they are only allowed to talk to each other through a wall, so they can't see each other. And the idea is if you take out everything like visual, and I've read interviews with the director of the showrunner, and it seems like they really are like this as an experiment. Like they really seem committed to this idea that it's an experiment when it's just a reality show. Whatever they want to believe whatever helps them sleep at night. I don't really care, right?
This is like people on The Bachelor refusing to call it a contest. That's some journey.
It's a journey. It's a experiments experiment. And one of my favorite things is Nicholas che now has this thing where he comes out and he's like, and of course, I'm Nicholas Shea. It's like, nobody under 30 knows who you are. So many. I don't know how this man stumbled into this gig, but it is probably the best thing that's ever happened for his career. Alright, so of course, he's Nicholas che, experiment. Okay, so far, I'm on board. So they go into these, like pods, they call them and they talk to each other. And, and the idea. So it's interesting. There is now love is blind Japan, and I love his mind, Brazil. And I've also watched loves blind Japan. And they definitely I feel like either don't show everything in the American version, or the American people are not as deep as the Japanese. Because in the loves blind Japan, like they really get into like heavy things. And you see, like, they spend a lot of time filming them in the pods, like a lot more episodes than they do in America. And so you see them like talking about everything under the sun, like hours and hours of talking people from the front seats and said the same thing. Like they spend a lot more time than you see in the pods. And so it's not that surprising to them. Like in the moment when somebody goes, I want to marry you. And that's the only way they get to see each other is if they agree to get engaged to each other.
So wait, let me let me just make sure I understand this. They move into a pod, and they don't move
into it. They don't live in the pod, but they live near the pods. And then
they go into the pod for the period of time when they are participating in this journey. That is also an experiment. Hi, I'm Nicholas. Che. Yeah, the only way they can interact with the other pod people is just talking no sight. No nothing. You have to get to know them through their voices. Yeah. So how is this different from podcasting? This is a podcast, isn't it? It's just a it's just a live action podcast with
Nicola. Sure. It's like people falling in love through a podcast. And so they spend like hours together talking, right? And so it's a podcast. So it's a podcast, right? And so then they meet each other, and they're always real happy to see each other when they meet each other. It's another human being they've been in a bar. That's what I said to Kai. If I was ever on that show, like on day two, I would have been like, Yeah, sure. Let's get married. I just want to see because I'm so impatient
to the only way to meet the people you've been talking to. And I'm assuming you just talk to everybody. Yeah, like not let's not have it. Let's have a date. Let's have you know, cocktails and fries. for three hours, no, it's we must commit Correct? Wow. Okay,
they then film them for the next like, however many weeks I think three weeks or two weeks or whatever, up to their wedding day and they have to go to the wedding day. And then they decide on like at the altar if they're gonna say yes or no to each other, which is kind of dramatic.
So there's the pod part and then the dating part and wedding part,
right? So there's a pod part they meet, they send them to Hawaii or some like destination altogether, that'd
be a destination. Why else would you sign up? Right? Of course,
it's a it's a reality show. And they give them lots of liquor and they get them liquored up, and they see what happens. And then they bring them back to their home area, they live in an apartment together like a neutral apartment that they give them, okay, and film them while they like basically get to know each other and decide if they want to get married at the end of it or not. But it's so it's so it's interesting in some ways, because remember that everybody on the show has dated each other dated in the pods. So like they all kind of saw each other as potential love interest.
So they're all having conversations with the intention of getting to know somebody like they're all there to be contestants. And right and in the experimental subjects, yeah, they're, they're there to potentially date each other. So they get to know everybody. And then they pick one person, do they have to go on dates with the other people they didn't pick?
Well, no, but they get they they see each other again, because they throw them all together. So like course in the destination, like they're on the beach, and like, up comes this guy who somebody rejected. You know, like, she rejected him and chose this other guy or like, his girl has to remember that he actually proposed to this girl as well as her and she was like, second choice. So there's a lot of like, weird dynamics,
how high is the second hand embarrassment factor here?
Okay, so it can be a little bit high. I do also get like very secondhand.
I know that we haven't covered which is why I'm asking.
Right. And so sometimes, like I have to either walk away or like cover my eyes. See what's happening. But I will say like one thing that Chi Chi really introduced me to a lot of these dating shows.
And we might need to have him on to tell us about his favorite dating show.
Oh, yeah, we do because he definitely has his favorites. But it's really interesting watching dating shows with like a heterosexual man because that just love not not that we have like, I'm more surprised by what we have in common and like than what we don't. And I do think like he's always like, wow, these shows teach me so much about what not to do.
First of all, don't get in the pod number two. Don't be Nicolas che.
I always hear from like these other women who are like, oh, yeah, like my guy really identifies with this guy. I'm like, half the time we're watching the show. And he's like, is this what heterosexual men are like, it's very, like he's very much against them, which makes me feel good about our relationship.
I love this as a tool to get to know somebody though to watching reality shows together about dating with someone that you're dating. That's really smart.
Yeah, you learn very quickly like what what they see is like appropriate or inappropriate in a relationship like hearing his opinions on that stuff when we were first dating was like so comforting to me because I was like, okay, like, either he's putting on a great act that never like breaks or he actually believes this and he is like, internalizing things that I see as well and we're very compatible on that.
Okay, so first what I think I should do is watch this with Adam and then try to record his reactions because he's gonna be like What is who is no dude no and then he'll be invested but number two, I need you to tell me about something yeah, as you know I watch a lot of television through gift sets Yes you do. I unabashedly love tumbler. Please tell me about shake.
Oh God, shake is the worst there.
Okay, I got that impression from all of the gifts but I do not know the backstory and you are the most qualified person to tell me about this Yes.
So there there are two levels to shake. Shake is just a bad man shake. It's not good. Like his his whole thing. And something he said in the reunion. I won't spoil anything too much. But he really wanted someone who was very physically attractive, like conventionally physically attractive, skinny blonde, and the girl he got was also Indian. He's Indian. They're both South Asian and like she's very gorgeous. Like she is physically stunning. But it wasn't the stunning he was looking for. Oh no, there is really nothing wrong with being like not physically attracted to someone. It's how you go about it. That really solidifies if you're a jerk or not. And he was telling everybody would listen to the other contestants whoever that he considered her like his aunt. She reminds him of him as an he doesn't find her at all attractive like it was and keep in mind he chose her he proposed to her they met and then this start And so it really was like, just awful. And she's seems very kind, you know, and I think it was just a mix of internalized misogyny, internalized racism, like he just doesn't, you know, he doesn't like himself very much. And so it kind of like, bleeds onto every other Indian woman. And, and I do think that there was like, I think most people agree that shake is the worst. For brown women, I did notice that there was like, an extra level degree and I like got almost into a fight with like, my best friend over this because she said something like, well, at least he's being honest. And I was like, now you don't know what kind of like what harm this honesty does, and how much we've had to hear it from our own men for our whole lives. So it was like an extra level of like, kick in the teeth, because the number of men that I've dated who were acted just like this, oh, astronomical, like not so it's, and it's a real problem in the South Asian community. And so he, he really was like, encapsulated, everything kind of terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible that South Asian women have to deal with when they're dating within their own ethnicity. Team Deepti 50 was great. Yeah. And his mom at one point, like I was, I'm always very concerned with like South Asian men and their moms because we never know. It's like, I was like, is she going to enable his bad behavior, but at one point, she goes, I feel bad for her. Like, I feel like you are hurting her and she deserves, She doesn't deserve one bit less than everything. And if you can't give her everything, you should walk away. And I was like, Wow, a lot of people were talking about how this this wasn't the representation that we needed, like whatever, South Asians, but in a way, I think this was exactly the representation we needed
for his mom to call him out and say no, yeah, to see a
South Asian man's mom say, I'm concerned for this girl that you were bringing home and that you could telling people that you are not attracted to because she doesn't deserve that. She deserves someone who's going to be 100% attracted to her. And that's it. Wow. But yeah, it was like he is enemy number one. I think in that cast as well. It doesn't seem like anybody likes him very much.
So I love like different pockets of celebrity gossip. It's like my little brain candy. And I have random ass shake gossip.
Oh, tell me. Okay, so
So you know about the Instagram DuBois. Like, Oh, of course, whatever. The actual excellent glorious t is in the Dubois subreddit where people not only critique the Dubois feed, but also drop their own gossip. And so it's a lot more interesting. Okay, so somebody posted that so apparently Sheikh is a veterinarian. Yes. And this person said Sheikh was my vet one time and he was terrible and no one in my group will go see him with their pets. He's not even good with animals and then somebody else commented said yes can confirm he's a terrible vet. So not only does this guy get scolded by his mom and humiliated himself, Aren't they being racist turns on reality TV buddies are bad that allegedly this is all legit all legit.
I've heard he allegedly left
the veterinary world to go be a life coach I'm not joking. That's like a real thing. I think his bio says
well I mean that's that's the that's the path of reality contestant right you become an influencer or a life coach and you leverage your television exposure into sponsored content and trips and stuff that is the path of reality TV. Oh my gosh, okay, I think you've convinced me I think you'll really enjoy it. Alright, I my second hand embarrassment threshold is extremely low like the most reality TV show that I watch is like a cooking show that teaches me how to cook so this is a step up but I will I trust you I will give it a try and I will I will try to see if I can record I will try see if I could record out of me watching this and just listen to him splutter. Yeah, I'm taking all these recommendations from you. What is our love to go today? I think for
me, it's that you can find life lessons and lessons on love in the most unusual places in every unusual expect. Fair and as
long as you keep your eyes open, you'll find them you can you can internalize them I think they're good to know. And and even if you hate reality TV and even if it gives you cringe that's okay, but still you know, keep your keep your mind open.
And as of course, I am Nicholas che and I would like you to email me at lovestruck daily at Frolik dot media. Especially if you are actually Nicholas Shea listening to this would you email us because we would really love to talk to you about this. She would love
to talk to you. We are over 30 And we do know who you are actually. Yeah,
I mean, I have vivid memories of Nicholas Shea's entire career so that is not a problem for me Nick Lucia you share emails Vanessa,
his wife is cooler so
both of them we want to hear everything but even if you're not Nicholas, che. It's okay. We would really love to hear from you as well. Do you? Is there a reality show you think we should watch do is there another reality show we can learn? Some love lessons from tell us all about it. lovestruck daily at Frolik dot media and you especially if you are Nicholas che can follow us on Instagram and Twitter at lovestruck daily and you can leave a review you can say and of course I'm Nicholas che and I love the show. You can subscribe for you can you know tell your friends tell you cliche about the show. Our researcher is Jesse Epstein. Our editor is Jen Jacobs. We are produced by Abigail steckler and little Scorpion studios with executive producer frolic media. This is an I Heart Radio Podcast and we wish you a very happily ever at first sight I'm in love with the saying to you I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you
