Love Is Blind
Love Is Blind
5
~ love-is-blind ~ 2 years ago
Ranking the Wrecks of Love is Blind

I am fresh off the Love is Blind finale and I have some things to say, so here’s a lil ranking of the wrecks we watched  Please note this post includes spoilers and is entirely subjective. It is based not off of who is right or even likable, but who did what Bonnie Raitt asked and gave us something to talk about.

12. Mallory: I have nothing to say about Mallory other than she shouldn’t be on tv.

11. Salvador: Salvador is probably worse than Mallory, especially considering I thought his name was Sallory and then Salamander. He isn’t last because his name reminds me of when Adrian Brody played Dali in that movie we don’t talk about.

10. Iyanna: Iyanna is very nice, but there’s something just doesn’t fully click with me. She seems rational and yet signed up for this nonsense. Maybe she’s just a sane person in a crazy world. Also are her parents the same age as her?

9. Kyle: Kyle is the saddest character in Love is Blind herstory, including that dog that drank red wine in season 1. I pushed him up, because he had to endure meeting Shaina’s family. I hope he isn’t called to testify in front of the January 6th commission when that family is brought in.

8. Jarrette: Kind of a charming dumb dumb, he caused a little drama when he got turned down by Mallory and had to settle for Iyanna. His apartment is a nightmare and he is labeled as a “hair care consultant” but mostly has some clippers and a folding chair in his living room. You just know he makes his clients sweep up their own hair. His family seems wonderful.

7. Shaina: Shaina is a chaos agent and gave us a lot, but I needed her to be a bit more villainous. Fingers crossed she gives us a top tier reunion performance. She was season 1 Jessica light, but she and her hats have potential.

6. Danielle: Danielle is kind of a mess, maybe suffering from sort of arrested development and anger issues. She was dramatic as hell, but is less telegenic than her partner. More on him later.

5. Natalie: Natalie seems like a nice person and she gave some star work in Mexico as she got used to Shayne’s energy. My main problem with Natalie is that she isn’t very demonstrative with her feelings, a necessary quality in reality tv. Drama in the finale though pushes her higher up.  

4. Shake: Shake is a terrible man and very personally triggering to me. I deeply believe he should be in Azkaban, but his focus on his partners body made him the true villain this show needed. Shaina wishes. Watching him try and spin being left at the alter talmabout Nobu and fitness routines? Sir please.

3. Shayne: Shayne is an asshole and an overgrown puppy of a man. But he also has star quality. He is kind of like Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding. Please don’t drag me, I am writing this off the cuff.

2. Deepti: Deepti is also very nice, kind woman. I am ranking her high because I am shallow and like looking at her. Oh and because like Cristina Yang, she knows she is the sun. Long live the queen.

1. Nick Matthew Thompson: Nick is the kind of character I got into reality tv for. He seems like a normal straight man, but then he hits you with all types of crazy. His proposal? Wildly awkward. Keeping his Dawson’s Creek DVDS in his closet? Iconic. Having another closet full of alphabetized DVDs in Mariah Carey’s 2021? God-tier. The scene with him and Danielle wearing their lil costumes is etched into my brain, we watched a man’s life flash before his eyes as he saw grown up girlies who shopped at Hot Topic playing Rock Band and spilling crumbs in his living room. He is also incredibly messy and I hope is called out for it at the reunion. Bonus points because he wore his lil bead bracelet to his wedding. No one is doing it like Nicholas Matthew Thompson.

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~ love-is-blind ~ 2 years ago
What's wrong with Shayne? Like, what is going on there.

Shayne on Love Is Blind is a complicated character. At first, we hated him. He couldn't remember what girl he was talking to, he gaslit Natalie, he played the victim and made her apologize to him, and was overall, just an off-putting man who seemingly refused to blink. (I saw someone describe him as a man who has just seen a ghost but can't tell you he did, and that is accurate.) We all thought he and Shaina would get engaged and we'd love to hate them. But that didn't happen.

Somehow, he woo'd Natalie with his ... energy? She says on screen that she was attracted to his high-frequency energy because she's more down tempo herself, and well, I suppose I can buy that. Their time in Mexico was weird. The editing made it seem like Natalie negged him a lot (I don't believe it) and Shayne begged her to be nice and share compliments. It was bizarre, and no one thought it'd last. But it did.

Then we get to Chicago and these two are vibing. He was very sweet with her family. He shut down Shaina when she tried to get between him and Natalie. We thought after that, whoa. Is Shayne actually a good guy wrapped in a bulging sack of hyperactivity and immaturity? Wow, we were wrong!

But then turns out, our first impression wasn't wrong. Shayne showed his true colors off screen with the pre-wedding fight and told Natalie he hated her and she was the worst thing that ever happened to him, thennnnn sidled up to the bar the next day and said she was the best thing in the world and marrying her would be the best thing he ever did.

Thank god Natalie called it off.

So, what IS "wrong" with Shayne?

Here's what Google autofills with when I ask it "what is wrong with Shayne"...

shayne love is blind what is wrong with him

shayne love is blind autism

shayne love is blind coke

what is wrong with shayne on love is blind

shayne love is blind drugs wedding

shayne love is blind on drugs

shayne love is blind instagram drugs

shayne love is blind drugs reddit

It's bleak stuff. I think a lot of us are asking ourselves a lot of those questions, and there is, as of now, no real answer. I do wonder if they'll bring it up at the reunion since clearly, fans are wondering what's going on with him.

My two cents? He's hyper, he's nervous, he can't control his emotions that well, and he's got a victim-complex that makes him retreat, then lash out. What's fascinating to me, though, is Shayne's journey this season. From unlikable (pods and Mexico) to likable (Chicago) to unlikable (wedding) to likable-ish (post-season Instagrams). Seems like I'm just as all over the place as he is.

Make it make sense.

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3
~ love-is-blind ~ 2 years ago
Sal is a King - Hypocrites Be Damned

I have been obsessed with Love is Blind since Episode 1, Season 1 - and Season 2 has been no exception. I love debriefing and theorizing about it, and enjoy hearing everyone’s takes on the cast members and relationships.

One popular take, though, that I can’t get on board with is the reaction to Sal. To be frank, I think it is hypocritical.

My friends and the media (including a few of my beloved The Dipp podcasters) consistently complain about their male significant others or the current dating pool, and go on and on about how the men they meet are emotionally unavailable, can’t express their feelings, won’t open up, communicate poorly, don’t listen, etc.

Then, we see Sal on our screens who is emotionally available, expresses exactly how he’s feeling, and listens to Mallory. He strives to form a true partnership with her, and is constantly lifting her and their relationship up. He doesn’t pressure her to make decisions or move their relationship too quickly. He cares about and wants to hear and discuss how she’s feeling, and continuously reassures her and expresses his love to her (and yes, sometimes that is via song, which aligns with his degree in and love of music). And what is the response to him?

“Sal is so annoying. I can’t stand him. If he was my boyfriend, I would smash that guitar. He’s disgusting. He’s too emotional. He’s not my type.” All very hypocritical opinions.

Do I think Mal and Sal should have ended up together? No. But do I think Sal is not being recognized for being a stand-up, respectful, strong and steady, emotionally mature and available man? The kind of man that is often not represented in reality television and popular culture, and as a result, not in society? Yes.

The hypocrites need to put down their swords and recognize that Sal is a king and should be celebrated. Men should be encouraged to feel and express their emotions, and King Sal did just that.

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