NBC's "Love in the Wild": Just Another "Temptation Island"?

Sprouting from the Guilty Pleasure Wasteland that is television comes yet another dating reality show. This genre is big on finding love for America's needy singles. NBC's "Love in the Wild" is no different. But on this show (which airs Wednesdays at 10pm), ten 20-something single men and women rough it out in the wild jungles of Costa Rica. You're probably thinking that this reality show is a virtual recipe for disaster. And perhaps you are right. In fact, there are probably few things that keep this show from being just another "Temptation Island."

Nonetheless, the premise is fairly straightforward. Each of the ten ladies chooses a male partner. Next come the "daring" challenges, and so forth. You know the spiel. This may sound pretty innocuous. But there are just a few tiny things about this show that just don't sit too well...

Forced PDA

Nothing screams "love" like a little forced physical contact. One of the initial challenges involves climbing to the top of a tower and videotaping a kiss. What's the purpose? We're still trying to figure that one out. In any case, contestants Mike and Samantha finish first and apparently share the best kiss of the episode. Coincidence? They win the challenge and are saved from elimination. Their prize is a night in a luxurious honeymoon-like suite high in the trees next to a volcano. If Samantha and Mike stay together and get married, how will their real honeymoon compare to this?

The Last Resort (bad pun intended)

This whole "love in the wild" concept might not be so far-fetched if the participants didn't treat the experience like their last hope for finding love. Ever. One 26 year-old woman was gracious enough to disclose that her biological clock was ticking. She acts as if this opportunity is her last chance to find a husband and settle down. Indeed, many of the contestants speak as if they're at their breaking points. How can so many neatly groomed singles be so wounded in love? Fortunately, that's where "Love in the Wild" comes in.

The "Token" Minority Syndrome

Another interesting observation can be made about this reality game show---the virtual absence of black people. It's not NBC's fault if few people of color sign up for the competition, or if few are eligible to participate, or whatever. To that effect, something so obvious it's comical occurs during the series premiere: Jason, a black man on the show, is the next to last person to be selected as a partner. So what, you ask? That alone isn't so bad until his partner Jess asks him to sleep on the floor of their shared cabin after a difficult day in the jungle. Jess is simply too "traditional" to share a bed with a strange man. She then rubs salt in the wound by asking if his body is sore. His next partner is no better. She sleeps by the pool instead of with him. Are we seeing a pattern? (side eye)

Back to the PDA --

And speaking of cabins, the mere fact that the couples are forced to share such intimate quarters carries all sorts of naughty implications. Is this really a competition, or a legitimate swingers' club filmed live on TV? Perhaps a better title for the show would be "Surviving the Amazing Race at the Bachelor Pad." At the end of the episode, there is a Couples Choice Ceremony. Contestants can now determine whether they want to switch partners. This is the sticky part. Erica looks devastated when her Midwest hero Miles decides to switch it up. Even break-ups happen instantly in Reality TV World.

In all fairness, we're supposed to believe that this show will help each contestant determine who might be a good match, based on the ability to work together. It's a novel idea, but this concept is wearing thin in reality TV world. Shows like this appear to have solid intentions; but they're brilliant at feeding the desire for instant gratification. In real life, people end up in bed with strangers all the time. But on reality TV, execs justify physical familiarity by presenting cast members with contests, fruity drinks, and hot tubs.

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