Sadly I admit I watch an obscene amount of reality tv these days. In my moments of respite from the demanding and often infuriating world around me, I recluse myself to my den alone watching one piece of reality trash most - The Millionaire Matchmaker. This show is aired on the Bravo! network and in turn is mostly catering to a female audience. The premise - a thirty something Jewish New Yorker hits Los Angeles and starts a successful business that pairs millionaire men and women with beautiful and exotic dates. It's a show that portrays American gluttony for capitalism and breast implants. Again, sadly, I watch this show.
In the particular episode I chose for this class, the millionaire man was named Bruce, a 45 year old stock broker who's net worth was in excess of $45 million. His ideas of a perfect woman was a 19-25 year old who loves to travel, have children, and wishes to share his 35,000 sq. ft Malibu home with him. The matchmaker then made a modest attempt at psychotherapy, telling Bruce that he was dreaming and that a woman that young would never hold his attention and that she would eventually leave him. Her half hearted maxims are aimed at lending another emotion to the show other than SEX SEX SEX, MONEY MONEY MONEY! Eventually, the matchmaker collects 10-15 girls and arranges a cocktail party where the "audition"/auction is held. Bruce picks 2 mini dates that consist of 10 min, and then has to pick one for a real date on a later episode. Bruce indeed chose a twenty something, blonde, with visible plastic surgery.
This episode was thematic in that it is a Romance based show. The relationship expert is trying to lend her advice to bring about "true love" as she calls it, yet her hollow reality she lives in doesn't create the right ethos. As a viewer, I found myself practically smiling and giggling at the superficiality that was rampant. It's obvious true love cannot be found under the pretense of "Millionaire Matchmaker". As each of the girls were picture perfect and all with above average talents - the show was making the argument that millionaires all deserve "perfect women", no matter the looks or personality of the man himself. In this case, Bruce was a charming fellow after all, however not all of the Millionaires are.
Reality TV this is not, comical and entertaining television with vivid sexual overtones - yes! That, after all, is why I watch this show. To laugh at life, while it's whizzing on without me, for those brief moment at least.
Dan Guglielmo
Good job on your analysis here. I think you're absolutely right--the main argument here is that the man's personality and looks are irrelevant: "all millionaires deserve perfect women." Subtext: our culture ultimately judges women by their looks and men by how much $$ they make or how 'successful' they are.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I, too, will admit that I've watched this show on more than one occasion (even though I completely and fundamentally disagree with this version of reality). I did miss the episode with the female millionaire so I wonder if this show was any different...?