The Week in Review: In The Dark

Dating in the Dark

Couples date in the dark

This concept fascinates me. How do you get to know someone in the dark?

Believe it or not, it’s actually an interesting challenge. In the new reality show, Dating in the Dark, couples meet and bond in the dark and share intimate moments with a person they believe they have connected with. However, those feelings are either forgotten or magnified when they are eventually revealed to the other person. The couples must then decide if they want to pursue the relationship by meeting the other person in a neutral space.

What impressed me the most about this show was that the contestants weren’t necessarily drop-dead gorgeous. One woman was a hippy, one man kind of goofy… I believe they accurately represent what is out there in the dating world. When the reveal came (the couple stand in a room and a light reveals one person while the other is still hidden in darkness), the guys were excited, returning to their apartment elated with how beautiful the women were, while the women were a little bit more hesitant when they saw the men revealed. Out of all three couples, only one decided not to join her partner on the veranda, choosing instead to leave. Based on what? Well, his looks — even while she cried that she didn’t like it when people judged her on her looks.

Dating in the Dark reveals the difficulties in the dating world: how often do you give someone a second chance? You connect, but they might not be that Harlequin Romance Stud.  It’s a tough call — sure, it’s important to have that “chemistry”, but this show challenges the idea that perhaps one needs to get past that initial “looks” factor and see if the chemistry comes from personality first.

Check it out on City TV: Mondays at 10pm

Idol News

Contract Pending

Paula Abdul might not make it back to the American Idol stage this next season. The Idol team has not released her contract yet, which in turn has ignited outrage by Abdul fans. They have even taken to -gasp- Twitter! Follow these Abdulites at #keepaula. Who’s side are you on? Save Paula! or, save Idol from long stretched-out comments that have no meaning….

Mishy in Pysch Ward

Misha Barton called police with an apparent health problem and was admitted into a psych ward, where she has been since the incident. Many friends cite her problems to her recent partying and excessive drinking.

Taco Bell Dog Dies

Is it sad that I feel like this is the entertainment story that has most touched me today?

Gidget, the Chihuahua that starred in all those Taco Bell commercials, died of a stroke last Tuesday at the age of 15 years. You’ll remember those ears and that smile made famous in the ’90s with Taco Bell and later gracing the silver screen as Reese Witherspoon’s dog in Legally Blonde. She (yes, Gidget was a female dog but was voiced-over by a male actor in the Taco Bell ads) will be missed.

TIFF Announcement

Diablo Cody’s second film will make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. It will be the opening film for the Midnight Madness program and will mark her second TIFF appearance. It’s not exactly like Juno — check out the trailer and you’ll see why.

Katie Holme’s Disaster

I can’t think of the right words to describe the sloppy mess that was Katie Holme’s performance on So You Think You Can Dance?

Since it aired, Katie has been slammed with incredulous reviews on gossip sites and news sites. The expectation was just too great. Apparently Katie had been training in dance for nearly a year and then specifically working on last week’s performance for a number of weeks, which was for the Dizzy Feet Foundation. Despite these details it was still a little painful to watch. Is it just me, or does Katie Holmes act more like a 40 year-old in a 30 year-old body? Her singing was pitchy and she didn’t really dance! She twirled around the stage and poised a lot. It was a big disappointment. The best review so far is by Lainey on Lainey Gossip.com. Check out the performance below :

Image credits: Paula Abdul images via askmen.com; Misha Barton images via thetvaddict.com; Taco Bell Dog image via usversustheworld.com; Dating in the Dark image via accesshollywood.com.