Ask a Blind Date Contestant
If you measure reality TV on a ratio of production cost to resulting entertainment value, Blind Date would emerge as the greatest reality show of all time. And if you live in Los Angeles long enough you’ll eventually know someone who appeared on Blind Date. As a special Valentine’s Day public service, I asked a recent contestant, Linda, about her experience with the show.
How did you get on Blind Date?
They contacted me via a dumb/funny dating post of mine on craigslist. They had me audition and called me several weeks later, last-minute one morning, as a replacement for a flake (strange, those folks are rarities in losanjealous).
Is the show real or was it scripted?
Most of the show was real. They let us talk and be ourselves. Which of course, was a mistake for my date. I’d feared that I would look like the asshole, but about 5 minutes in, I realized that my date had the market cornered on asshole. The crew hated him. I hated him. But he was a nice guy.
So which parts of your date were fabricated?
The fake parts were at the beginning, when they had me throwing a football because I’d said I like to WATCH sports. I hate football though, even as a spectator. They had me polish my nails whilst wearing a tiara, sitting in an SUV. I’d never do that (the SUV part). The ending, where you talk about how much you loathed the date was largely contrived (except for the part where I said I’d loathed the date). They lead you with questions and answers the producer has noted during the date.
How was your date overall?
My date, on-camera, was a real tool. He was “newly enlightened” (aka into Jesus and Tony Robbins, et al.), which meant that he was annoying and stupid, for the most part. We went to an actual, real-live dinner at the Wine Bistro, which is somewhere in the Valley. I highly recommend it but without a TV crew, and without my date
What was the most unusual part of the experience?
It’s strange to have a couple of guys in the backseat of your SUV while you’re on a date. But that’s what “blind date” is all about. It’s about the real and the unreal, all wrapped into one, while you suffer both needlessly and tediously so that other lonely people can laugh at your follies and thank the good lord that it wasn’t them.
What’s Roger Lodge like?
He’s like the Wizard of Oz…you don’t get to meet him just because you’re on the show. As far as I know, we were never even in the same zip code at the same time–in fact, I’m not sure he even really, truly exists in our reality/time plane.
Were you compensated at all?
I got $100 i think. Still not worth it.
But at least it didn’t cost you anything
It cost me nothing but a loss of self-respect and dignity and a good 8 or 9 hours, for maybe 8 minutes of tape.
Any advice for aspiring reality TV stars?
Let’s face it: if you live in L.A. and have NOT been on a reality show, you’re not even trying!
Egyptian Lover:
What would you have done differently from the contestants on this date, and why?
Thanks for all that you do,
ryan
Didn’t Bill DeMarco used to be the host of “Studs”?
I appreciate the way you articulated your complaint. Now they are sure to understand that you and I, are both still alive and not dead.
Thank you much,
E.L.
S-Dawg
I appreciate you asking about my plans for this evening. I will be taking a lovely young lady out for dinner, then, possibly a movie or DVD. I hope you will have a similarly enjoyable night.
Take care,
E.L.
Blind Date
From a funny post by a participant on the Blind Date show….
hmmm. i’m the blind dater interviewed here, yet i’d have rathered met either EL or stan or both. guess that tells you something.
All us wops look the same huh? I haven’t worn a terrycloth tie since 2004 thank you.
i just want to know if it is a real date you go on or if it is only acting? or are some of the dates acting and others real?
My intern (not Shane) went on a Blind Date and yes… you go on a real date. That being said… your food will be cold and you won’t enjoy it since there is a camera crew around. I don’t think you’re allowed to exchange information with the other person at the end of the show. (Or at least that’s what the girl told my intern). I saw the footage. He looked like an arrogant tool. I believe they got him drunk too which he said was a plus….probably before he saw the footage.
i am the author of the article. sadly, the date was real. the food was also real, and not cold, and actually rather delicious. my date was a bigger idiot on-camera than off. he was actually pretty decent. we would have had opportunities to exchange numbers/contact info had we wanted to, as sometimes we were left alone without cameras rolling for rather long stretches. i’m just saying: my date at least was mostly legit (and regrettable).
i feel that i must also add this: you wind up changing clothes in bathroom stalls at gyms and restaurants or wherever you go. i guess there’s no other way to do it, but it’s still kinda strange. the crew was actually extremely cool. they hated him more than i did. any date to a pet store where the “man” won’t hold a snake is a bad date, as far as i’m concerned. those are just my random afterthoughts. thank you for the sounding board.
Hi, I just got done watching an episode of blind date and really want to meet the girl that was on there. How do you recommend I do this? Do you know the number? thanks.
ken
I was actually on the show and have been trying to get a copy of my episode on dvd unsuccessfully. I was told I would get a copy after doing the show, but no one ever sent me anything. If anyone is able to help me figure out how I go about doing that or who i can contact, please let me know. I swear I think I have the most played episode there is. I was on the show about 6 years ago and they still play it at least twice a year.