On Lily's TV: Can't Get a Date

I love living near my job. After two years of commuting an hour to and from college and then another five years of driving an hour roundtrip to my old job…hopping in the car for a 10 minute jaunt is paradise! The biggest perk of living so close to work is the fact that I can skip on home for my hour long lunch break! Nothing beats leaving the office and decompressing in your own living room after half-a-day’s worth of meetings.

And since I’m guilty of being a multi-tasking fool, I not only eat lunch, but I’m usually checking my e-mail, writing bills, and watching TV at the same time. I don’t feel guilty about this at all. I hardly watch TV as it is now, so unwinding to some mid-day brain candy is a good treat.

Lately, I’ve become hooked on VH1’s programming. Earlier this year, I found myself entranced by the train wreck that was “The Flavor of Love.” Yeah…I’m guilty of getting sucked in. I actually felt bad about it! Well, to be perfectly honest, I was in it for the cat fights. Women hate other women (Thank you, Chris Rock)…and it’s easy to see that on a dating show. However shallow that was, I felt a little empty spot in my at home luncheons.

Thank goodness, VH1 started airing “Can’t Get a Date.”

How to describe the show? It’s completely unlike any dating show that I’ve ever encountered. You know when you watch those shows like “The Bachelor” or any one of Fox’s rip…err…spin-offs…you feel like everything is so artificial. The people on those shows fit different “characters” that every reality based show thrives on. Everyone looks all prettified and carbon copied. Not so with “Can’t Get a Date.”

First of all, it’s shot in documentary style. Meaning the footage looks like a feature film vs. a home video. Second, the people are REAL. They look like people I encounter everyday. They’re not glamorous, they’re not super popular. They’re just people. It’s the guy who makes toys for a living. It’s a single mom who makes independent films. It’s the research scientist who’s been on 300 internet dates. These are the people who are in the most need of help, not the ultra-handsome doctor looking for Princess Charming on national television!

Each episode centers on the story of a lonely single looking for a date. They’re nice enough people, however, they have habits, insecurities, or illusions of grandeur that are inhibiting their ability to find a nice date. A camera follows their progress, their successes, and minor failures as they undergo internal and external makeovers on the way to achieving date-dom. The subjects are given expert/on hand advice and guided by the omnipotent “Host.”

The genius of the show is in its narration. “The Host” is a calming voice only ever heard off camera. Think of him as your voice. Have you ever wanted to tell your best friend that the girl he’s dating is nothing but a gold digging shrew? Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to tell your gal pal that the reason why she can’t find real love is because she has that annoying habit of talking to her boyfriends in baby voices? “The Host” tells it like it is. Sometimes his suggestions and comments are met with humor, denial, or even surprise. Regardless, the reactions have what is sorely lacking from a lot of TV today – sincerity.

The show subjects interact with the Host directly through the camera. It’s quite the refreshing point of view. As stated on the VH1 website, “…a genuine rapport is quickly developed between the characters, The Host, and the audience. It's a technique that helps people forget they are being filmed and captures the essence of real dialogue.”

When you get down to it, “Can’t Get a Date” is really about the people. Real people, their very real lives with very real endings. Sometimes it’s pretty, sometimes it’s not. But isn’t that what “reality” is supposed to be?

Go to www.vh1.com for show times and listings.