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Is I Wanna Marry Harry the worst reality show concept of all time? Is I Wanna Marry Harry the worst reality show concept of all time?
(4 months later)
At least 12 women in the western world At least 12 women in the western world don’t know who Prince Harry is – or at least that’s what Fox’s new reality series I Wanna Marry Harry would like us to think.
don’t know who Prince Harry is – or at least that’s what Fox’s new reality series I Wanna Marry Harry would like us to think. Following in the footsteps of 2003’s Joe Millionaire, a reality show that saw women competing for a chance to marry a construction worker they thought was rich, IWMH sees young women falling over themselves in hope of landing on the British throne. Why? Because they think they might be dating Prince Harry – when they are really dating a guy named Matt Hicks.
Following in the footsteps of 2003’s Joe Millionaire, a reality show that saw women competing for a chance to marry a construction worker they Unlike Joe Millionaire or The Bachelor, where there was at least a modicum of charisma from the male leads, Harry’s impostor lacks not only the personality of someone who has spent his entire life in the public eye, but chemistry (or the ability to act like he has it) with any of his potential lifemates. On top of that, each woman perpetuates the same damaging stereotypes we’ve seen on most reality shows: Rose is a “naughty” pre-school teacher, Jacqueline can “be kind of a bitch,” and one of them is an “oldie” because she’s 25. Also, all of them are laughing stocks, because they’ve obviously never picked up a copy of Hello! magazine.
thought was rich, IWMH sees young women falling over Or have they? I Wanna Marry Harry is a bad idea, since its sole mandate is to laugh at the women who fall for it, but the contestants don’t even do so convincingly. Each of them oversells how they little they know about a world-famous human being. And with so much talk about “fairytale weddings,” you’d think they were earning money from Disney for every princess reference they could make. It’s a cliché wrapped in a stereotype wrapped in button-up dress shirt that looks like something Prince Harry once wore.
themselves in hope of landing on the British throne. Why? Because
they think they might be dating Prince Harry – when they are really
dating a guy named Matt Hicks.
Unlike Joe Millionaire or The
Bachelor, where there was at least a modicum of charisma from
the male leads, Harry’s impostor lacks not only the personality of
someone who has spent his entire life in the public eye, but chemistry (or the ability to act like he has it) with any
of his potential lifemates. On top of that, each woman perpetuates
the same damaging stereotypes we’ve seen on most reality shows:
Rose is a “naughty” pre-school teacher, Jacqueline can “be kind
of a bitch,” and one of them is an “oldie” because she’s 25.
Also, all of them are laughing stocks, because they’ve obviously
never picked up a copy of Hello! magazine.
Or have they? I
Wanna Marry Harry is a bad idea, since its sole mandate is to laugh
at the women who fall for it, but the contestants don’t even do so
convincingly. Each of them oversells how they little they know
about a world-famous human being. And with so much talk about
“fairytale weddings,” you’d think they were earning money from
Disney for every princess reference they could make. It’s a cliché
wrapped in a stereotype wrapped in button-up dress shirt that looks
like something Prince Harry once wore.
And it’s worse than even these other terrible concepts:And it’s worse than even these other terrible concepts:
1. Joe Millionaire (2003)1. Joe Millionaire (2003)
In In which a group of women were courted extravagantly by a man named Evan Marriott, whom they believed had come into millions. Surprise! He turned out to be just a normal construction worker – who recently apologized for his misogynistic comments of nine years ago.
which a group of women were courted extravagantly by a man named Evan
Marriott, whom they believed had come into millions.
Surprise! He turned out to be just a normal construction worker – who
recently apologized for his misogynistic comments of nine years ago.
2. Temptation Island (2001)2. Temptation Island (2001)
What could have possibly gone wrong in sending a group of What could have possibly gone wrong in sending a group of couples to an island full of single people with the sole purpose of getting partners to cheat? Answer: too much. Even Lost made more sense by the end.
couples to an island full of single people with the sole
purpose of getting partners to cheat? Answer: too much. Even Lost
made more sense by the end.
3. Flavor of Love (2006)3. Flavor of Love (2006)
After Public Enemy’s Flava Flav and Brigitte Nielsen After Public Enemy’s Flava Flav and Brigitte Nielsen broke up, VH1 needed something to take the place of Strange Love and The Surreal Life. Enter: Flavor of Love, the dating show that saw 20 women competing for a chance to be with Flava Flav – for three seasons. America.
broke up, VH1 needed something to take the place of Strange Love
and The Surreal Life. Enter: Flavor of Love, the dating
show that saw 20 women competing for a chance to be with Flava Flav –
for three seasons. America.
4. Married by America (2003)4. Married by America (2003)
For one season, we saw five strangers meeting up with five For one season, we saw five strangers meeting up with five other strangers, to whom they instantly got engaged to on the spot. Then, sequestered on a ranch, they found out if they were actually right for each other – all while being eliminated by “relationship experts,” until two couples were left.
other strangers, to whom they instantly got engaged to on the spot.
Then, sequestered on a ranch, they found out if they were actually
right for each other – all while being eliminated by “relationship
experts,” until two couples were left.
5. The Cougar (2009)5. The Cougar (2009)
In 2009, Vivica A Fox hosted the show In 2009, Vivica A Fox hosted the show about 20 men vying for a chance to be with 40-year-old real estate agent ( Stacey Anderson. Think The Bachelorette, but instead of a rose ceremony, there’s a kiss-off. Sadly, no one got their groove back.
about 20 men vying for a chance to be with
40-year-old real estate agent ( Stacey
Anderson. Think The Bachelorette, but instead of a rose ceremony,
there’s a kiss-off. Sadly, no one got their groove back.