There’s a surprising divide on TV right now... Our favorite comedies and dramas like Broad City, Shrill, & Sex Education explore a laid back attitude to being married – where characters either aren’t too worried about it, or actively avoid it. Meanwhile in the reality TV universe, with shows like Love is Blind and Married at First Sight we’re shown something different entirely, with contestants being fast tracked to marriage, essentially speedrunning all of the traditional building blocks of a stable relationship. So what exactly does this split in representation mean? Why the obsession with proving we don’t need to be married – or the intense desire to get there by any means? And does growing up being surrounded by the idealism of our favorite rom-coms have something to do with it? Let’s take a closer look!

Join our Patreon to unlock the members-only series “Total Take," vote on what we cover next, and more:   / thetake  
Read articles on film, TV and culture: https://www.the-take.com
Follow our socials: https://linktr.ee/thisisthetake

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:51 Sitcoms are kind of over marriage
02:09 Shifts in romance's representation on screen
03:24 Dating shows have been around for a surprisingly long time
04:12 Dating reality shows have crazy high stakes now
04:48 Hoping for the rom-com dream on screen
06:23 How Love is Blind & Love at First Sight speedrun marriage
08:02 The dark truths hiding behind reality tv's "happy" endings
10:04 What really matters


The Take was created by Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough
This video was written by Ellie Slee, narrated by Charly Bivona, produced by Jessica Babineaux, and edited by Travis Martin