Why TV’s “Dating Naked” Shows Too Little

First of all, ew.

Have you seen the advertisements for TV’s latest naked themed show?  If not, watch here (warning: butts everywhere).

As the trailer depicts, the show’s singles defend abandoning clothes in their pursuit for the right person because they at the point where they will “try anything” and because dating in the real world sucks, apparently.

Um.  Two things.

What the show gets right.

Yes, there are elements about the show that get at our natural human desire to love and be loved sans barriers, material or otherwise.  Removing clothes is being equated with removing any superficial blockades to true intimacy.

I get it.  The hook-up generation is deeply and understandably frustrated with their “relationships” never going anywhere (imagine that).  They are thirsting to forge a genuine connection with someone that is more than skin deep, pun intended. However, it’s questionable just how much zip lining across a jungle canopy in the buff with a stranger achieves any sort of authentic intimacy.

What the show gets very, very wrong.

The show is getting authenticity wrong.  Our true self is not just our disrobed self no matter how many participants claim to have felt a deeper connection with someone due to being naked.

Sweetheart, that’s called pheromones.

The show gets the beauty and thrill of nudity wrong.  Finally gettin’ nekked with someone, which used to be exciting and reserved for married couples, now basically loses its impact fifteen minutes into the show.  And that, my friends is just tragic.

Bottom line, when nudity is basically reduced to a dress code then, as St. JP2 said about pornography, the problem with a series like “Dating Naked” is not showing too much but too little of the person.

On the show, it’s doubtful we will ever get to see the “real” people we are watching (not that I’m watching the show) because we are too busy being distracted by “too much” of them.   And it is distracting. It’s meant to be – otherwise they would have chosen normal-sized people to be on TV.

At least they're normal-sized.

Oh, people will defend the dating naked idea. And I am sure the show will receive great ratings and viewership…due to the deep conversations, right?

But if this is the culture’s answer for how and unmarried person can forge a meaningful relationship with the right person, then I’d be very disappointed if I was a single right now...and I’d still be single.

I mean who is actually ever going to date naked?  In real life, it doesn’t work.  You try getting to know someone or have a meaningful discussion about politics, religion, the housing market whatever, without cracking a giggle at the dingly dangly.

So I stand by my principles that the “Dating Naked” shows too little .

But also too much.

I say again, ew.

Copyright 2014, Marissa Nichols