By Destiniee Jaram
From – https://qcitymetro.com/
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News
Would you propose to someone you’ve never seen? What about accepting a marriage proposal from a person you’ve never seen and have only known for a few weeks?
Participants of Netflix’s hit reality TV dating show, “Love is Blind,” say they would.
The show centers around helping people find love by connecting them sight unseen. For several weeks, contestants “date” one another by talking to each other through a wall. Then, if they’ve found “the one,” one proposes marriage.
That’s when they finally see one another and move in together, taking viewers along to witness whether the new engagement will actually work.
Season six of “Love is Blind” was set in Charlotte, and people across the city — and nation — have been enthralled in the fast-track relationships on screen. Whether couples will make it to their wedding day has been a trending topic since the show aired in early February.
Now that the season is finished and viewers are awaiting outcomes at the upcoming reunion, QCity Metro sought a local relationship expert to weigh in on everything. Julie Omole, who owns Eli Simone Matchmaking & Coaching, shared her thoughts on compatibility, “red flags” and her predictions for the couples.
Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
What do you think of the show’s overall concept?
Oftentimes, we allow prejudices, stereotypes and visuals to cloud our decisions, so the concept of stripping all of that away to judging a potential partner based on personality, values, and character validates what most feel to be true: that real love is found by what is on the inside.
One thing that makes the show unique is that couples don’t see each other until they’ve already decided to be together. How important are physical attraction and sexual compatibility in a romantic relationship?
Physical and sexual compatibility is purely subjective. Most singles in their 20s and 30s place a lot of value on the physical.
Whereas older or divorced singles tend to have “been there and done that” and look for other things like compatibility, friendship, common interests and a willingness to commit as a basis for choosing their partners.
What was your reaction to the couples’ first time meeting one another?
I can tell if a couple will last based on their reaction after fully seeing their chosen partner for the first time.
To see the person they have built up in their minds collide with reality can be satisfying at best and cringy at worst.
If the couple says “yes” at the altar, do you think any of them will have a successful marriage?
The couples that I have seen have the most success after the show have some common characteristics:
- They both are fully satisfied with their choice and neither is caught up in “what’s behind door number two.”
- Both are committed to the development of the relationship between one another.
- They are openly honest and communicative with their partners about relationship expectations and treat differences with respect and grace.
- They have a positive support system in their real lives and fully support their decisions.
Out of all of the couples in season six, Amy and Johnny seem to have all four of those characteristics.
What are some “red flags” you’ve noticed so far?
In the pods, there was more focus on finding out how a person looked. The purpose of the experiment is to build connections based on values, character, and chemistry, not what the person looked like or what race/ethnicity they were.
For example, as soon as Chelsea revealed that she favored Megan Fox, you could immediately see how that played a role in Jimmy’s decision.
Clay made it a point to share with A.D. that he had to be attracted to his partner, his requirement that she go to the gym after pregnancy, and his fear of cheating; ultimately placing doubt that the qualities that made A.D. great were not as important as her looks.
Kenneth’s complete 180-degree treatment of Brittany after the pods was a glaring red flag. It seemed that he told Brittany exactly what she wanted to hear to be chosen but completely disregarded her and her feelings once it was time to put action behind his words.
Lastly, Jeramey is the red flag.
What are some “green flags” you’ve noticed so far?
One of the green flags I’ve seen is the willingness to express emotions.
Chelsea is very comfortable getting vulnerable and sharing her feelings with Jimmy.
Brittany has also done a good job of expressing her need for more connection with Ken.
I love how Laura is unafraid of having tough conversations with Jeramey.
Another green flag I’ve witnessed is the men being unafraid of apologizing and recognizing where they have erred. We saw that with Jimmy when Chelsea confronted him about admiring A.D. and when he called Chelsea “clingy.”
Do you have a favorite couple?
It’s hard to compete with Season 1’s Lauren and Cameron. They set the bar high for a favorite couple, but I’d have to say this season, I like watching A.D. and Clay.
They’ve got quite a few hurdles to cross, but I’m always rooting for Black love!
Is this model a healthy and successful way to date or find a marriage?
This model only works for those who are truly committed to removing physical attraction or race/ethnicity as a factor.
I would not suggest this model for those who still make physical appearance and attraction a big factor in the deciding factor or have any insecurities or attachment issues.
What do you think of the contestants overall?
Overall, the contestants are representative of the dating scene today.
You have a mixed bag of singles who all say they want commitment and marriage, but in reality, they are either not ready for a commitment, have some self-sabotaging beliefs that hinder their progress, or need to do some inner work before they present themselves as a valuable partner.
What advice would you give to the couples on the show?
I would incorporate couples coaching before marriage and commitment.
Talking to a professional who can help navigate some of the sticky areas, like conflict resolution, and giving tools for creating a loving and safe environment for their partner will help alleviate some of the more unique issues couples on this show face.
