FARMER WANTS A WIFE ON FOX IS MOSTLY NOTHING NEW

It was suggested that I take a look at the newest reality based show on FOX called Farmer Wants A Wife hosted by Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland fame. Needless to say I balked at the idea. Why? I’m not big a reality based TV these days. Back when The Real World hit MTV in 1992 it was a revolutionary moment for TV. Strangers with varying backgrounds are put in an apartment in New York and forced to live together to see what happens. That is what truly happened. It went so well that the show spawned years of seasons that were real and full of joy and heartbreak that people could relate to and really learn from. Until they finally put the series in the worst place ever with a cast of minor degenerates: Las Vegas. After that the producers found any which way they could to have the people end up drunk and speculate on in house hookups and the drama that caused. They also started another series called Road Rules in 1995 that basically put the people in an RV and gave them challenges. This all started the glut of mindless “reality” shows that aren’t real and don’t encapsulate the “social experiment” that was started decades ago. Like true Americans we have dumbed it down to just wanting to see the drama and hot mess side of the people we’re watching.

So, I wasn’t giving Farmer Wants A Wife much leeway in my expectations. I watched the first episode as they introduced the four farmers Ty, Mitchell, Brandon, and Nathan and the gaggle of girls they invited on the show. Let me begin by saying that the guys all seem pretty genuine. When the girls ask a few questions they react like most of us would in this situation with honest nervous reactions. These guys are farmers. They all are raising the crops or cows in some capacity in varied states around the country. They all discuss the lack of a substantial dating pool with one saying if you don’t find someone early then you kind of miss out and could easily end up alone. The girls are from all over the country with different backgrounds and jobs. They are all very pretty. I can’t tell you much more because in this episode all they did was introduce the guys, introduce some of the girls, and have a few interview dates, but they only broadcast a a few of them. I suppose so you become a fan of certain ones and then hate others at some point. Seems like the formula. Anywho, I watched the episode and it seems not all the girls are there for the right reasons. One at least figured this out right away and left before they had the selection cut down. Then, that was about it. The farmers had to choose someone to take back to the farm for 24 hours to get to know first, …… but that’s the next episode. It’s hard to get a handle on the show in just that first episode, but the trailer shows drama is on its way. According to Jennifer she says the show – which has aired in other countries for years is responsible for 200 marriages and 500 kids. We’ll see if that trend continues. I’m not sure I would make time for this show on the regular, but if I had to then it might be the least worst one to watch. As a guy, there are four different guys that gives you a chance to relate to so that may be a draw. For the girls out there the selection of farmers goes from the shy to the confident and down home to cowboy. So, you have your own farmer to fall in love with if you don’t have one at home.