E!'s "Famously Single"

I am fascinated by modern romance: online dating, social media's impact on dating, and how people go about discovering and maintaining romantic relationships. I've devoured Neil Strauss' "The Game" and other pick up artist manuals as well as materials from the other side such as "The Rules" and life coaching books about how to net your perfect forever mate frequently ending in a church wedding. Most of my interest stems from the fact that I've been married for ten years come September, and I am not sure how I managed to attract such a sexy, intelligent, brilliant woman when I was in my 20s, also known as a larval stage. E!'s "Famously Single," gave me a huge ego boost.

Fans of the first season will notice that the format hasn't changed. Eight sexy single reality television personalities move into a nice house n�e post-college dorm mansion together. Over the course of the season, the audience gets the opportunity to discover why each of these idols is chronically single. Photogenic licensed clinical social worker Dr. Darcy Sterling has returned to help these unlucky in love celebs. Tall, dark and handsome life coach Robert Mack is also on hand to dispense advice.

The trained personalities give interviews which are engaging and approachable. The challenges each is asked to do for the show including therapy and pseudo therapy are difficult Two things of note is that the producers of this show seem to be colorblind and somewhat class indifferent. They avoid addressing the very different dating spheres that people of color and white people inhabit separately and additionally, the very different dating spheres people in higher or lower classes rarely leave. Instead, they've chosen to focus on how a single person can win at the very difficult business of creating and maintaining long-term romantic relationships.

The larger benefit of this show for the participants is the group therapy as well as the one on one therapy that each single struggles through. Although these folks may have more money than I will ever earn in my lifetime, they are not able to overcome the social pressure to be partnered which is also magnified by having money and being mainstream physically attractive. For the men, the desire to have as many partners as possible typically was a barrier to long-term relationships. For the women, the desire to have a partner who wouldn't use, abuse or otherwise derail their life completely was the barrier. Yes, this follows gender norms very closely: men are afraid women don't find them attractive, and women are scared that their lives are over if they fall in love. I learned that, yes, I am buying my wife an expensive anniversary present, and yes, taking her out to an expensive dinner, and yes, agreeing to couples therapy should she want us to go. "Famously Single" makes therapy and introspection look far more attractive than lonely, drunken nights wondering where Mixter, Mixtress, Misses or Mister Right could possible be.

E!'s "Famously Single"
Season 2
Premieres July 9
Irwin Entertainment
~45 min episodes
http://www.eonline.com/shows/famously_single