It’s been amazing to see thereality genreevolve in recent years, with one of the best parts being more dating shows focused on older people falling in love. FromThe Golden BachelortoLater Daters, these programs not only give audiences a break from watching messy people in their mid-20s date around but remind viewers that communities from different generations still deserve love and recognition just like everyone else. These are always heartwarming to watch, with fans wondering what show will feature older singles next .Though nobody could have expectedBravo’snewest spin-off of the iconicReal Housewivesfranchise,Love Hotel. It sees fourHousewivesheavyweights (Luann de Lesseps, Gizelle Bryant, Shannon Beador, and Ashley Darby) unite in a luxurious Mexican hotel to socialize and date a group of eligible, age-appropriate bachelors.
This first episode already foreshadows some of the jaw-dropping drama that made each such franchise legends. Yet along with this delightful chaos,there’s actually a subtle radicalism to the series. It’s not abnormal to see older people date, butThe Love Hotelgoes beyond simple romance and reminds viewers that just because someone is over 50 doesn’t mean they can’t get jealous, or messy, or sexual! It may shock some to hear, but by showing the honest realities of dating above a certain age,Love Hotelhas already become one of the best representations of romance that reality TV has ever seen.
Who’s Checking Into the ‘Love Hotel’
Now, it must be said: the women ofLove Hotelare much younger than most of the people featured on shows likeThe Golden Bachelor. But it’s unfortunately typical for reality TV and the media to disregard anyone over the age of 35 as a romantic entity — especially women — which is why shows like this inherently advocate for people who are too often ignored by society. Along with the age difference,Love Hoteldefinitely isn’t as adorable as these other programs;while mature aspects of dating like sex are mentioned, they’re often featured only as funny side topics, with these shows preferring wholesome topics like what it means to love someone and each person’s family. While these are necessary discussions, by focusing on nothing but the positive, sentimental parts of romance, they treat contestants more as archetypesfor how the audience thinks older people should actrather than the real people looking for love that they are. And by refusing to touch on the wilder aspects of dating that every single person will know, these shows make it harder for viewers to actually connect with (and respect) the people onscreen — enterLove Hotel.
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While there have been countlessThe Real Housewivesspin-offs, there’s never been anything likeLove Hotel; hosted byJoel Kim Booster, it sees the four women (whose ages range from 36 to 61) mix and mingle with the single men also staying at the hotel, with each episode offering new dates and games that will eventually whittle the dating pool down until all that’s left are a quartet of happy, no-longer-single housewives. From the outset, the series features the dirty humor and subtle drama of its predecessor, with talks about sex toys and messy breakups immediately setting it apart from similar shows — yet it still features a ton of heart. There are a few tear-jerking scenes sprinkled throughout this premieresimilar to what people would get from similar programs. Love Hotel recognizes that while these are essential, they only present one facet of what it means to be an older person trying to find love today.
‘Love Hotel’ Shows the Truth of Dating
Love Hotel holds genuine emotions equal to the raunchy attraction found in other dating shows, recognizing that age doesn’t mean you don’t still feel the “youthful” parts of love. This is despite an unfortunate number of people not wanting to see women of a certain age as anything but sexless caretakers.It allows this cast to be multi-faceted characters,not reducing them to an image of what audiences expect from “older” people and finally showing the realities of dating at a later age. Especially for the many members of its cast over 50,Love Hotelallows its cast to be the well-rounded individuals they are, finally showing the truth of what dating at these ages looks like without trying to soften these people’s romantic ferocity for the audience.
WhileLove Hotelis shockingly important when it comes to representation in reality television, that doesn’t mean the series doesn’t havethe riveting mess viewers love fromThe Real Housewives.Not only did this first episode feature some subtle jabs at housewives and single men alike, scenes from later in this season hint that these ladies’ search for love may bring out some of the legendary reads that made them famous in the first place.Love Hotelis shaping up to be a thoroughly enjoyable watch — but not just because of its capacity for chaos.It’s undeniable how much impact the show has on the dating genre today, finally offering a fleshed-out vision of people of a certain age searching for love that doesn’t reduce them to adorable archetypes of what viewers think people over 50 should be. It balances fun with impact, and by letting these cast members be their authentic, messy selves, it’s finally providing this community the representation they deserve.Love Hotelairs Sundays, 9 PM ET on Bravo. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
