Reality dating shows started out pretending to be about finding love. Shows like The Bachelor marketed themselves as just a guy looking for love. But that wasn’t the reality.
What we all realize, and may have realized before, is that reality dating shows are for spectacle. Sure, one woman gets her dream guy, but what about the other twenty-nine crying behind her? Thankfully, we’ve reached the end. Welcome to MILF Manor.
Brought to You By TLC
TLC
People make a lot of noise about how TLC used to stand for The Learning Channel and that it had quality programming. But how long ago was that? Now the list of shows it produces can be shown without titles and just labeled as “exploitive” and viewership would never waiver.
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A network that brought you Strange Love and the 90 Day Fiancé oeuvre was smacking its lips to find the one place that no other channel, streaming or otherwise, would go. Quite frankly, they did it. Hand it to TLC, but they scooped up a show that Entertainment One (creators of Peppa Pig) and Spun Gold (creators of Dr. Betty: The 77-Year-Old Sexologist) were keen to produce. MILF Manor brings you all the fun of a dating show with no chance of finding a person to root for. It’s TLC dating show gold.
It Is a Spectacle
Welcome to MILF Manor. Men and women are coming to find love at a resort hotel on the Mexican coast. The sun-soaked beach and clear skies offer the same gorgeous surroundings as any other dating show. But something different is brewing under the surface.
You see, the eight women on the show are a bit older than your average 20-something everyone is used to seeing on dating shows. In fact, they range from 40-60 years old. But these are not your average middle-aged women. They’ve been married and been through heartache, and now they want to experience something different: youth. These women don’t want to date anyone their own age, and why should they? They’re self-proclaimed MILFs (a quick Google search will tell you what this acronym means). They want to make sure the next guy they get is a hot, young stud who can show them a good time. It’s a good thing there are a few eligible young men behind the curtain just waiting to be let out.
The eight young men are also looking for love. But they’re a little different from other 20-somethings their age. They don’t want some young girl. They want an older lady. That’s why they’ve booked a room at MILF Manor. These guys are ripped, ready, and cannot wait for the curtain to drop, so they can meet these eligible, sexy ladies.
Dating with a Twist
Did we mention that these young men are the sons of the MILFs? That’s right. TLC is hopping on a very creepy train and taking these sixteen people along for the ride. But the thing is, nobody walks out. Nobody sees their sons or their moms and says “that’s it for me!” They stick around and even do interviews together. As Billy (son of Stefany) asks, “We’re supposed to date the other moms?” Yes, you are. That’s why you’re on MILF Manor. Now is your chance to walk away. Oh, nobody is walking away? Well, then let’s see where this goes.
Much like any other reality dating show, priceless moments happen in the confessional. Early on when everyone gets introduced, Ryan (son of Shannan) remarks that “I’m going to be honest, I’m thinking first pick in the draft. Like, I’m looking at everything else before my mom,” to which Shannan smiles and replies, “thank god for that.”
Thank god for that is right, Shannan. The problem is that people will be tuning into this show for a very specific, if unspoken reason. And that is why we have reached the shallowest end of the pool. The spectacle and the name all point to one thing and even though it will not happen, people are waiting for it. TLC has crossed a number of important, if not awful milestones that have set the bar so low that it is nearly impossible to see underneath. MILF Manor is ready to take the challenge, with their first challenge having the blindfolded mothers feel the naked torsos of their guys to guess which one is their son.
It Is Hard to Look Away
TLC greenlit the show because they understand spectacle. It will get press, it will get likes, and it will get views. People love a train wreck and this one seems poised to jump the tracks and hit the welcoming brass band. The series has no host to show us around because there is no need. There is no cash prize at the end because nobody cares. We are here to watch people debase themselves for our entertainment. They have been contained to a compound where cameramen have been asked not to giggle or gag and where class lets out right next to the afternoon buffet. Worlds are colliding and nobody asked for it.
However, if you are interested in checking out this show, it premiered on TLC in January and has new episodes streaming every week on Discovery+. It is nothing like you’ve ever seen before and Discovery+ is happy to put it beside their people-pleasing hits like Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and Signs of a Psychopath.
