BY DC CUEVA
As a new season of Are You The One? takes shape right now, love is in the air for those in reality land. This year saw the arrival to America of MTV's international franchise Ex On The Beach, where many AYTO alumni fell in love again, as did new Challenge baby daddy Cory and three other reality alumni -- Paulie, Angela and Faith -- who joined Team MTV in Hawaii and then made their way to The Challenge Final Reckoning. Two other non-MTV reality alums, Chase McNary and Jasmine Goode, came to EOTB USA from The Bachelor franchise, which continues to dominate midweek water-cooler talk and Twitter buzz.
This year in Bachelor Nation is most remembered for what we saw with Arie Luyendyk Jr. and him turning from winner Becca Kufrin to runner-up Lauren Burnham that left everyone shook. While a state legislator signed a bill to keep the former IndyCar driver from entering the former's home turf, Becca then had a second chance on The Bachelorette, where she gave her final rose to Garrett Yrigoyen. And after a Winter Games spinoff miniseries, we're now onto this summer's Bachelor in Paradise, where AYTO alum Kathryn Palmer's friend Robby Hayes is among the castmates. And if word on the grapevine is true, he may take his talents to next year's American EOTB sequel.
This summer has seen a new addition to romantic reality television in a totally different show produced by the same team behind The Bachelor. The Proposal has been described by many in the press as one of the oddest reality shows ever conceived, with Bachelor alum and former NFL QB Jesse Palmer hosting a series described as a mix of his original show, Miss America, and The Dating Game. And like the ladder which has been around on TV for decades, the contestants vie to win over the affection of a single man or woman whose identity remains secret from them until the end.
Each episode features ten eligible daters who compete in four pageant-like rounds with the common goal of trying to do what they can to woo the person of their dreams, known as the "suitor" or "suitress." It begins with first impressions and continues with hopefuls being eliminated a few at a time before the final stage, where the night's leading mystery man or woman is revealed to the two remaining daters who make it to the end. They then make proposals to that person, before he or she chooses the one... which then sees them go on a date and try to make things work long-term in the romance department.
Being that this is a love fest unlike any that has been on television before, it's no surprise that two Are You The One? alumni have had another chance at love this summer on The Proposal. Episode 6 in late July saw ten eligible gentlemen go for the heart of "suitress" Latoya, a practicing attorney from Dallas who was emotionally spent going into the show after her boyfriend was killed in a car crash.
On a night that included one contestant doing a rap inspired by Kanye, the group was whittled down through "deal breaker" questions on love, race and family, followed by Latoya's mom asking follow-up questions. In the end, the two men who made it to the alter were Tyler MacKay and the first of the AYTO alumni, Garland Brown. The ladder appeared on Season 2 four years ago, and was described in his bio as "being a dog to women, and struggling to move beyond his instincts and reinvent himself as relationship material." And after that season ended, he then became a dad in now having a young son.
Both Garland and Tyler got on their knees in front of Latoya, but at night's end it was Tyler who won over the lawyer when he promised that he would take her on a vacation afterwards to Cape Cod to meet his family, just as what takes place near the end of every Bachelor season, and to get to know each other a bit better. That was the difference in Tyler winning Latoya's heart, and not only did they go to New England they are still together. And she wrote on Instagram afterwards, "Yes...We are still together! He’s still kissing me, and he’s still making me smile. Thank you @ty.phillips_ for accompanying me on this journey! I’m excited to see what the future holds."
And this past week on the same night as the VMA's, Episode 9 saw the spotlight turn to the ladies, and ten eligible women go for a man who had failed in his first try at love on The Proposal, but was so well liked that they invited him back, this time as the mystery gentleman. Think, what we saw with Da'Vonne when she was evicted on her first Big Brother season only to return the following summer.
L.A. native Michael Neely was the object of the females' affection on last week's episode, and one of those who MTV fans were familiar with. Casandra Martinez was on AYTO Season 5 last year -- the same season that endured ultimate heartbreak in the end and some of their castmates going on to bigger things, but also saw the Houston native score a romance that lasted several months with Staten Islander Mike Cerasani. But a lot of fans don't know that before AYTO5 - and around the time of her hometown of Houston hosting Super Bowl LI, she shared her experience of getting plastic surgery in preparation for her going onto TV, which turns out to be three shows in an 18 month's span.
Cas made it out of the first impression round and then donned her swimsuit and answered questions well enough to make it to the fourth and final stage of Michael's cousin asking the follow-up's. Unfortunately, Cas didn't get chosen to be in the final two who got to then meet and propose to Michael... Ashley J. from Sacramento eventually won over his heart, but unlike what happened with LaToya and Tyler, they took the Chelsey/Connor route of just being friends.
The Proposal has garnered a lot of attention this summer -- which also includes an early episode being pulled last minute when a woman brought forward sexual assault allegations on a male contestant before he was due to make it on TV. Those who've stuck around after Bachelor Nation -- my mom included -- have been glued to this fascinating experiment, which concludes its season tonight. Two of those who viewers got to see on MTV got another chance at love, and both fell short... and given what we have now with Ex On The Beach, keep an eye out for the entire romantic reality TV slate, because you never if they will pop up again for a shot at their perfect match.
Photos Courtesy ABC Entertainment
This year in Bachelor Nation is most remembered for what we saw with Arie Luyendyk Jr. and him turning from winner Becca Kufrin to runner-up Lauren Burnham that left everyone shook. While a state legislator signed a bill to keep the former IndyCar driver from entering the former's home turf, Becca then had a second chance on The Bachelorette, where she gave her final rose to Garrett Yrigoyen. And after a Winter Games spinoff miniseries, we're now onto this summer's Bachelor in Paradise, where AYTO alum Kathryn Palmer's friend Robby Hayes is among the castmates. And if word on the grapevine is true, he may take his talents to next year's American EOTB sequel.
Each episode features ten eligible daters who compete in four pageant-like rounds with the common goal of trying to do what they can to woo the person of their dreams, known as the "suitor" or "suitress." It begins with first impressions and continues with hopefuls being eliminated a few at a time before the final stage, where the night's leading mystery man or woman is revealed to the two remaining daters who make it to the end. They then make proposals to that person, before he or she chooses the one... which then sees them go on a date and try to make things work long-term in the romance department.
On a night that included one contestant doing a rap inspired by Kanye, the group was whittled down through "deal breaker" questions on love, race and family, followed by Latoya's mom asking follow-up questions. In the end, the two men who made it to the alter were Tyler MacKay and the first of the AYTO alumni, Garland Brown. The ladder appeared on Season 2 four years ago, and was described in his bio as "being a dog to women, and struggling to move beyond his instincts and reinvent himself as relationship material." And after that season ended, he then became a dad in now having a young son.
Both Garland and Tyler got on their knees in front of Latoya, but at night's end it was Tyler who won over the lawyer when he promised that he would take her on a vacation afterwards to Cape Cod to meet his family, just as what takes place near the end of every Bachelor season, and to get to know each other a bit better. That was the difference in Tyler winning Latoya's heart, and not only did they go to New England they are still together. And she wrote on Instagram afterwards, "Yes...We are still together! He’s still kissing me, and he’s still making me smile. Thank you @ty.phillips_ for accompanying me on this journey! I’m excited to see what the future holds."
L.A. native Michael Neely was the object of the females' affection on last week's episode, and one of those who MTV fans were familiar with. Casandra Martinez was on AYTO Season 5 last year -- the same season that endured ultimate heartbreak in the end and some of their castmates going on to bigger things, but also saw the Houston native score a romance that lasted several months with Staten Islander Mike Cerasani. But a lot of fans don't know that before AYTO5 - and around the time of her hometown of Houston hosting Super Bowl LI, she shared her experience of getting plastic surgery in preparation for her going onto TV, which turns out to be three shows in an 18 month's span.
Cas made it out of the first impression round and then donned her swimsuit and answered questions well enough to make it to the fourth and final stage of Michael's cousin asking the follow-up's. Unfortunately, Cas didn't get chosen to be in the final two who got to then meet and propose to Michael... Ashley J. from Sacramento eventually won over his heart, but unlike what happened with LaToya and Tyler, they took the Chelsey/Connor route of just being friends.
The Proposal has garnered a lot of attention this summer -- which also includes an early episode being pulled last minute when a woman brought forward sexual assault allegations on a male contestant before he was due to make it on TV. Those who've stuck around after Bachelor Nation -- my mom included -- have been glued to this fascinating experiment, which concludes its season tonight. Two of those who viewers got to see on MTV got another chance at love, and both fell short... and given what we have now with Ex On The Beach, keep an eye out for the entire romantic reality TV slate, because you never if they will pop up again for a shot at their perfect match.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
Photos Courtesy ABC Entertainment
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Garland featured in this story is also the same one who was also the target, along with another member of his AYTO Season 2 cast, of this blogger after they blocked me on social media in the lead-up to their season, which led to the extremely-rare occurrence of them being publicly put on blast on here the day before its October 2014 premiere. That editorial is located here.
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