Charger Arts & Entertainment

Married by America update: to wed or not to wed?

Emilee Chaffin, Associate Editor

The March issue of The Charger featured an article about Fox’s new reality show Married by America written by fellow Charger staffer, Sina Bennett. I decided to follow up on that article and see if the couples would indeed take a successful walk down the aisle.

After a proposal to a person whom they had never met until after the ring was on the finger, the engaged couples headed off to the beautiful Copper North Ranch to survive living together and meeting the parents. Worst of all would probably be the panel of judges who interrogate the couples and weekly decide whose engagement will end that week.

The first week, Matt and Cortez were voted off. A next were Jennifer and Xavier. Both women told the camera that they couldn’t see themselves with this person for the rest of their lives. (They actually thought they could?)
The third week was harder-- all the couples were actually starting to get along and after a month, the reality of the situation was sinking in. The panel decided that it took too long for Denise and Steven to become romantically involved and that there was probably not an equal amount of attraction, so their engagement ended.

Two couples were left. Billie Jeannne and Tony, along with Jill and Kevin.

The last night of the show was the wedding. Both couples would walk down the aisle. They then had the choice of saying “I Do” or “I Don’t.” If both couples get married the viewing audience decides who will win. By “win” I mean receives a $500,000 wedding gift which includes a luxury car, $100,000 cash and a new house to start their lives together.

Kevin and Jill stood at the altar first. after saying their vows, Jill decided that she wasn’t ready yet, although she did love Kevin and wanted to continue their engagement. All ended well and both families were satisfied that the two did not rush into a marriage so soon.

Billie Jeanne and Tony were a different story. Billie Jean says “I Do” before the priest hardly gets a word out and Tony decides that he doesn’t love her like he thought he did. (Does he have great timing or what?) Billie Jeanne’s family flips out and screams and yells that he was stupid in his decision. He feels terrible and she says that she can’t date him anymore, despite his request to remain a couple.

Overall this show was the most pathetic waste of these people’s lives. No one made the big commitment they came to, and no one found the person of his dreams. All of these people came in the hopes of finding the person that they could spend the rest of their lives with. All of them left depressed and angry that they had actually done this. If this is what reality TV has in store for its audience, then they should have quit while they were ahead.