Reality shows are getting weird. Not just weird, borderline masochistic. A&E's newest one, Love Prison, is part Catfish, part Survivor, and part The Bachelor. The show will take online couples who have never met in person and maroon them on a deserted island. The couple will spend one isolated week together with the goal of finding out whether or not they want to continue dating.
"This social experiment will test the validity of online compatibility versus real-life chemistry," A&E says in a press release about the show. The couples in "love prison" won't have access to technology. Keep in mind that they've only communicated virtually up until this point, so asking these people to completely change how they interact — and to now do it face-to-face — might be setting them up for disaster.
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On top of that, couples are forced to spend 23 hours every day indoors. Is being stranded on a deserted island not enough? If they're going to be inside anyway, can't this show take place anywhere? Anyway, while they're stuck inside, "surprise interruptions keep them on their toes," the press release continues. "Just when things may be going well, video interviews about their past reveal secrets both good and bad."
So, to recap: Couples who have never met in person will be forced to spend one week with each other on a deserted island, without the technology that has thus far been crucial to their relationship. They will also have to remain indoors for 23 out of 24 hours per day, and while they're cooped up, they will receive periodic transmissions containing potentially shocking secrets about the only other person in the immediate vicinity.
This is actually the stuff of nightmares. Still, it makes for a fun game of reality show Would You Rather? As in: Would you rather be on Love Prison or Dating Naked? This is the hardest decision you will ever make. (Variety)