‘Why is everyone white:’ ‘Love Is Blind’ creator says casting choices weren’t deliberate
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, ‘Love Is Blind’ creator Chris Coelen responded to criticism about a lack of diverse contestants this season. Many of the contestants are white.
Amaris Encinas
“Love Is Blind” creator Chris Coelen says the lack of diversity of the Season 8 cast wasn’t intentional, revealing Wednesday that the hit Netflix show “casts itself.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the executive producer responded to criticism from some viewers on social media about not being able to tell some of the male contestants apart because so many of them are white and share similar features.
The reality dating show‘s eighth season was released on Netflix on Valentine’s Day, featuring 32 singles from Minnesota who enter the pods to “find out whether love is truly blind.”
“Love Is Blind” previously featured casts that were about 50% non-white, but Season 8 is only around 30% non-white, according to EW.
“We put people in the pods, and you try to have a very diverse group of people in lots of different ways (at the start),” Coelen told EW. “If you’re sort of trying to tick a box, there were lots of people who were in the group coming into the pods who ultimately just didn’t find their person and who we didn’t choose to (follow).”
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The goal is to start a season with a diverse cast of characters, waiting to see which connections and later relationships unfold naturally, no matter the background. The show’s production team, which includes Coelen, does not attempt to steer the dynamics in any way.
“We always, always, always strive to seed the pods for the greatest possible success, and within that, diversity of not only ethnicity or race, but backgrounds, and financial status, and body types and looks and all that stuff,” Coelen told EW. “You’re less concerned about that, to be honest, than just trying to have a group of people that you hope are somewhat compatible and then seeing what happens.
Netflix did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on Thursday.
Viewers criticize ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8’s lack of diversity online
“Love Is Blind” viewers took to social media to share their thoughts on the new season, including the cast and plot. Specifically, the apparent similarities between a majority of the male contestants.
Here’s what viewers were saying online:
More:She was his second choice on ‘Love is Blind’ – can a relationship survive that?
‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8 cast
The Season 8 “pod squad” was the largest group of participants to date, with 32 singles, ranging between 26 to 43 years of age, per Netflix.
This batch of contestants includes three nurses, several former cheerleaders and many world travelers. Sagittarius women and Taurus men were also the most common astrological signs this season, setting the stage for viewers to discover “if opposites really do attract,” according to Netflix.
Male contestants
- Adam, 33: Fashion Director / Co-Owner
- Alex, 29: Commercial Real Estate Broker
- Andrew, 27: Realtor
- Ben, 28: Developer
- Benji, 26: Entrepreneur / Realtor
- Brad, 35: Dentist
- Brian, 30: Wine Bar Owner
- Daniel, 30: Sales Account Executive
- David, 33: Medical Device Sales
- Devin, 29: Youth Director/Coach
- Hugo, 30: Marketing
- Joey, 35: Physician Associate
- Mason, 33: Cinematographer
- Mo, 35: Property Manager
- Scott, 34: Project Manager
- Tom, 38: Management Consultant
Female contestants
- Amanda, 43: District Retail Manager
- Ashley, 28: Client Success Manager
- Brittany, 35: Partnership Executive
- Casandra, 30: Hairstylist
- Kylie, 28: Medical Student
- Lauren, 31: Educational Sales
- Madison, 28: Artist
- Meg, 31: Oncology Nurse
- Molly, 30: Executive Assistant
- Monica, 28: Digital Marketing
- Sara, 29: Oncology Nurse
- Taylor, 32: Colonoscopy Nurse
- Tiera, 34: Marketing Strategist
- Vanessa, 31: Media Planner
- Virginia, 34: Healthcare Recruiter
- Yemi, 30: Product Sales Manager
‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8 episode schedule, how to watch
“Love Is Blind” Season 8 dropped on Netflix on Valentine’s Day. Previous seasons are also available to stream on the streaming platform.
New episodes from Season 8 will drop every Friday until March 7.
The complete schedule can be found below:
- Friday, Feb. 21: Episodes 7-9
- Friday, Feb. 28: Episodes 10-11
- March 7: Episode 12
Contributing: Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
