How MTV's Are You the One?'s all-queer cast is changing dating shows

Rolling Stone

This season with sexually fluid cast members is showing "elements of queer culture that are rarely seen on television," says Breena Kerr, pointing out that the dating reality show "goes beyond the normal dating-show formula, one that’s rife with overblown displays of both masculinity and femininity — like women in sparkling ball gowns and hypermasculine Prince Charmings." Executive producer Rob LaPlante adds: "So many of these people who we cast had lived in an environment where they were struggling on a day-to-day basis with acceptance. And then, on the day before we began filming, all of them suddenly realized that the next day they’d be moving into an environment where everyone there just completely ‘got it.’ I’m so used to the cast members being concerned about being famous or being the star of the season, but this group was just geeking out to be around each other. And when they moved in front of the camera, it was magical. It was something like we’d never seen before.” ALSO: How did Are You the One get queer love so right?