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‘The feminists ruined us. Because they’re the ones who supported the idea of a woman being independent and working, which is something I don’t support.’
This is one of the funniest, most ironic (yes, yes, infuriating too) things a contestant says on Netflix’s dating reality series Love is Blind: Habibi. Ironic, because she is a 29-year-old model who claims she doesn’t have the time to date due to work and is wearing an off-shoulder top and a white mini-skirt while saying it — freedoms offered to her by generations of women who fought for their rights to work, wear, say, and do what they want. If it weren’t for feminism, she would’ve likely already been married to a man picked by her family and have a pack of kids, without the privilege of coming on an online show to choose a partner for herself.
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Spanning nine episodes, Love is Blind: Habibi follows the same format as other Love is Blind shows, where a group of men and women speed-date each other through a wall for over a week, without seeing each other. If, during that period, they fall in love, they get engaged and only then meet face-to-face. They then spend the next 2-3 weeks together to decide if they will tie the knot within a month of getting to know each other. The show is hosted by celebrity couple Khaled Saqer and Elham Ali, two well-known Saudi actors. Despite their star power, their presence adds little excitement, and Khaled Saqer seems quite awkward on set.
However, unlike other editions of this popular franchise, Love is Blind: Habibi contestants aren’t from the same country; they are Arabs from different regions—UAE, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine, etc, although majority of them live in Dubai, but have families in other parts of the world. Additionally, in another departure from other shows, Love is Blind: Habibi doesn’t have couples sharing the same hotel room when they go on vacation after getting engaged or living together to see if they can really adjust to each other post-marriage. Besides, most of the couples fall apart without even having to face the litmus test of living in the same flat. Just the inter-city distance makes it hard for some of them to stay in touch and spend enough time together. We’ve all seen how Steven and Sabrina from Love is Blind: UK, who were viewer favorites and seemed like the sweetest couple, got married but, as the only couple in a long-distance relationship, soon fell apart and filed for divorce. So the regional differences in Love is Blind: Habibi already serve as a significant barrier between the men and women, not to mention their personal differences. Expect a few ugly fights and bitter break-ups.
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It gets hard to follow the show after the first three episodes because very few had genuine chemistry or sparks, the conversations weren’t fluid, and most participants were more focused on finding someone who would ‘match their lifestyle.’ Quite a few participants displayed intolerance, and insecurities and clashed on core belief systems. One man was outraged that the woman he ‘loves’ enjoys dancing – an act considered haram by many Muslims. Another was obnoxiously rude to all the women he encountered, and it’s a miracle that he managed to get engaged. Want to see firsthand how men and women fail to spot ‘red flags’ in a potential partner in the early stages of dating? Watch Love is Blind: Habibi!
Rating: 4 on 10. The series is available on Netflix.
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