Is 'Dating Naked' Mainstream TV's Latest Foray Into Porn?

LOS ANGELES—What is it with cable music channels' increasing interest in ordinary people's sex lives? Last Thursday, VH1 debuted its newest show, Dating Naked, whose premise is that two people, a man and a woman, are chosen to be flown to a tropical island, stripped naked for their first "blind date," and then each partner is introduced to two other potential mates—two men and two women; we're pretty sure even VH1 isn't yet ready for gay couples—and after each of the original pair "dates" (it's a tropical island; hence, not a hell of a lot to do on the "date") the other two, the originals have to choose which of the three people they might like to go on a future (presumably clothed) date with. Of course, for the TV audience, the full frontal nudity is not on display, but where in Olden Times, both of the women's breasts would be entirely computer-masked (and they are, for distant shots), nowadays it's just the nipples and the labia area that don't get seen by viewers in close-ups—but if you're an ass man (or woman), you'll be happy to know that they don't even try to mask the ass-crack. Verbally, just the word "blowjob" was censored. Members of the adult entertainment community will probably get a chuckle out of the interaction between the nude couples. To say they all seem a bit nervous sitting and standing around with each other without any clothes on would be an understatement, and VH1's editors seem to have cut out a lot of it (not to mention the times when one partner's sightline drops below chin level). What's also interesting is that the original female, "Wee Wee" (all right; just get all the urination jokes out of the way now), manages to be jealous not just of her rivals' faces; now she can worry that their tits are more attractive as well. The show's philosophy is summed up by its hostess, Amy Paffrath, who herself gets naked towards the end of the show. According to her, "It [naked dating] will allow you to date in the most honest way possible," then instructs Joe and Wee Wee, "Go get undressed for your first naked date," as if the pair couldn't do it right where they stand. But the break gives VH1 a chance to record the participants' fears, with Joe worrying that he'll be "getting too excited" at the sight of a naked Wee Wee, while Wee Wee admits, "I feel embarrassed because I'm putting my self, like my whole self out there, like everything is right out there in front of this guy I don't know." (Her "whole self" is  just her naked body? How sad!) And later, Joe confides, "I definitely saw Wee Wee checking me out, staring at my genitals." Anyway, the show is hardly earth-shaking. On their various "dates," the participants frolic in the ocean with a large inflatable balloon that one of them can crawl inside while the other variously pushes it around and mocks its inhabitant. Another couple has fun with boogie boards in the surf, while yet another pair douse each other with paint and smear their painted bodies on large canvases. But Dating Naked wasn't the only planned naked dating show. Fox Television had a rival show in the works that as of early July had been fast-tracked by Fox's executive VP of "alternate entertainment" Simon Andrae, but even with a cast already in place, set designs ready for building and producers hired, Andrae's superiors put the project on hold while the company searches for a replacement for its entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly. Moreover, back in May, the website TheWrap reported that there had been several "naked dating" shows pitched to various networks, apparently due to the success of the Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid, a sort of clothless Survivor, which has been a ratings bonanza for the channel despite the same computer masking used by Dating Naked. Also, TLC had had a short but successful run of another unclothed show, Buying Naked, where a Florida realtor attempts to interest residents of a nudist colony in buying property. The show's second season began last month. Of course, all this sort-of nudity has caught the attention of the religious pro-censorship groups, and guess what? They're against it! "It is patently obvious that VH1's only motivation for creating such a series is to stir-up controversy and to push the boundaries of what’s acceptable for advertiser-supported basic cable," wrote one of the minions at Parents Television Council in an email blast. "To millions of parents and families, this is a boundary that shouldn't be crossed, particularly not when the show is slated at air at a time of day when we know millions of children are potentially in the audience." (After 10 p.m.? Really? Besides, don't these parents you're targeting set any limits for their own kids?) "So we wanted to make you aware that VH1 and its parent company, Viacom, are putting your kids and grandkids at risk," the screed continued. "We urge you to be aware of this highly offensive program – and to make certain to have a plan in place to protect your family from it." (Um... guys? It's called an "on/off switch," and there's also such a thing as a "channel selector.") [Emphasis in original] Also showing up on the bluenose radar is MTV's upcoming series Happyland, which conservative Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell described as a "soapy teen comedy" that "explor[es] the underbelly of a popular theme park," and apparently, the pilot episode includes a scene where the show's female lead, Bianca Santos, has a makeout session with the amusement park's "new hottie"—only to find out that he's ... her brother!?!?!?! And it probably didn't help things on the pro-censorship front when Santos announced, at a presser panel discussion with the show's creators and cast, that "Incest is hot, and we're going to have fun!" "The incest 'twist' is MTV digging ever deeper for their precious 'edge' until they've dulled the shock of every perversion," Bozell "analyzed." "The show's creator, Ben Epstein, boosted the notion that this was like a fairy tale of the handsome prince sweeping a maiden off her feet, and he just adds the 'MTV edge to it, and makes it all weird and crazy.' "It's too bad horrible plotting devices like this can't just get rejected in the germinal stages at MTV headquarters before the show is made," Bozell concluded. "But MTV will keep pushing social norms to the "edge" and beyond, until there is no 'edge' left to exploit." Aw, cheer up, Brent; there are plenty of "edges" that mainstream hasn't even scratched the surface of—but give 'em a few more years and look out! (As we're sure you will!) Pictured: Wee Wee.