Campus matchmaking: Love or entertainment?

Being blindfolded in front of a live audience might be the epitome of anxiety for some students, but for other Sun Devils, it’s the lengths they’re willing to go to find love. 

As dating show content such as “The Button” and “Pop The Balloon or Find Love” circulates on social media, college students have become increasingly interested in these events on their campus.

“Kupid Dating“, founded by Evan Rama, is a live comedy dating show that travels to universities across the country. He said he began the show after be<a href="https://comicvibe.com/takashi-murakami-is-coming-to-sydney-how-to-get-tickets/” title=”Takashi Murakami Is Coming to Sydney: How to Get Tickets”>coming interested in starting his own entertainment company. 

“I was planning on doing a game show, a talent show, a dating show, a kind of variety of events,” Rama said. “A dating show was just the most voted upon when I did my survey in 2023 as the first event.”

Rama said he dressed as a jester and promoted the event for six hours a day, and sold out his first show in March 2024. He added that dating shows have been very successful, so he has continued to film them.

Rama said his audience ranges from four to six hundredpeopleper show. 

“People that come to my shows love seeing other students kind of embarrass themselves or do random stunts that they wouldn’t expect them to do,” Rama said. “People do love to see their friends matchmake with a random guy that they didn’t expect.”

Rama brought “Kupid Dating” to Tempe in October in collaboration with the Indian Students’ Association. Chirag Tiwari Prem Narayan, an ASU alum, participated in ‘Kupid Dating” after a friend sent him the casting form. 

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“I was skeptical at first,” Prem Narayan said. “But I thought, why not put myself out there and get out of my comfort zone and do it.”

Prem Narayan said he wasn’t necessarily looking to find love, but thought he would be a good contestant because of his humor.

“Events like this do work out for some people,” Prem Narayan said. “But in the end, it’s all about entertainment. And the people on there know this too.”

Rama said he casts contestants based on personality, extroversion and popularity, not looks. However, Prem Narayan added that participants will still act inauthentically because of the live audience.

After filming 30 episodes of “Kupid Dating”, Rama said four couples have resulted from the show — two pairs of contestants and two pairs of audience members.

“The whole point isn’t to matchmake them in particular. It’s more of an entertainment show,” Rama said. “So it’s pretty cool to see them match from our show.”

Other students have taken their own dating videos to social media, blurring the line between genuine connection and content.

Jada Rodriguez, a sophomore studying marketing, participated in a blind date YouTube video after being invited

Rodriguez said she had never been on a blind date before, but she was excited to potentially find a connection. 

Upon arriving, Rodriguez was blindfolded alongside content creator Lil Chukky. The pair chatted and took turns rapping for each other, but didn’t end up going on a second date after taking the blindfolds off.

Rodriguez said influencers are usually looking for clout rather than love, meanwhile contestants might be looking for both through blind date-style videos.

“Anyone can go out and find a boyfriend at this school because there’s 200,000 kids,” Rodriguez said. “So it’s not dating that’s difficult … I’m picky, and I think that’s what’s difficult.”

She added that modern dating has lost romance, and instead focuses on what people can gain from a potential partner.

Prem Narayan also said that dating culture has shifted towards short-term relationships, and dating shows may not be the answer — but they’re fun to watch in the meantime.

“Terms like situationship, micro cheating, all of these things that didn’t exist 50 years ago; now we have blasted it on the internet,” Rodriguez said. “Dating is just a gimmick. It’s a game.”

Reach the reporter at ajanusee@asu.edu and follow @lexijanuseeon X. 

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Lexi Janusee is a senior reporter at The State Press. She is a sophomore studying Journalism with a minor in Theatre. This is her third semester with The State Press, working previously as a full-time Echo reporter. 

• ajanusee@asu.edu

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