‘Geek’ is a kinder, gentler ‘Bachelor’

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On “Beauty and the Geek 2”’s first episode, a woman can’t recognize a photograph of John Kerry, and a geek can’t recognize Kelly Clarkson. One of the men sleeps in the closet because he literally can’t deal with having a hot woman sleeping in the same room.

Another introduces himself to us and starts a sentence with, “Because I’ve been so busy with Dungeons and Dragons....” Do you really need to know the last part of the sentence is “I haven’t had time to pick up girls”? The cast is so incredibly dumb and sheltered that some of them seem like crafted characters portrayed by gifted actors.

But what quickly becomes apparent is that they’re all, at their cores, very similar and very real, and that’s when “Beauty and the Geek” lives up to its tagline of being “the ultimate social experiment.”

Suddenly, two misunderstood and stereotyped groups suddenly recognize the humanity in themselves and in each other. It’s particularly interesting to watch as they realize how they’ve stereotyped the other group, and that realization quickly turns to admiration.

The pairs that don’t get along provide plenty of reality TV moments, but those who work well together are clearly thrilled to be able to teach the other about what they know. The women give the men lessons on popular culture and grooming, while the men teach the women about politics or math.

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In the challenges last season, the women had to inflate a car’s tire and build a bottle rocket; the men were tested on their ability to give massages or buy clothing for their partners. Along the way, the geeks were positively giddy that the women are even speaking to them, while the women seem genuinely impressed with their
partners’ intelligence.

In place of the “Bachelor” rose ceremony is a 12-question quiz given to two of the teams. While the men answer three questions each, the women watch from another room, and vice-versa. The questions are easy enough to make most viewers feel superior as
they laugh at the utter cluelessness of the contestants.

Since this is a reality show, there are also villains who we want to see fail. But watching them watch each other provides the most drama. They jump up and down with excitement when their partner gets a question right, thrilled that their studying has paid off.

The new cast is a bit more self-aware and self-conscious than the first season, which makes their growth seem slightly less organic, but it’s still compelling to watch as they learn about each other’s insecurities and realize that they all share the same fears despite their outward appearances.

Because they aren’t pretending to forge a lifelong partnership while being prodded by producers and hounded by camera operators, the beauties and the geeks show genuine affection for one another, proving that reality TV can connect two people without the help of roses.

Andy Dehnart is a writer and teacher who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news.

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