In addition serving up addictive reality TV drama set to a pop soundtrack that feels AI-generated, “Love Is Blind” sets out to answer the question, “Is love really blind?” Of course, the answer is complicated, which makes the Netflix series all the juicier – as producers surely anticipated it would. In the still-airing season five, one cast member revealed his true feelings on the matter when he shamed his fiancée for wearing makeup, a moment that (rightfully) ruffled more than a few feathers with viewers.
Such is the premise of the show, season five’s Taylor and JP met, fell in love, and got engaged from opposite sides of a wall in rooms referred to as “the pods” without ever knowing what the other person looked like. After they finally met face to face and got properly engaged, their relationship quickly deteriorated when JP refused to communicate with Taylor.
Eventually, when the three engaged couples were at a resort in Mexico in episode seven, JP confessed that he felt unable to open up to Taylor because she wore makeup at their first meeting, which, according to him, is a “fake” way of presenting herself.
“I feel like if you had presented yourself like this, without any makeup, it would have been better,” JP told Taylor in their hotel room.
“So the way I looked made you communicate differently?” she asked. To which he replied, “You had a caked-up face, fake eyelashes. I had makeup all over my jacket.”
Yes, that actually happened in the year 2023. Taylor then called out the most glaring and frustrating aspect of JP’s comments, exclaiming, “You didn’t know what I looked like before!” As you might expect, JP was not receptive to this counterpoint and continued to tell Taylor she was being “fake,” all before offering his simple solution to this most pressing issue: “Just don’t wear makeup.”
It’s worth noting that back in episode two, JP said, “Falling in love with someone I’ve never seen before is actually kind of freeing. Because this experiment has taught me and shown me that true love is really what’s on the inside. She loves me for who I am and I love her for who she is.”
Interesting!
Throughout their time in Mexico, JP continued to comment on Taylor’s freckles and hinted that he liked her bare-faced. It put forth the glaringly obvious and disappointing pressure that women face every day: that you are only valued by what society (read: men) deems “acceptable” or “beautiful.” That what you put on your face determines your attractiveness and worthiness to be loved. But let’s not forget: JP signed up for a show where looks aren’t meant to be the central premise.
Luckily, Taylor ended up breaking up with JP, but that didn’t stop fans from commenting on the blatant misogyny – and straight-up hypocrisy – he displayed during their relationship. “Message to all men or partners of people who wear make up – and I’ll say it louder for those at the back!” one user wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “DO NOT TELL ANYONE WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR OWN BODIES AND MAKE UP ROUTINES! JP is coming across like a misogynist.”
In a world where women’s bodily autonomy is being questioned left and right, it’s not exactly surprising that men still feel the need to control how their partner presents themselves, but it’s certainly disappointing – especially on a show where appearances are meant to be taken out of the equation. Do better, JP.
