Denver and its infamous dating scene are in the national spotlight.
The ninth season of the Netflix dating show “Love Is Blind” puts 32 local singles in isolation, making romantic connections without actually seeing their partners.
On Wednesday night, hundreds packed DNVR, a sports bar off Colfax, to celebrate the season premiere — and talk about love in the city, debating whether it really is “Menver” and just how bad the dating scene is.
Here’s what we heard.
“The casting is initially very diverse compared to what Denver actually is,” Bez Demtew told us. “So I'm curious to see how the personalities translate the dating scene here.”
Emily Jasper, another watch party attendee, thought the show would mirror the dating scene well.
“(It’ll) probably (be) pretty accurate,” she said. “It seems like a lot of them don't end up together.”
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She was sitting with a group of friends — one of whom, Sabrina Roberts, was similarly excited for Denver’s delicious disasters.
“I can't wait to see how bad it is,” Roberts said.
The contestants on ‘Love is Blind’ are fed up with Denver dating
“Love is Blind” throws a couple dozen singles from the same city into 10 days of isolation. Men and women can talk with each other through a wall, but they can’t see each other in person until the end of the isolation period — if they get engaged.
Once there’s a ring and a yes, the couple meets face-to-face for the first time. Then, after a month of being together, they can choose to get legally married, or (naturally) leave their partner at the altar.
In their character bios, many cast members complained about the Denver dating scene.
Cast member Ali, a 29-year-old nurse, said she's met "a lot of boys who aren’t ready to grow up" in Denver.
Chayna, a 39-year-old marketing manager, said the dating scene here is lacking in men who "(put) in the effort and (are) consistent.”
And so are its viewers
The women at the bar told us the exact same thing.
“It's really hard being single in Denver because I feel like a lot of guys don't really know what they want, or it's hard to meet someone that actually wants to be in a relationship where they want kids,” Jasper said.
The local contestants on “Love is Blind” are older than in other reality shows. This season's participants range from 27-41 years old. The oldest cast member on the most recent season of “Love Island" was 30 years old, and the majority of “Bachelor” contestants are also in their 20s.
That means the local stars are especially affected by the “Menver” phenomenon. There are 43,394 men in Denver ages 30-34, according to Census data. It’s the city's largest demographic, and local men outnumber women from age 30 to 60. (The genders are close to balanced for younger adults, though.)
Party attendee Roberts, who’s 42, said she doesn’t see the participants’ relationships working out in the city, even with their more mature ages.
“It’s never going to work in Denver. There’s a lot of single people in Denver. It's a single life, and I think everyone is moving here and they're new and getting established,” Roberts said. “Everyone that I've met in Denver literally is like, ‘What brought you to Denver?’ They're like, ‘Oh, my ex.’ Every single person that I’ve met.”
Jasper, and everyone else we spoke to, said they plan to watch the season through.
“(I’m excited) to see if any of them end up together. It’ll be interesting to see what part of Denver they live at, and I think they go to local spots,” Jasper said. “I love all reality TV shows. It makes myself feel better about dating.”
The first six episodes of “Love is Blind” Denver dropped Oct. 1. Episodes 7-9 will come out next week on Oct. 8; episodes 10-11 will be released on Oct. 15; and the finale is Oct. 22. A reunion will also air at an yet-unknown date.
