When I first heard the premise of Oxygen’s new reality series “Mr. Romance” – to put it short, a group of 12 hunky contestants, mentored by none other than Fabio, enter a romance academy hoping to win a shot at novel cover fame – I thought the show, which was created by Gene Simmons of all people, would be the cheesiest thing ever. Well, I did watch the show and it did turn out to be the cheesiest thing ever – but boy did I get some laughs!
The Wisdom of Fabio
What Motivates You?
Students at the Mr. Romance Academy
OxygenLater, when the guys gather for a meal, it is revealed that most of them are either strippers or working models. There’s a fisherman in the bunch who is annoyed that he is competing against pretty boys. Now I’m rooting for the fisherman.
School Is In Session
In Posing 101, the guys learn how to pull off the “Almost Kiss.” That’s the classic romance novel cover shot when the long-haired dude leans in to kiss the hot woman. During the lesson, the way-too-serious-about-her-job teacher flutters around the room yelling instructions like "Let’s see lust guys. Lust!"
The show continues with a modeling challenge – the contestants' first photo shoot. Unlike the other, ahem, real model shows on TV, there are no eliminations at the end of Mr. Romance episodes. But it is announced that near the end of the series, two men will be asked to leave the academy. And they will not be allowed to participate in the Man Pageant.
Oh, did I forget to fill you in on the Man Pageant? That’s the big event at the end of the series. The men will compete in front of an audience to win a Harlequin romance novel modeling contract, $50,000 in cash, and a lifetime gym membership. To prepare for pageant segments like the competitive Pose Down, the guys are expected to attend PE (Pageant Education, of course).
The Bottom Line
Fabio and The Boys Attend A Ball
OxygenSo, what’s the bottom line when it comes to Mr. Romance? If Oxygen intended to create a show that will make you laugh your butt off, they have succeeded. If they meant for us to take Mr. Romance seriously, what in the world were they thinking?
Either way, I have to admit that I'll probably be tuning in again.
New episodes of Mr. Romance air Mondays at 10 pm EST .
