© The Sobrang Late Show’s Facebook Page
When one thinks of the perfect date, some may think of a candle lit dinner, a trip to a movie theatre, or perhaps a rendezvous to some far flung beachside resort. However, those tired B-movie cliches are a thing of the past.
With everyone cooped up at home this quarantine, the closest thing to a romantic encounter one can get is a heart react on your Facebook post — or at least that was the case before The Zoom Blind Dating Show came along!
Podcasters-turned-matchmakers The Sobrang Late Show (TSLS) took Facebook by storm with their post announcing this brand new series where they will pair up applicants on a virtual blind date.
“We are really hoping our pairs would end up together, and maybe [we can] become ninongs, ninangs or abays for their future wedding! The Zoom Blind Date can also become an avenue to get to know other people, especially during this time when we are safely in our homes due to the pandemic,” TSLS host Sarena “Inah” Gunio told PressOne.PH in an interview with their group.
With the video chatting app Zoom becoming all the rage at school and the workplace, TSLS saw it as the perfect platform to take dating online.
“I thought of this idea of having a Zoom blind date because I think it’s funny and crazy, but totally makes sense because we’re in a pandemic, so why not make it convenient for everyone,” host Kate Mariz Tamondong said.
The dates will happen in private Zoom breakout rooms, free from the prying eyes of the podcast’s viewers. Applicants brave enough to go on air, will have an on-stream interview with the hosts and their partner before being sent off to go on their private date.
“We’ll also make sure that there wouldn’t be any dead air or awkwardness in their live date as their faces will remain hidden in our show and we’ll just act like cupids for the couple. And they better get ready to get their kilig moments,” Kate said.
Intrepid romantics looking to join the blind dates will have to fill up a Google form, the link of which is on the TSLS Facebook page, where they will both describe themselves and their ideal date.
The hosts will then match up the profiles and set up a schedule for their blind date, with them assuring hopefuls that they will verify and do background checks on the applicants to ensure that there are no fake accounts and contestants under 18.
As of the moment, over 5000 people have applied to join the show.
“We will be pairing our chosen applicants based on their traits, interests, likes and their views in life; such as their age, music taste, hobbies and their personal types. All of which we are doing now with large jugs of coffee and energy drinks,” host Stephan “Poch” Lozano quips.
Poch assured applicants that all of the data they collect from the forms will be strictly used for the show and will be deleted after the first season of the series is over.
The month-long season is set to air its first episode on Saturday, with application forms closing on Thursday.
Applications for the second season will open sometime next month. Carlito P. Topacio