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Photography courtesy of Amy Paffrath
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Photography courtesy of VH1
Paffrath on location
There are a lot of butts on VH1’s Dating Naked. All the other private parts are there, too, jiggling around for viewers to ogle, but they’re digitally fuzzed out, which leaves us with butts. Contestants go on a series of blind dates where both parties are totally nude, then choose which guy or gal they’d like to pursue. Along the way, they may ride horses, shower together, kiss, or even bump uglies. They spend most of their time desperately trying—and failing—to keep their eyes directed above each other’s necks. Host Amy Paffrath, who’s from St. Louis, defends the show as deeper and more meaningful than, well, pornography.
Where do you film the show? We are in Panama, in a secluded area, with beautiful warm-water beaches and a climate conducive to romantic dates… We have privacy, and we’re not in the way of other guests. There were stretches of beach that were empty, so our daters could be naked.
Do you get used to all the nudity? The first episode was the most awkward. I was around six naked bodies and trying to pay attention to what I was supposed to be paying attention to. But eventually, all that exposure desensitizes you, and it becomes no big deal. It’s extra hot and humid in Panama, and it’s actually the better option to be naked—you just sweat through your clothes anyway.
I guess you might say that being naked on a first date immediately puts the participants in the mode of a fourth or fifth date. It allows people to get into deeper conversation. It’s more difficult to present yourself in a certain light and fake it… It’s a raw, vulnerable situation, and people bring up things that might not ordinarily be revealed until the fourth or fifth or sixth date. It’s really honest.
This seems to me like it would be harder for the guys. (No pun intended. Seriously, no pun intended.) It’s easier for a woman to tell when a man is turned on, and that happens part of the time on this show. It happened during naked yoga. Then there was the case of the bugs. There are bugs everywhere on the set. In one episode, a guy named Cole got bit on the testicles by an ant. It was absolutely hysterical but so painful.
I understand two of the Dating Naked contestants got married. Yes, that was a special that aired September18. Two of the contestants decided that they really found something, and they wanted to take it to the next level. They asked if we wanted to film it. It’s a new-age commitment ceremony. The bride, groom, and guests will all be naked.
That sounds like the nude Betazoid wedding of Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’m…not familiar with that.
You were a cheerleader when you went to Mizzou. It was just my freshman year, because at some point, I had to get a job and pay my expenses. Cheerleaders don’t get scholarships.
Do you ever get naked for the show? No, at my initial interview, I asked if I would be naked, and they said I’d be very covered. I work out six days a week, and I was ready for a bikini, but they weren’t interested.
It seems like naked TV shows are becoming a trend. The success of Naked and Afraid may have paved the way for this show. We’re a twist on a classic dating show formula—and it’s so crazy that it works.
Things really get intimate. There are connections made on the island. It’s very romantic, and they’re looking for love. Things get personal; there’s some making out and hooking up. We have an impressive track record—six of the couples are still dating!
But isn’t this just porn in disguise? Just because you’re naked doesn’t mean it’s sexual. It’s more awkward and funny than it is sexy… But let’s face it, it is a show where people are naked, so there’s a bit of voyeurism and sensationalism. But what a lot of people are saying is “You might have hooked me with the nudity, but now I’m following the contestants and their journeys.” Their stories and vulnerability and relationships come out when you get rid of clothing.
