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Few things are as popular as romance and reality television, and should one put them together, it gives birth to a very successful niche of entertainment. From “Love Island” to “Sexy Beasts”, romantic documentaries have captured the interest of modern audiences, creating a great appeal for reality television concerned with modern romance.
It then comes as no surprise that the brand-new series “Swiping America” is taking television by storm, as it promises to be the latest romantic documentary, or “Rom Doc” as some would call it, to join the expanding genre.
In short, “Swiping America” follows four New Yorkers on a journey of love as they navigate the use of a dating app to find romantic interests, and discuss their personal experiences with love, sex, connections, and relationships. The series seems intent on documenting the birth of dating app cultures that emerged in society but also promises to be an inclusive production willing to explore the diverse sexualities of “Swiping America”’s cast.
The show documents the journey as it begins in New York, and takes the four stars of the show across the US in search of love. Along their travels, which take them far abroad to locations that include Asheville, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; Miami, Florida; and even Honolulu, Hawaii, they meet potential romantic interests, while discussing the difficulties of dating in modern society.
What To Expect?
Unfortunately, there’s not much information available about the contents of the show, and details about production are scarcely available. It’s safe to say that the only way one might learn more about the show is by watching it on HBO’s Max network, which will premiere in June 2023.
As such, we can’t closely discuss the full premise and circumstances of “Swiping America”. However, we can introduce the stars of the show, the four New Yorkers considered lucky enough to partake in the documentary, and show perhaps how diverse HBO Max’s inclusivity stretches.
Ashleigh Warren
Ashleigh is a homosexual resident of New York, who is in her early thirties and works as a social media strategist for influencers and content creators. According to Ashleigh, she recently ended a relationship, and was very familiar with how difficult and frustrating modern dating can be, and so decided to answer the casting call for “Swiping America”.
As Warren admitted, when she met with the creative mind behind the documentary, she instantly knew she wanted to be part of the show, of course excited for the opportunity to travel, and perhaps find love.
Ashleigh’s short bio describes her love for travelling, though she prefers places rich in culture, such as museums, art galleries, and the like offer which greatly appeal to Warren, but she isn’t afraid to try new things. Warren’s favourite location to visit is Santa Fe, New Mexico. She loves anything related to Chris Stapleton and Beyonce, but also holds family life dear to her heart. As Ashleigh would say, nothing is more heartwarming than enjoying laughter with friends and family.
Ashleigh also stated that people can expect “Swiping America” to be quite diverse from other content in the rom-doc genre, as the show promises to tell the truth. According to her, the team behind production set out to create something fun people could actually relate to, and as in the leading cast, she intended to be nothing but honest.
Reagan Baker
Reagan is a 38-year-old beautician and author living in New York, who loves getting special attention for being blonde, nights out in an evening gown, and dining on good food. According to Baker, she was invited onto the show during the near end of New York’s lockdown, and much like Ashleigh, was very excited about the opportunity to travel.
Reagan’s bio describes her as someone not adverse to getting personal with strangers at a bar, though her true romantic interests remain a mystery. Regardless, Reagan joined the show open-mindedly, and will entertain the possibility of romance during their travels.
Reagan’s favourite place to visit is New Orleans, Louisiana, which Baker describes as a vibrant, lively place with good music and excellent food. She also appreciates the local landscape, as she can see the charming appeal of Louisiana’s swamps.
Talking about the show, Reagan describes it as an interesting concoction of people with many different opinions, hoping to share in the mutual experience presented as “Swiping America”. According to Baker, the cast represents diverse cultures of society, each contributing their unique insights into the discussion of modern, developing dating culture.
Kesun Lee
Kesun seems to be the quiet member of “Swiping America”’s cast, though despite her shy demeanour, nonetheless loves socialising and adventure. According to Kesun’s bio, she accepted going along with being cast because she needed a little adventure in her life, and because she hoped to find love.
Kesun is a 36-year-old real estate agent and resident of New York, and her hobbies include yoga, exploring the latest fashion trends, travelling, especially to museums, and spending time with family or a good book.
Lee’s favourite place to visit is New Orleans, as she says that it’s a hub of cultural beauty, and is unlike any place she’s ever visited before.
According to Kesun, viewers can look forward to seeing her in the show, as she will show off her many splendid outfits, but would also not be disappointed about how the friendships between the cast members develop.
Kris Kelkar
The last member, and only male in the “Swiping America” cast, is 30-year-old Krishnanand Kelkar, known simply as Kris, who works as a data scientist, and is also a resident of New York. Kris was previously in a homosexual relationship, but admits that things ended in a rough breakup.
According to Kris, his inspiration for appearing in ‘Swiping America’ happened because he wanted to rub salt in his ex-lover’s wounds. Apparently, the latter desperately wanted to appear on reality television, but Kris took the lead on him in what Kris calls cosmic irony.
Other than scheming petty revenge, Kris also indulges in photography, and loves anything related to art. He also plans to learn embroidering at some point.
The only insight Kris wanted to share about the romantic documentary was that viewers can look forward to seeing him try on a wedding dress at some point in the course of “Swiping America”.
Conclusion
If rom-docs are your cup of entertaining tea, then feel free to catch the latest episodes of the first season of “Swiping America”, and dive into the modern world of dating. Perhaps viewers can look forward to a second season, and considering the possibility that the series could attract a promising crowd, ‘Swiping America’ might become the next best thing in reality television.
