What is an outsider‘s perspective on the Minneapolis season of ‘Love is Blind’? We asked a UK journalist
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Now that the Minneapolis season of “Love is Blind” has come to a close, everyone fan has their own take. Some have dubbed it “Love is Bland.” The Wall Street Journal's headline read, “The Problem With Hosting ‘Love Is Blind’ in Minnesota: Everything.”
Many Minnesotans believe the lack of drama had to do with our own culture. We wanted to get an outside perspective, so a journalist who covers reality television and pop culture from the U.K. joined the show. Kieran Galpin writes for the outlet The Tab. He joined Minnesota Now to talk about the reaction to Minneapolis across the pond.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: All right, so now that the Love is Blind Minneapolis season has officially come to a close, everyone has their take. Some have dubbed it "Love is Bland"-- ouch-- for Minnesota. The Wall Street Journal's headline was, quote, "The problem with hosting Love is Blind in Minnesota? Everything." [CHUCKLES]
Many Minnesotans believe the lack of drama had to do with our own culture in the state, but we wanted to get an outside perspective. So we're talking to a journalist from the United Kingdom. Kieran Galpin writes for the UK-based outlet The Tab and has been covering this season of Love is Blind. Thank you so much for being on with us, Kieran.
KIERAN GALPIN: No, thank you for having me on.
NINA MOINI: No, we so appreciate it. I find this so fun. We've all been chuckling all morning thinking about this. So your job is to cover Love is Blind-- which is cool and fun in and of itself.
KIERAN GALPIN: Yes.
NINA MOINI: What was your reaction to learning that the season was in Minneapolis? Had you heard of Minneapolis?
KIERAN GALPIN: So yeah, I obviously had some kind of working knowledge of Minneapolis and Minnesota on a wider scale. But will I claim that it was one of the US cities that I knew most about? Definitely not. It was definitely one that I think I've kind of heard about it in passing before. Like, obviously, I know Prince was born in Minneapolis.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, yeah.
KIERAN GALPIN: And you guys have a giant park system and outdoor space system. But besides those little details, I didn't know an awful lot about the city.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. So your article for The Tab said, since Love is Blind makes it sound like a village, how big actually is Minneapolis? So you were not aware that it was a pretty big city, because I think people here do talk about it like it's one big small town.
So to set the scene, though, for people, Love is Blind-- which I did not watch this season-- but they meet in a soundstage. They can't see each other, and then they agree to be in love. And then they go to visit their hometown of Minneapolis. There were shots of it in the show and everything. So when you actually started learning about Minneapolis, what did you think?
KIERAN GALPIN: At first, I thought it was-- we got a few aerial shots of the city as the show started. But to be honest, I was left with more, kind of like, this mysterious, what is Minneapolis, more than anything? Because the first six episodes were completely in the pod, so we didn't actually get a look at the actual city itself until episode eight, I believe.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And two of the people there, I understand, went to the same high school, so it was giving kind of a small town impression. [LAUGHS] What is--
KIERAN GALPIN: Exactly and literally--
NINA MOINI: Go ahead.
KIERAN GALPIN: Sorry, carry on.
NINA MOINI: No, no. Go ahead.
KIERAN GALPIN: Literally, everyone talks about kind of, oh, you know Minneapolis, and like, Minneapolis this. And I'm like, I don't know. Can someone explain to me please? Because the people on the cast did make it sound like it was this tiny five-block village with, like, 10,000 people in, and everyone knew each other. But that's not the case.
NINA MOINI: What surprised you about-- anything specific that surprised you about Minneapolis?
KIERAN GALPIN: Just how kind of gargantuan the city was itself, kind of like skyscrapers and stuff like that. Because I sound so naive, but it wasn't until those later episodes where it was showing us these aerial shots of the city, that I realized it is actually pretty big. It's almost like a mini New York City.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, it's got, what, upwards of 400,000 people. It's pretty big.
KIERAN GALPIN: Exactly.
NINA MOINI: It's the biggest city we've got here in the state. And so a lot of people, too-- this is hurting some feelings, but also causing some chuckles around the state. But people kept saying how boring this season was. I guess there wasn't a lot of drama. What were your thoughts on that?
KIERAN GALPIN: So it was definitely more, let's say, subdued than other seasons. Yes, there were boring parts, and overall, it was maybe less drama-full than other seasons. But do I think it was, as they joked, like, Love is Bland? No, I don't believe that. I think there were there were moments and specific people that-- they brought that drama and they brought that fire. And so I think it's almost, Minneapolis has almost been a bit misjudged. [CHUCKLES]
NINA MOINI: It often is. Any city, people have so many different takes on it. But I understand, earlier, when you were talking to our producer, you were like, they seemed kind of passive aggressive-- [CHUCKLES] which you did not know was actually what some people refer to as "Minnesota nice," just, like, a lack of being super confrontational and sometimes really upfront. What was your take like? What were you thinking as you were watching their interactions?
KIERAN GALPIN: Yeah, so obviously, everywhere across the globe has their own reality TV shows, and all the humor and the way we address things is very different. And I think watching Love is Blind, Season 8, I was shocked by how they almost seemed to dodge around the issue quite a bit. I think when I spoke to a producer earlier, I mentioned Virginia throughout much of the season was giving mm-hmm's and yes, but she wasn't actually dropping that tea, which she did in the reunion finally.
But yeah, so I thought it was almost a little bit shady, a bit passive aggressive to begin with. Because I think in the UK, we're a little bit more blunt, almost rude to a point sometimes. So I think that there was that stark difference between the two cultures that was quite clear.
NINA MOINI: So what's going on on Love is Blind UK? Is it like throwing drinks? Like--
[LAUGHTER]
--how rowdy is it over there?
KIERAN GALPIN: I mean, it's happened. It's definitely happened. I think, in general, that US-British divide in terms of culture is quite clear on reality TV, just because I think where people are being their authentic, real selves, those quirks, and personality traits really do come out. But I think Love is Blind in the UK specifically, I think, is more kind of fiery, feisty, [CHUCKLES] fighting. But that isn't to say that Love is Blind Season 8 didn't have those moments because there were definitely outright confrontations.
NINA MOINI: For sure. So at the end of the day, your job is to write about reality TV. Tell me a little bit about your role and what you do for The Tab.
KIERAN GALPIN: Yeah, so to be honest, I can cover everything--
NINA MOINI: Cool.
KIERAN GALPIN: --like reality TV, basically anything that's trending, whatever people are talking about on social media, whatever's in the news for extended periods of time, things like that. So it's not always just reality TV. But I admit that at the moment, most of it is reality TV because there's a lot going on.
NINA MOINI: There is a lot going on. I wonder, after all is said and done, if you would ever give it a try, visiting Minneapolis? Or is it kind of moving up on your list of US cities that you're curious about?
KIERAN GALPIN: Well, now that I know that it's not like three streets and one Starbucks, it's definitely moving up on the list. It looks like an, honestly, beautiful city. And I would love to visit the Mississippi River and places like that. So yeah, I'd definitely say it's on the list.
NINA MOINI: Well, Kieran, you have a standing invitation from Minnesota Now that if you ever come to visit, we'd be happy to take you around and show you around and not really share our true feelings.
[LAUGHTER]
KIERAN GALPIN: Yeah, I'll have to pick them up through your subtle eye glances and smirks.
NINA MOINI: Exactly. Kieran, thank you very much for joining us. We really appreciate your time.
KIERAN GALPIN: Absolutely. No problem. Thank you for having me on.
NINA MOINI: Take care. Kieran Galpin is a journalist for the UK-based outlet The Tab. Listen up to this. We got you really covered on Love is Blind. MPR News is hosting a Love is Blind event featuring three of the season's cast members. It is at capacity, but tomorrow, you can see the highlights and be part of the conversation by following MPR News on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok.
Many Minnesotans believe the lack of drama had to do with our own culture in the state, but we wanted to get an outside perspective. So we're talking to a journalist from the United Kingdom. Kieran Galpin writes for the UK-based outlet The Tab and has been covering this season of Love is Blind. Thank you so much for being on with us, Kieran.
KIERAN GALPIN: No, thank you for having me on.
NINA MOINI: No, we so appreciate it. I find this so fun. We've all been chuckling all morning thinking about this. So your job is to cover Love is Blind-- which is cool and fun in and of itself.
KIERAN GALPIN: Yes.
NINA MOINI: What was your reaction to learning that the season was in Minneapolis? Had you heard of Minneapolis?
KIERAN GALPIN: So yeah, I obviously had some kind of working knowledge of Minneapolis and Minnesota on a wider scale. But will I claim that it was one of the US cities that I knew most about? Definitely not. It was definitely one that I think I've kind of heard about it in passing before. Like, obviously, I know Prince was born in Minneapolis.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, yeah.
KIERAN GALPIN: And you guys have a giant park system and outdoor space system. But besides those little details, I didn't know an awful lot about the city.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. So your article for The Tab said, since Love is Blind makes it sound like a village, how big actually is Minneapolis? So you were not aware that it was a pretty big city, because I think people here do talk about it like it's one big small town.
So to set the scene, though, for people, Love is Blind-- which I did not watch this season-- but they meet in a soundstage. They can't see each other, and then they agree to be in love. And then they go to visit their hometown of Minneapolis. There were shots of it in the show and everything. So when you actually started learning about Minneapolis, what did you think?
KIERAN GALPIN: At first, I thought it was-- we got a few aerial shots of the city as the show started. But to be honest, I was left with more, kind of like, this mysterious, what is Minneapolis, more than anything? Because the first six episodes were completely in the pod, so we didn't actually get a look at the actual city itself until episode eight, I believe.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And two of the people there, I understand, went to the same high school, so it was giving kind of a small town impression. [LAUGHS] What is--
KIERAN GALPIN: Exactly and literally--
NINA MOINI: Go ahead.
KIERAN GALPIN: Sorry, carry on.
NINA MOINI: No, no. Go ahead.
KIERAN GALPIN: Literally, everyone talks about kind of, oh, you know Minneapolis, and like, Minneapolis this. And I'm like, I don't know. Can someone explain to me please? Because the people on the cast did make it sound like it was this tiny five-block village with, like, 10,000 people in, and everyone knew each other. But that's not the case.
NINA MOINI: What surprised you about-- anything specific that surprised you about Minneapolis?
KIERAN GALPIN: Just how kind of gargantuan the city was itself, kind of like skyscrapers and stuff like that. Because I sound so naive, but it wasn't until those later episodes where it was showing us these aerial shots of the city, that I realized it is actually pretty big. It's almost like a mini New York City.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, it's got, what, upwards of 400,000 people. It's pretty big.
KIERAN GALPIN: Exactly.
NINA MOINI: It's the biggest city we've got here in the state. And so a lot of people, too-- this is hurting some feelings, but also causing some chuckles around the state. But people kept saying how boring this season was. I guess there wasn't a lot of drama. What were your thoughts on that?
KIERAN GALPIN: So it was definitely more, let's say, subdued than other seasons. Yes, there were boring parts, and overall, it was maybe less drama-full than other seasons. But do I think it was, as they joked, like, Love is Bland? No, I don't believe that. I think there were there were moments and specific people that-- they brought that drama and they brought that fire. And so I think it's almost, Minneapolis has almost been a bit misjudged. [CHUCKLES]
NINA MOINI: It often is. Any city, people have so many different takes on it. But I understand, earlier, when you were talking to our producer, you were like, they seemed kind of passive aggressive-- [CHUCKLES] which you did not know was actually what some people refer to as "Minnesota nice," just, like, a lack of being super confrontational and sometimes really upfront. What was your take like? What were you thinking as you were watching their interactions?
KIERAN GALPIN: Yeah, so obviously, everywhere across the globe has their own reality TV shows, and all the humor and the way we address things is very different. And I think watching Love is Blind, Season 8, I was shocked by how they almost seemed to dodge around the issue quite a bit. I think when I spoke to a producer earlier, I mentioned Virginia throughout much of the season was giving mm-hmm's and yes, but she wasn't actually dropping that tea, which she did in the reunion finally.
But yeah, so I thought it was almost a little bit shady, a bit passive aggressive to begin with. Because I think in the UK, we're a little bit more blunt, almost rude to a point sometimes. So I think that there was that stark difference between the two cultures that was quite clear.
NINA MOINI: So what's going on on Love is Blind UK? Is it like throwing drinks? Like--
[LAUGHTER]
--how rowdy is it over there?
KIERAN GALPIN: I mean, it's happened. It's definitely happened. I think, in general, that US-British divide in terms of culture is quite clear on reality TV, just because I think where people are being their authentic, real selves, those quirks, and personality traits really do come out. But I think Love is Blind in the UK specifically, I think, is more kind of fiery, feisty, [CHUCKLES] fighting. But that isn't to say that Love is Blind Season 8 didn't have those moments because there were definitely outright confrontations.
NINA MOINI: For sure. So at the end of the day, your job is to write about reality TV. Tell me a little bit about your role and what you do for The Tab.
KIERAN GALPIN: Yeah, so to be honest, I can cover everything--
NINA MOINI: Cool.
KIERAN GALPIN: --like reality TV, basically anything that's trending, whatever people are talking about on social media, whatever's in the news for extended periods of time, things like that. So it's not always just reality TV. But I admit that at the moment, most of it is reality TV because there's a lot going on.
NINA MOINI: There is a lot going on. I wonder, after all is said and done, if you would ever give it a try, visiting Minneapolis? Or is it kind of moving up on your list of US cities that you're curious about?
KIERAN GALPIN: Well, now that I know that it's not like three streets and one Starbucks, it's definitely moving up on the list. It looks like an, honestly, beautiful city. And I would love to visit the Mississippi River and places like that. So yeah, I'd definitely say it's on the list.
NINA MOINI: Well, Kieran, you have a standing invitation from Minnesota Now that if you ever come to visit, we'd be happy to take you around and show you around and not really share our true feelings.
[LAUGHTER]
KIERAN GALPIN: Yeah, I'll have to pick them up through your subtle eye glances and smirks.
NINA MOINI: Exactly. Kieran, thank you very much for joining us. We really appreciate your time.
KIERAN GALPIN: Absolutely. No problem. Thank you for having me on.
NINA MOINI: Take care. Kieran Galpin is a journalist for the UK-based outlet The Tab. Listen up to this. We got you really covered on Love is Blind. MPR News is hosting a Love is Blind event featuring three of the season's cast members. It is at capacity, but tomorrow, you can see the highlights and be part of the conversation by following MPR News on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok.
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