ABC has this new show called [url=http://abc.go.com/primetime/lovetest/index.html]the ultimate love test[/url]. the latest in reality tv trash, this show invites four couples to test their love by separating them for three weeks while one goes off to a sunny resort in cabo san lucas while the other stays at home. the only contact the couples will have is email and video clips the show’s producers edit and display to them.

as an extra bonus, these four couples each already have existing issues which have led them to the show. they all are at a crossroad, deciding whether or not to take the next step in the relationship or to walk away and seek their true love.

amber and diego
amber wants to travel around the world and see the world and all of its sights. diego is more rooted in his hometown and wants to settle down. amber feels trapped in this town because of her love for diego. amber was sent off to cabo and introduced to roy, this handsome, travelled doctor who seemingly can give her the adventure she seeks. my guess after the first episode is that amber won’t fall for roy, but she will realize that the world is too small for her in vermont and she needs to go away on her adventures.

kenesha and brandon
these two are a cute couple. kenesha is ridiculously hot. the problem, however, is that kenesha has severe trust issues with brandon. apparently he has cheated on her, but they are still together. brandon has been sent off to cabo where a girl from his past is ready to greet him and flirt with him. i don’t know, this is a hard one because it seems that brandon is trying to be genuine about being faithful to kenesha, but i think ultimately he won’t be able to do so. and even if he was faithful to her in the show, can this test of three weeks really give kenesha the security that she is looking for? i think she is far too plagued with insecurity to really get over it. and i think brandon has too much of a wandering eye.

heather and frank
two musicians who have been dating for two years. frank originally stole heather away from her ex, CR, and now heather is sent away to cabo to be with her ex who is still in love with her and is ready for a commitment. frank is terified of commitment and any sense of responsibility it seems. he also still lives at home with his parents which the show paints as being quite negative. i don’t know…i know i could never live at home again, but are you a loser if you are a guy and you still live at home? i don’t know if that’s such a fair judgement. i think that frank just isn’t the guy who will step up as much as heather wants, so it’ll be a matter of whether or not whatever he does will be enough for her.

carolyn and jayre
man, this girl is so pushy and this guy is so whipped it’s crazy. i think he knows that he’s whipped too and he acts out and says things so it doesn’t seem like he’s so whipped, but i think that ultimately, he must like it. jayre’s fantasy is to date multiple women at once and he’s met with many women at cabo. carolyn is a jealous, needy, control freak who will probably break up with jayre after seeing his behavior.

so who do i think is going to win? i really want amber and diego to win. i think that this process might make diego a little bit more willing to travel a little bit and i think that amber will truly realize how deep her love for diego is.

this show is about as messed up as one can get, though. pitting couples against their worst relationship fears. i think the draw to the show is that i can relate to a lot of these couples and the problems that they’ve had.

for example, i’ve dated a girl who was just as controlling, manipulative, needy, and push as carolyn. i hated it and i feel the guy’s pain. i think he really needs to figure out what he wants in a girlfriend and if he really likes those qualities then he needs to suck it up and take it like a (whipped) man.

i’ve also dated a girl like Frank who can’t make up her mind about anything. it’s like she doesn’t have an opinion about anything and she idly sits by while the world passes her by. i can relate to heather’s frustration about him not being spontaneous and not wanting to do something fun.

and i’ve also dated a girl like amber who wanted to go travel, see the world, go out and have fun all the time. i was much like diego back then, very rooted in where i was, trying to be more grounded and realistic. i didn’t want to have that kind of an adventure. she desperately wanted to go out and have fun and experience new things all the time. these two are exteremes at either end of the spectrum and i remember when i was in such a situation as well. it’d be interesting to see if they can resolve their differences.

watching a show like this makes me realize some of the things that i’m looking for in a girlfriend.

i want someone who i feel passionately about. someone whose love i would profess on the rooftops for all to hear and whose love would be returned to me. i would do things for them motivated by my love for them, not just to go through the motions.

i want someone who has a sense of adventure, but isn’t driven to seek adventure so much so that they don’t want to settle roots. they should have a desire to experience life, go out and try some new things, but also have a place to come back to when the day’s events are done.

i want to be with someone who believes in an equal partnership in a relationship, not someone who believes that they are the boss and can just have their way or expect to be told to do whatever they say. they are someone that i want to share my life with, not live my life for me or live their life for them.

i want to be with someone whose kindness draws people to them. their warmth invites frienliness out in others. those are the gifted people who have that angelic glow about them.

man…i might as well want a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket.