The women of Married At First Sight season 16 seem to be curvier than the contestants have been in past seasons. While they are all beautiful, four out of five of the new brides do not fit the standard model body type. There has even been discussion among the cast members about how the women of MAFS Nashville look more realistic. Ironically, Jasmine Secrest, who is the slenderest bride, was paired with a partner who wishes she had more curves.
On reality shows, the general mantra is that thinner stars are more appealing. Although the show has cast women with larger body types in previous seasons, Married At First Sight season 16 is the first time almost all the female cast members are full-figured. Clint Webb, who experts matched with the curvaceous Gina Micheletti, has already received backlash from cast members regarding his comments about his preference for more slender, athletic women.
Did Married At First Sight Producers Cast Curvier Women On Purpose?
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It is no secret that Married At First Sight experts have been struggling with success rates for the couples they have been matching in recent years. Only one couple, Lindy Elloway and Miguel Santiago from MAFS season 15, have stayed together out of the fifteen pairs matched in the last three seasons. The MAFS experts have been accused of casting for drama and ratings, rather than trying to create sustainable marriages. It has also been suggested that, like with other relationship and dating shows, Married At First Sight’s casting consists of people who want to be influencers, rather than real people who are on the show for the right reasons.
On Reddit, a viewer responded to a thread started by u/mamoran57 about the bodies of the female cast members. They stated that in recent seasons, the show has become “more ‘produced’ and the participants ‘less real.’” The fan also mentioned that many of the contestants are treating the show as “dating or an opportunity for clout, instead of the serious, arranged marriage that it is.” It is certainly possible that MAFS producers decided to try to make better matches this season by casting women who are more representative of the actual population.
Married At First Sight Fans Are Divided About Casting Choices
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Married At First Sight expert Pastor Cal makes very intentional casting choices in conjunction with his cohort, Dr. Pepper Schwartz. Nicole Lilienthal, Kirsten Grimes, Domynique Kloss, and Gina Micheletti are dynamic choices on MAFS season 16, and also indisputably curvy women. No one would ever call any of them a string bean or a stick figure. The dispute between fans on social media is more about whether that is a bad thing or a good thing. On Reddit, one fan wrote, “I’d much rather see regular people than the entire cast looking like models.” In contrast, another Redditor commented, “Just being honest, a few of the women on this season are larger than most of the women that MAFS usually picks…not everyone wants a larger woman and I think everyone is entitled to have a preference.”
Clint from Married At First Sight season 16 is the only husband that seems to have an issue with his wife’s figure. He only brought it up after she disparaged him for being a “ginger,” so his comments may have been more of a defense mechanism than an actual opinion. The tides may be turning regarding what men find attractive, and Married At First Sight might be picking up on that trend, or may even be helping to propel it.
