The gay reality dating show Finding Prince Charming premiered on LogoTV last night and the reviews are about what we expected. Most people hated it. Some people really hated it. And other people really, really hated it.
Kevin Fallon at The Daily Beast called the show a “disaster” and a “snooze,” and wonders “how do you put a dozen gay men in a house together and make it boring?” (He also had some choice words for “Prince Charming” himself, 33-year-old Robert Sepúlveda Jr., who he called the show’s “fatal flaw” due to his “sheer lack of charisma.”)
Related: Logo Execs Claim They Didn’t Know “Gay Bachelor” Was An Escort
Andy Swift at TVLand had a similar response, labeling last night’s episode “pretty uneventful” and criticizing almost all of the guys on the show for being devoid of any redeeming qualities: “Of the 15 men featured in Thursday’s premiere, including Robert and host Lance Bass, approximately four of them have personalities. They all do, however, have a portfolio of immaculately filtered gym/beach selfies.”
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Then there was Kevin O’Keeffe at Mic, who may have had the harshest review yet. He called the show “dull, poorly produced and not deserving of anyone’s time or energy” adding it’s “not worth even a hate-watch.” He called Sepúlveda “a dud of a leading man.” And he questioned if the show is really as “historic” or ground-breaking as producers would have you believe, pointing to the incident where one of the bachelors criticizes another for being too feminine and flamboyant. “This is where we are in 2016? A fight about not being ‘masc’ enough?” O’Keeffe asks.
Related: Bachelor On ‘Finding Prince Charming’ Shamed By Other Contestants For Flamboyance
There were also the folks on Twitter, who were slightly more forgiving, but not much. The show was actually briefly trending last night… in large part thanks to Britney Spears, who may or may not have been paid to tweet about it to her nearly 50 million followers. But that didn’t stop the onslaught of catty tweets and memes.
Check out what some folks had to say…
Watching #FindingPrinceCharming like (but no question I will watch every ep) pic.twitter.com/isLhMs8VEz
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 9, 2016
The best part of #FindingPrinceCharming was realizing it's the same house as Flavor of Love and Charm School.
— Fabian Rivera ™ (@lilboidancer) September 9, 2016
Was watching #FindingPrinceCharming but dropped out when the self-loathing gay on gay bashing started. #ick
— Alec Mapa (@AlecMapa) September 9, 2016
Watching #findingprincecharming and CRINGING
— Santa's Slay ? (@dnnymccrthy) September 9, 2016
Can we all go as the cast of #FindingPrinceCharming for Halloween please?
— Emerson Collins (@ActuallyEmerson) September 9, 2016
"Honestly, I'm here for love…" and lots of camera time…in no particular order. #FindingPrinceCharming @LogoTV @VH1
— Tom + Lorenzo® (@tomandlorenzo) September 9, 2016
And then there was this tweet from “Prince Charming” himself…
I'm so happy everyone loved #FindingPrinceCharming ! A lot of people worked very hard to make it happen! ?????????? thx you!
— Robert Sepúlveda Jr. (@RSJdesign) September 9, 2016
What did you think about last night’s premiere? Do you agree with the reviewers, or were they too harsh? Share your thoughts in the comments below…
Aromaeus
Of course
jdboston617
I’m shocked… LMAO. Good… bye.
I place all the blame on the producers/creators. The created the mess and frankly, mocked gay men world wide. Thanks!
Heywood Jablowme
“This is where we are in 2016? A fight about not being ‘masc’ enough?”
You mean like Queerty comments? LOL.
Seriously, thank you Queerty for being so obsessed with this show and reporting on it. So I’ll never need to watch it and I can just read occasionally about how awful it is. But someone please tell me who the advertisers are so I can maybe boycott them! (Let me guess… yogurt, yogurt, yogurt, and some pharmaceutical product for “bloating” whatever the fuck that is… and yogurt…)
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Put this at the door of those in charge of Mainstream Gay Culture inc. who peddle in lowest common denominator schlock, tired recycled stereotypes, and above all “shock value” in an Internet age where no fucker is shocked about anything anymore. Burn the whole fucking thing down.
Sukhrajah
@Heywood Jablowme:
Here, here! Thank you Queerty for having to suffer through the show – so that we, the public would not have to!
Josh447
Hey I loved it! No complaints. It’s relative and it’s time we had an emotional new reality show about love tween gay guys and that gay people actually have NATURAL inborn inlove feelings for the same sex. Some Str8s who are low zone bottom feeders don’t get this, not that they ever will. And I’m not about fitting in, could care less. But showing this side through this lens is a good thing. It helps lonely insecure guys out there by showing that love and vulnerability is possible, while they are shagging, oops, shaking in their church pews.
Will be watching the entire show and await seeing how they handle the fallout from the leads past. Yup this show deserves another round of popcorn. Bring it.
Jack Meoff
Wow is Robert S seriously only 33? And with all that work done too…….poor pet.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
They hate it because it’s gay. Period. It doesn’t matter if it’s wholesome or smutty, gay people (and straight people) do not want to see homosexuality of any kind on TV, movies, magazines or in real life. They do not want to see homosexuality
– at all. The only place that homosexuality is acceptable for gay men is on the homophobic gay for pay porn they addictively and obsessively jerk off to. Gay people and straight people live by this mantra: “homosexuals should never seen and never heard”.
Kieran
I never thought I’d say this, but Logo should have stuck with re-runs of Buffy the Vampire slayer last night.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
@Kieran: They should have. No gays. PLEASE!
NCSilverBear
Frankly, all these “bachelor/bachelorette” shows are snoozers. And those guys on the “straight” versions are probably more gay than the producers would like them to be! I can’t stand even the commercials. It’s all cheep, pretend-drama malarky for uninspired TV.
Jim
Everything that comes out of Robert’s mouth is a lie. He has really fooled all the newest people around him now.
cutterq
These types of shows are stupid and follow the great lyric–looking for love in all the wrong places. love and sex on the down low is exciting surprising — not full of Bullshit games.
AxelDC
Just from the Logo previews, I get a “Real Housewives” vibe. I hate the Real Housewives and its phony drama.
Why is it so hard to make a dating show about gay guys dating? Why the need for added drama to ruin the sincerity?
scottsingsbari
When has Logo last put on a quality show about anyone in the GLBTQ community? I tuned them out when I saw things trending towards all drag, A-list gays, QAF and Buffy. I mean really, the issue here is that Logo seems to have an agenda to promote the stereotypes of our disparate community without ever looking at anything of substance.
Kangol
@Jim: Something’s off with him. The show should be renamed “Princess Liar.”
He BGB
Not even worth a “hate watch”. It must be really awful. Is anyone surprised though that they’re boring, shallow guys with great filtered gym selfies?
tomk1of1
i can’t comment directly because I didn’t see the production. I erased it from the DVR before I could..why? I was going to watch,but couldn’t bring myself to actually watching.
Maybe this is too harsh,but after all the oppression that continues still today,I kept thinking,…””the best we can do is a copy of the bachelorette?”” Oh but it is only tv,right,well hating reality tv might have something to do with it in general,I admit…lol
And I’m a bit perplexed by this on both sides. I’m bothered at the need to copy(but producers and writers can’t seem to find anything new with anything artistic regarding media entertainment)…I’m bothered that reality tv has taken over everything. It is here because it is cheap and makes the producers enormous $$$… I’m bothered with the stereotypes especially on LOGO. There isn’t much room for anything on this channel for gay men and women that defines us. Reruns of Will and Grace and other sitcoms and drag. We are so much more. But those in a position to make $ off us aren’t even trying. Viacom owns LOGO … Check out who they are! Only 6 people own all of tv. SIX!!!! So we can’t really blame our community for the crap either.
A reality dating show,and pretty much a copy of the Str8’one which I didn’t watch either,this is what I’m told,is a sad portrait of who we are and how far we have come and what we are capable of. And it isn’t entertaining anyway. Let’s just face that. And a small,very small portion of the public make tons of $ for these producers of reality tv,which spends its time in gossip and making fun of people who desperately need to be the center attention.
So we copy and then feel good that we are allowed to be the same Well ,yes we are the same in truth,for the most part…we all want the same things,admittedly,but it was oppression that defined us,that afforded us with brillant artistic expression. Maybe we could try some of that.
Unfortunately it is all about money.
Am I too overdone about this? The younger reading this are thinking get over it. Well, true I might try bit,p too just get over it, but you don’t get over a lifetime of oppression and shouldn’t . We are better than a cheap copy of a str8 dating show,not that this is all there is,,but there is a paucity of stuff out there… Bareing all for others to laugh at and judge,this is reality tv. Yes we are good at that,.. Lol. But let’s demand more than a Saturday nite dowmtown for tv…who knows,maybe people will actually watch???
It wouldn’t be half as bad if this were part of a larger mix..but this is all I see. Throw in a bad reality show here and there with some real quality and it won’t stand out for much more than bad tv…. But when it is all there is??? Well it begins to define us.
And BTW.. RuPaul’s drag race is exempt. That was and is innovative and in a place of it’s own. It celebrates those who were brave enough to bring us all out … Without them there would have been no Stonewall. There will always be a special place for RuPaul and “her girls”. And up they define a lot more than just “us”. They define a courage and creativity that is beyond just a tv show. So,exempt, like I said..
Pete
I want to know what your guys’ problem is. He showed up, he matched his description, he performed the services requested, I would recommend him and hire him again, and he was extremely hot. What more can you ask for?
Steve
not sure why anyone is surprised at lack of excitement… not much different than the straight version — just let if be sorta fun!
I’m wondering why they keep calling this show “the first gay dating show” — I remember another one maybe 15 years ago (filmed in San Diego?), then another “is he gay or not” kinda show that got a lot of flack…. so this show does not seem like “1st time in history” to me…
Steve
@Steve: looked it up: “Boy Meets Boy” 2003 – Bravo
tomk1of1
@tomk1of1: why does this site not allow editing of text after posting like every other site??? Sorry for the typos…the way your post is diplayed while typing in the is small box you have to scroll makes it difficult…just saying…
adamnfool
Im going to shamelessly pimp my comic movie thing as an alternative to reality television’s mind dumbing drivel.
I’ll be the first to admit that this amateur.. but I guarantee you there are ways to tell interesting gay relevant fictional stories on a budget. All people have to do is be even just a tiny bit creative. Honestly though, reducing our love to a reality show might be the ultimate expression of our new equality unfortunately. 0_0
http://othervillecomic.com
tomk1of1
@Steve: agreed….do we really have to copy bad str8 tv in th 1st place. That is my initial gripe..
da90027
Most tv is garbage now these gay shows are even more pretentious and narcissistic as the straight ones Being good looking doesn’t make you a nice person or charismatic.
AJAnders
You get what you get with a reality show. Wannabe celebs who are pretty and have no other redeeming qualities. Not to mention all the fake stuff that is so obviously staged for dramatic effect, you can’t take anything they say seriously.
If you tune into this show and expect an actual competition, any realism or good people, you haven’t watched much TV in the last 15 years.
He BGB
Wouldn’t many of rent boys customers be unattractive men you’d have to “move the belly” as an ex escort once told me so I would think RS maybe can’t be too prima donna.
rtmartinez
I’ve never been a fan of these so called “finding love” reality shows to begin with as I find it hard to believe that you can find love in that short of time that the show is being filmed. Also, the entire cast is always people with perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect model bodies who have money etc etc etc. That’s just my opinion! But this show I wanted to give a try just because it was gay men and unfortunately I have to agree it was rather boring. I think the only exciting part was Sam getting defensive and then the other guy getting so catty but then again I rolled my eyes and thought “Oh good grief here we go….bitchfest!” I wholeheartedly believe that some of this stuff is staged for rating purposes…..people love drama as long as it’s on tv. No thanks!
zachrodz
I enjoyed it, for what it is. Reality show! Haters relax and go back to your vidster and pot hub accts!?
Josh447
From all your profoundly lovely comments, I can certainly guarantee you’ll all be tuning in for the next show with the follow up bbq. After all, it’s this season’s gay pinata. Can’t miss the wak fest.
silveroracle
It wasn’t shown in the UK.
Did I miss much?
Brian
Gay-identifying men don’t date. In fact, if it weren’t for the moderating influence of women, straight-identifying men would not date either.
The flaw in Finding Prince Charming is that it bases itself on the female-influenced model of male-female dating. Now, if they did a show set in a bath-house or truck-stop, it would be far more realistic.
Heywood Jablowme
@Brian: That’s the dumbest thing you’ve said yet. How do you know that, have you met all “gay-identifying men”? (Btw, I thought you weren’t one!)
Brian
Dating is not in male culture. Dating is something women do.
Men have impulsive, compulsive sex drives. Women do not.
Dating is a female thing.
SportGuy
The show is crap and deserves the crap ratings it got! Sadly it’s hard to find quality honest men in the community that want a real relationship and it definitely can’t be found in some stupid TV show that is filled with typical gay that are skanks and whores.
BGinBigD
Poor Miss Sepulveda! She’s delirious enough to think people actually liked the show. She’s probably thinks Lance Bass is also a star. Bless their hearts.
Xzamilio
@Brian: Well, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I like a little wining a dining before the fisting and trysting.
whitakerk861
“Well it looks like the road to heaven
But it feels like the road to hell
When I knew which side my bread was buttered
I took the knife as well
Posing for another picture
Everybody’s got to sell
But when you shake your ass
They notice fast
And some mistakes were built to last.”
Hussain-TheCanadian
@Xzamilio: (nods in agreement) Some chocolate wouldn’t hurt either.
@Brian: Queen whats wrong with you? One day woman are the spawn of Satan, “threatened by male sex drives and attraction”, and today they have a “moderating influence”???
Giuseppe
Another piece of mindless reality TV garbage that (shockingly…NOT) has zero intelligence, wit or class, just a bunch of lisping queens that are only as good as the speedo they wear. It’s all such a waste and make us gay men look EXACTLY like the rest of the world thinks we are: self-absorbed ladyboys. I blame the producers yes, but without the popularity of shit like The Bachelor/Bachelorette/Kartrashians…this wouldn’t be on in the first place. Scripted and fake.
surreal33
LOGO SUCKS ASS AND NOT IN GOOD WAY!!~
Kenover
What happened to Logo? They used to have a few good shows and aspirations to be the “serious” gay channel. It’s sad.
Keebler ILF
@Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: In case you didn’t know, Buffy The Vampire Slayer has lesbian characters.
I watched the premier of Prince Charming, right after watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race for the first time (THOSE were ALL-STARS?).
Robert was kind of boring. But I’m assuming he’s just holding back for the first couple of episodes.
I expect more from a guy who has done the kind of things he has done in the past.
I’m really just waiting for the kissing to start.
Not sure I like the reward of a neck tie at the end of the episode when he chooses which guys he wants to stay.
@tomk1of1: Queerty wants us to jump through hoops just to have an avatar show up under our names.
I found that out after searching long and hard for the perfect sexy elf pic. Oh well.
Brian
Is Logo more of a homophobic channel than a homosexual-friendly channel? Think about it.
Sluggo2007
I found myself dozing off. I turned it off after 20 minutes.
JessPH
I have never been a fan of these dating shows like The Bachelor, Bachelorette, etc. I mean, why would I spend 10-13 hours of my life watching a guy or girl fall in love with someone and have a relationship when they ALL ended up separated anyway. What a waste of all those precious hours.
skoooozle
It’s queer eye for the hooker
AnnMargretFan
The concept of the show is great – it could work, but the choice of the bachelor ruined it. Boring, no charisma, no charm, and with so much plastic surgery – sad. His media-fed reputation as a Rent boy, prostitute, porn star, whatever you want to call him, caused much more initial interest in the program. And I enjoy Lance Bass, but disappointed in the casting. Next…
Mykaels
“This is where we are in 2016? A fight about not being ‘masc’ enough?” O’Keeffe asks.
Um, where we are in 2016 is commenting on a reality dating show. When you start with brainless vapid crap, complaining about “quality” is kind of silly.
Bryguyf69
@Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: What are you talking about, not only are Kevin O’Keefe, Kevin Fallon and Andy Swift openly gay but their articles often advocate for gay visibility. Your criticism is so off-base and far from reality that I can omly assume you were joking.
Bryguyf69
I dislike all “reality” shows but really really detest the dating genre. You really have to wonder about how serious one is about finding true love if one thinks that melodramatic manipulation is the route to go. In other words, I had no plans to watch this show, despite being a gay media archivist. But the reviews have been so bad, I just HAVE to give it a peek now. Unfortunately Kevin Fallon wrote that while it’s bad — it’s not bad enough to be good.
jerry62
Let me preface with I am a 63 year old gay white male, retired and loving it, have all my life grown around and eventually lived and worked in Manhatten, so I’ve seen some really outrageous “crap” in my life, this program and the producers must really think we as gay men don’t give a shit about any kind of content other then pecs and biceps and gorgeous morons at play. I have never seen a room full of alabaster chicklet teeth, hi-lighted hair and total bullshit like this one before. If it wasn’t so completely banal, and totally vapid I would have turned it off 10 or 15 minutes, but I actually had to see just how
bad it was going to get, and it didn’t disappoint, I will never watch this garbage, not even for the guys and their pecs and teeth. What the hell happened to Logo? Golden Girls non-stop, 3’s Company? I don’t get it. I do know this though, after all that we have been through, attaining acceptance, marriage, parenting if Logo is going to put this kind of entertaining (fun to look at) slop on, they owe it to US to put on some programming of quality, not repeats and shlock. They must remember
always, WE CAN TURN THEM OFF.
jerry62
@Mykaels: So painfully true, vapid is really polite.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@jerry62: Logo is first and foremost for fraus, the type that watch anything Andy Cohen related and “Housewives of..” and it’s clones. Logo is not *for* gay men — who are the objectified other, the entertainment, minstrels — If they appear at all. Where are the Logo big budget crime dramas, glossy dramas, superhero shows with gay male leads? Logo has an agenda — but it’s not ours. Fuck Logo. We need a gay HBO.
Kangol
@Sluggo2007: I actually watched it again. It wasn’t as bad as it seemed the first time. He canned the white chatty Kathy, the whiteguy who looked like Pee Wee Herman’s father, and the very sad and closed off but gorgeous black guy from Atlanta. The first one seemed a bit delusional, and I still don’t get why the third one didn’t just walk out after realizing that he and Sepúlveda went to the same gym and that there hadn’t been any sparks in the past. There are several negative Nellies in the mix, but the flamboyant young queen Robby seems like he’s tons of fun. He should get his own show.
Bryguyf69
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID wrote: “Fuck Logo. We need a gay HBO.”
====
Does HereTV count? I’m not a subscriber, so I’m not sure. It’s a paid subscription channel, like HBO.
http://www.heretv.com/
robho3
@Brian: maybe gay men don’t date YOU but there do date…. What planet do you live on?
DCguy
It committed the Cardinal sin. It was kinda boring.
But maybe I’m the wrong person to ask because I thing the Bachelor is stupid and boring.
This show same, a bunch of wannabee actors pretending to be on a show for “True Love” And the slow motion reveal when the lead took off his shirt was some of the most unintentionally hilarious TV this month. Compare the “AMAZED” expressions on the other guys faces with the “amazed” expressions on those shows where people get their houses remodeled and then walk in at the end. LOL the exact same scripted amazement. Mouth open a little, eyes wide slow smile.. ……Atacand SCENE!
san39730
Not to hate on Robert Sepúlveda Jr. but it is clear they only chose him for his looks and not his personality. Did anyone actually interview this guy? Talk to him? Asked whether or not he could carry a show? Or were they just dazzled by his abs?
brodiejacobs
This truly is everything I loathe about gay men on proud display to the world *shudder*. Did they really have to set this in LA? That’s probably what killed this project before it began.
not a clone
I was willing to give the show a shot.. however the “prince” is boring, they could have used a cardboard cut out and moved him from scene to scene and i would not have know the difference. hopefully he can display some emotion (real) and open up like it is required from the suitors. In the real world it would be a free for all in the house and contestants would be allowed to match with each other.
azani64
I actually liked the show enough to watch the first episode a second time and to record the entire series. The haters seem to be way queenier and bitchier than anyone on the show. When a group of gay men get together, s**t will go down and it ain’t always gonna be pretty. #loveislove #FCKH8 and #peace #out, #yall !!!
Dixie Rect
33? maybe 10 years ago…….