The Ultimate Merger With Toccara-Sass, Bravado and Steve Harvey Suits!

Okay, I wasn’t going to watch The Ultimate Merger on TV One with Toccara. Why you ask? Because one, I think dating shows are stupid. I think dating is stupid in its traditional sense. It’s weird to me. I’m a one man woman and can’t really get into sharing supposedly quality time with several different men all at the same time. And I’m definitely not into feeling as if I'm competing for a man’s attention. But I guess that’s just me. But with that said, this show is a country-fied train wreck! There’s too many “f’s” where “th’s” should be, and one too many Steve Harvey suits! And do we really expect Toccara to end up with one of these guys “til death do us part”? I know, I know, it’s just entertainment. So entertain me, don’t make me cringe with the unnecessary black male bravado and… floor grinding?

I do appreciate the diversity of the men who were selected. I don’t see that on the other Bachelor and Bachelorette shows, and they have been criticized for that. But throwing in some white men and an Asian man does feel a bit token-ish. And it doesn’t help for Toccara (in her very sharp, twang-y voice) to go on about how she’s never dated a white guy. Is it that big a deal? (Especially since black men have noooo problem being candid about dating white women.)

And speaking of big deals, Toccara starts out by requesting that none of the men reveal their astrological signs. If you have to tell someone NOT to tell you their sign, doesn’t that mean you are putting waaay to much emphasis on that? And of course some guy wound up telling her that he was also a Pisces. And she took that as disrespect. Disrespect? Really?

One of the various issues with shows of this type is that when a woman does it, it can come across a little, how shall we say?-hoe-ish. Now I would hope the producers of the show and Toccara herself would be mindful of this, but in the first episode she gives a guy a private burlesque show in lingerie. Would a woman, excuse me, a lady do this on a first date with a man in real life? I don’t think so. And speaking of being a lady can we not curse in public?

Toccara gets very upset, yeah ghetto when one of the contestants said he was star struck by Elise Neal’s appearance, telling him she’s “The biggest MF’in star up in here!” Really Toccara? I bet if I walked outside my house right now and asked any random stranger if they’ve heard of you, I’d get a “no”. And in relation to being a lady, can we see some real gentlemen?

Let’s leave the sunglasses, which serve as a substitution for substance, the machismo that serves as a mask for insecurity, and the obligatory braggadocios ways that serve as a caricature of the black man at the door.

It’s only the first episode so who knows what else is in store. Maybe we will see the softer side of some of these men; the vulnerability and the inner strength. Maybe we will hear some of the men talk about what a real relationship entails; friendship, integrity, trust…. And maybe we will see the more refined side of Toccara. Cause as much as she criticizes some of the men for being too “Hollywood” or trying too hard, she is playing the game right along with them, giving them her best impression of a super model, femme fatale; though cannon balling into the pool and getting her weave wet was a very cute “keep it real” move!

The sad thing about this show is that it does emulate the often times superficial world of dating which doesn’t become authentic until you strip away all the layers of pretense, ego, glamor, gloss and game playing. And as in real life dating, it would be refreshing to see these characters on The Ultimate Merger let down their guard if only a little to reveal their true, and potentially more interesting selves.

Are you watching The Ultimate Merger? If so what do you think? If not, why?