Has Australia’s dumbest reality show made us all a bit smarter?

MAFS has wrapped for the year but the drama hasn’t come to an end yet … and you might have missed the biggest lesson this season.

Married At First Sight has wrapped for another season, and just like when you return from a dysfunctional family Christmas, it is a time to ask ourselves what we have learnt.

MAFS always manages to teach us the trends of the moment.

So, activewear, high-pony tails and strapless dresses are very much in. Basically, it’s time to start dressing like you wanted to dress when Supre was your favourite store.

We also learnt that a spray tan will make you look more orange than sun-kissed once you pair it with the unflattering lighting of television and conniving producers who will do nothing to save you.

If you think your hair extensions look natural – you are absolutely wrong. Ariana Grande and her international glam team can’t even make them look natural. What hope does your extension expert have that graduated from a rural TAFE?

MAFS taught us that strapless dresses are in. Picture: Supplied/Channel 9

We also learnt the hard way that it is impossible for a grown man to wear a tank top and not look like a yuppie version of Ryan Atwood from The O.C – sorry, Dan, but you look like Ryan if he wore R.M Williams boots and took gym selfies.

Plus, it became clear that declaring yourself as a “sexual person” automatically makes you seem very unsexy – sorry, Melissa.

It’s like when people call themselves intellectuals – it always makes them seem dumber.

We also learnt some much more important lessons.

Harrison’s behaviour shone a bright light on the epidemic that is gaslighting in relationships.

The man spent the whole season behaving poorly and then blaming Bronte for it.

Like when he revealed he’d be dating right up before the show started filming and then got mad at her for being annoyed at him about it.

Harrison was always annoyed with Bronte. Source: Nine

Bronte was driven mad by Harrison. Source: Nine

Suddenly, everyone’s office was buzzing with people sharing their own ‘Harrison’ dating stories – because they finally had the words they needed to explain the behaviour they’d be subjected to.

“Oh that guy I dated in 2019, that used to wear Birkenstocks to fancy events and said I was the reason he wasn’t making $100k a year, he was a gaslighter.”

We also learned plenty from Dan’s constant underhanded put-downs to his wife, Sandy.

He never said anything directly insulting to her, but instead just moaned she was on the lounge too much and should go to the gym more.

For Sandy it was a confusing situation to be in. For us watching it home it was easy to see that she deserved better and he was being cruel.

We’ve all been in that situation and wondered if we were just being too sensitive. But I think seeing Dan’s behaviour on our screens and seeing the toll it took on Sandy proved that, no, you weren’t too sensitive.

A partner shouldn’t ever make you feel bad about yourself, even if they are doing it politely or passively.

An implication is just as bad as a direct insult.

Dan enjoys the beach and also enjoys being passive aggressive to Sandy. Picture Glenn Hampson

Cam was never that interested in Lyndall. Picture: Supplied/Channel 9

Now, look, did we learn anything from Alyssa’s behaviour? We learnt that lightly bullying your partner isn’t a recipe for a love story, and you can’t demand one thing while doing the opposite.

Most importantly if your partner is playing tennis, he physically can’t stop and wave at you! So, maybe stop yelling at him about that.

I think Cam and Lyndall’s relationship just taught us that if a guy cares more about fishing then having sex with you – there’s really no point trying to make it work.

There’s plenty more fish in the sea. Get it?

I won’t pretend that MAFS doesn’t have its faults. The show itself is always a complete hot mess of people behaving badly, but I do think it brings crucial conversations into the mainstream and along the way you do actually learn stuff.

Like strapless dresses are in and men that tell you to go to the gym are out.

Originally published as Has Australia’s dumbest reality show made us all a bit smarter?