Latey: Looking for Love – how Ethiopia’s answer to The Bachelor sparked controversy

The boy meets the girl. The girl falls for the boy. The girl interferes with love rivals and boys -finally -declares her affection for her.

If you are a fan of reality TV date show, you may have seen some variations of this conspiracy -it is a well -organized storyline like Love Island, Love is Blind and the Bachelor.

But in Ethiopia, this romantic scenario stopped the agreement.

Content producer Bethel Getahun is a reality TV show that gives discussions on the date norms of Lought for Love-Conservative East African countries.

The premise of Latey reflects the premise of The Bachelor, a HIT US show mentioned above (actually Latey is a bachelor/virgin).

Ten women had to compete for the love of Messiah, a 38 -year -old Ethiopian American who grew up in Dallas.

Throughout the series, women fought in boxing, basketball and bizarre competitions.

It is a rare date program in a country where courtship is traditionally private.

Bethel at the age of 25, who won the breakthrough show, focused on the BBC’s African podcasts. Her victory for weeks in the finale, which recorded more than 620,000 views, still “feels like an honor.”

Of course, not everyone feels the same way.

“The concept of a date show is entirely [a] Ethiopian blogger Semere Kassaye says.

“Ethiopia’s date has always been a private problem, which attracted the attention of family and society when it was carefully nurtured and reached maturity.”

Semere, 41, also believes that the show is treated as an object to devalue the woman.

Some viewers expressed the same opinion. The opinion of Youtube wrote: “Ladies, you are not an object that can be picked up easily for people with money.”

Another person said, “There are many creativity in production, but what is the point if you oppose culture?”

Bethel agrees that the concept of a woman who competes openly for men collides with Ethiopian traditions, but the show is more than a central premise.

“The point of the show is to represent different kinds of women,” she says.

“If you have seen an episode, all women in that episode can see different struggles, backgrounds and other things that are actually represented or not in Ethiopia’s media.”

Perhaps later, it is successful in this regard. Women, including hotel managers, crews and accountants, quickly ties and share their personal stories with each other.

In one of the more heartbreaking scenes, actress Vivian said she fled to Ethiopia from her neighbor Eritrea. Empty military conscription for all competent citizens. It was also widely criticized for human rights violations.

Vivian traveled alone to Ethiopia and haven’t seen her mother for five years.

“I miss her too much,” she shed tears.

Elsewhere, Rahel, a model, explains that she dropped out of school to take multiple jobs and provide brothers and sisters, and other women are having an emotional conversation with sorrow and those who raise them.

By hindering the reality of this woman and their romantic desires, Latey has become “content of the times.”

D! Metasebia, co -founder of NKTV, said the show was “shook the boat,” but is far from Ethiopian culture.

“First -time -not over -torched,” she says.

“We are more innocent and start to know, but we leave it in the date stage.”

She also said to viewers the concept of culture, “What is our culture? Is we a single body?”

Adapting the universal real TV formula to Ethiopia is pleased with many people, and one fan mentioned:

The second viewer wrote:

D behind this success! NK TV is planning a second series.

This time, Metasebia says a woman can be a person who chooses her game in 10 male hopes.

“We are receiving a lot of feedback from the audience. People want to see the opposite role,” she explains.

What is Bethel and Messiah? Sadly, their love story was stopped.

“He is a long distance because he is in the United States with his son. So it’s really difficult … I don’t know where to go.”

But Bethel is still close to her fellow participants and she likes her “girl”.

She is proud to show that Latey has introduced “Ethiopian romantic side” and believe that this show will lead to a better expression of women in Ethiopian media.

“This is a new way to show women and how they express themselves,” she says.

“It’s a new way to see.”