Reality TV has long had a problem with a lack of diversity both on- and off- screen—and the path to making more inclusive shows has been paved with both triumphs and setbacks. Few shows embody these simultaneous highs and lows as fully as Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking, which premiered in 2020 amid a national reckoning with systemic racism. The series revolves around matchmaker Sima Taparia and the hopeful singles who come to her looking for a compatible life partner. The show’s debut season was met with mixed reviews; while some praised the mere fact of its representation of love within brown and South Asian communities as a positive step forward, others critiqued the show for its lack of cultural context and for reinforcing stereotypes about gender, class, and culture while failing to grapple with issues like colorism, race, and caste. —Cady Lang
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