Sparks Camp: Igniting Love and Authenticity in the Queer Dating Reality Show
Tag Archives: Justin Macapallag
A Soulful Exchange with “Sparks Camper” Justin Macapallag
Dating shows are mostly messy or chaotic, with a flair for theatrics that borders on high end drama or notoriety. Whilst queer dating shows like “I Kissed a Boy”, “Dating Around” and the upcoming “The Ultimatum: Queer Love”, “I Kissed a Girl” have always been the usual norm; Asian BL industry had zealously kept away from this trend in the past. Gone are those days and now the Boy’s Love universe has joined the reality show bandwagon. Following into the footsteps of Korean dating shows like “His Man” & “Merry Queer”, Philippines has added flavor to this genre with their very own spicy sojourn. Titled “Sparks Camp”, the dating show is an impactful journey where the contestants go through a series of challenges, so they can find the “Mutual Spark”.
Continue reading A Soulful Exchange with “Sparks Camper” Justin Macapallag
“Sparks Camp” First Impressions (Ep.1 & 2)
While looks can be discerning, reality shows aren’t exactly the best judge of character; especially dating shows that could be farce or scripted. Reality shows have always existed in the broader sense and these days they are being inculcated into the Boys’ Love diaspora. Makes us question the belief of “How a fictional genre could incorporate a dating show which is undeniably being marketed as realistic?”. We could keep arguing about the technicalities, but it doesn’t change the fact that BL sells and nestling these shows under the hugely popular genre helps in promotions and marketing. So, when the Korean launched their very own version of dating shows like “His Man” and “Merry Queer”, they were applauded for their efforts. The format was new, and the contestants were intriguing. They had a story to share, each of them. While “His Man” was intentionally gay oriented, “Merry Queer” was blissfully more aligned with the queer community because of its diversified selection of contestants. Both shows ended on a positive response; although “His Man” did court controversy later. Hong Kong’s “Boyscation” wasn’t much appreciated, but it did open the floodgates for future remakes.
The BL Xpress 