But I think Black men are church adjacent, even those that don’t go to church,” she said. I'm also aware that a lot of men like the Instagram look, but I also know there's people who like what I look like,” she adds.Ĭobb tells The Reckoning that her personal aesthetic hasn’t been the most challenging aspect of dating in Atlanta that led her to seek help from Primus-it was her career as a sex writer.
“I’m aware that I have a bald head, I'm dark skinned, I have glasses and I have full lips,” Cobb says. “I do not want people to mistake that for. That's what I was trying to go for and I did not articulate that well, “ she said. She didn't have the Eurocentric baddie look. It had nothing to do with her complexion at all. “My comment about her not fitting the typical Atlanta aesthetic was about the booties, the hair, and the lashes- that look that you typically think of when you think of women here,” Primus says. Primus tells The Reckoning that she is aware of how her comment about Cobb may be misconstrued. Primus’ description of Cobb as not fitting the “stereotypical Atlanta aesthetic” during their first meeting on-screen has the potential for endless tweets, think-pieces, and Primus’ first brush with being a television personality in a social media culture driven by 280 character hot-takes. I think it is amazing that some of that will be showcased.”Īshley Cobb, an Atlanta-based sex writer ( Gossip and Gasms) is one of Primus’ clients and is featured in the first episode. So I thought it was amazing that they reached out to say, hey, let's talk about how the gays find love in Atlanta. “There are only a handful of people who actually work with gay men in the United States for matchmaking. “They literally called me randomly and I thought it was a joke,” White said. But it’s not like, ‘oh she has a gay best friend.’ I don't want it to look like that because that's not what it is,” she adds.īoth matchmakers tell The Reckoning that their casting on the show happened after their work caught the attention of executives at Bravo. We just happen to be matchmakers and he just happens to be my friend. “When you see our chemistry on the show, it is magnetic. Primus says the two maintain a friendship that transcends the stereotypical friendship commonly seen between straight Black women and gay men on television. The owner of Middle Class Matchmaker, Primus, who identifies as straight and is the mother of two children, is an LGBTQ+ ally and is frequently seen on screen with White. They're paying a matchmaker to help them find love. “These people are serious and they're serious about finding love. “It does change the narrative of what people typically think about gay men,” Primus says.
“I want to show a different narrative of Black gay men who are successful, who are in healthy relationships, who raise children, who are committed, that has not been seen before,” White says, whose own life as a married man raising two children with his husband reflects the life many of his clients desire. White says he is hopeful that the inclusion of Black gay men on “Love Match Atlanta” will be a game-changer in terms of Black queer representation on television. Lamont White, owner of Better Way To Meet, an Atlanta-based gay matchmaking service, is a friend to the show and appears on several episodes during the first season along side Primus. In a city that has developed a reputation for simultaneously being an oasis of Black wealth and opportunity, and for some Black gay men, a consistent disappointment where quantity outweighs quality in terms of finding a potential partner, the dating experiences of both gay and straight singles in Atlanta provides more than enough source material for the one-hour show.
The cast includes professional matchmakers and business owners Ming Clark, Joseph Dixon, Kelli Fisher, Tana Gilmore, and Shae Primus.
On “Love Match Atlanta,” the new reality show debuting on Bravo on May 8, viewers are given a look into the professional and personal lives of a group of highly-sought after matchmakers as they use their charm and skill to compete for the hearts and dollars of Black Atlanta’s most eligible singles. While many singles are swiping left or right on dating apps to find their person, those who can afford to are turning to Atlanta’s elite matchmakers to find love.