Reasons Why Everyone On "The Ultimatum" Seems Totally Out Of Touch With Reality
Netflix's The Ultimatum was one of the most outrageous social experiments, and some things totally went against Gen Z stereotypes.
1.The timeline of the couples' relationships.
Coming from a Gen Z'er, the timelines of these couples may be appropriate for some relationships but goes against the ideal relationship for a Gen Z'er. The couples were dating for two years and sometimes shorter than that expecting a ring and a kid.
2.Was being tied down genuine or for real?
A scene that stands out to me is when Colby describes his relationship with Madlyn for us. He is the perfect college sweetheart and naturally ready to move on to the next step, though the pair only dated for under two years.
But Madlyn speaks for Gen Z when she says she wants to live her life and picking one person to spend the rest of her life with so soon was scary. Gen Z believes in testing the waters before settling down immediately. However, we see how they turned out. But when you know, you know! I just think they knew going on the reality show.
Data shows that Gen Z is spending more time getting to know themselves before settling down.
3.The reasoning for the ultimatums.
Some of the reasons are valid in my eyes. For instance, Lauren and Nate had a serious dilemma: children. Lauren says, "I believe in compromise in a relationship. I don't believe in sacrifice."
Throughout the series, we learn that Lauren was open to children; she just didn't want to be a single mom because of Nate's busy schedule. Being in a relationship and feeling alone was scary for her.
In my eyes, that's a deal breaker, and that relationship needed more than a reality show and a disingenuous proposal.
The other relationships were all about time. The person who initiated the ultimatum made it a shot clock, beat the buzzer before you're lonely and alone. Every single one of them believes they are ready to get married and have children, and it all must happen now!
4.The ages of the couples.
As my mom used to tell me, back in the day, everyone was getting married in their 20s. You had your life, and it was pretty much mapped out.
Time is shifting for generations, and specifically for Gen Z, we are selfish. We still don't know what we want in our life. While we figure it out, we figure out who to fit in after. That means money, career, and our self-worth first. Mental health is vital for this generation and feeling comfortable alone without needing someone else. The majority of the castmates lacked reality and needed to understand that it's OK if everything isn't happening now.
The real ages of the couples are in the air. Lauren says that Netflix changed her age to make her appear younger after posting on Instagram celebrating her 30th birthday.
Netflix responded by correcting the ages on the show:
Lauren Pounds, 29, and Nathan Ruggles, 30. Rae Williams, 24, and Zay Wilson, 25. Alexis Maloney, 25, and Hunter Parr, 28. April Marie, 23 — later turned 24 on the show, Jake Cunningham, 27. Shanique Imari, 24, and Randall Griffin, 26. Madlyn Ballatori, 24, and Colby Kissinger, 25.
5.The definition of a "perfect wife."
Shanique, Rae, and April's definitions of a perfect wife are totally outdated and hilarious. Maybe it's because it was the first episode, and everyone was nervous, but the meaning of the "perfect wife," according to these ladies, had us, Gen Z'ers, a little scared.
According to Rae, "Zay has the full package with me because I stay in the gym; I have a degree. I cook, I clean, and I know how to fuck."
And Shanique believes she is the perfect wife because she doesn't mind cooking, but she will not do the dishes. I repeat: She will not do dishes!
Finally, April doesn't need your money. She just needs your sperm so she can have a kid because she paid for her purse and her breast augmentation all by herself. At least she's honest.
6.The trial marriage.
Because a trial marriage will certainly tell if I want to leave engaged to someone I just met six weeks ago.
I was genuinely shocked when Jake decided to keep it moving with Rae versus who he came in with, April. April handled it like a pro and has moved on to someone that wakes up every day and tells her he wants to marry her and wants her to have his children.
Though the trial marriage helped some get clarity, it's hard to say that the trial marriage actually worked. April says that all the couples participating in the trial marriages secretly met with one another, except for her and Jake.
7.Making the experience too "real" for their significant other.
I mean, it's always a good idea to really stick it to someone by showing them how real you can be. The castmates took it literal to make the experience real for their significant other.
Colby's excuse for going out and hooking up with a random girl was to make the experience real for Madlyn, even though they were already in a trial marriage. And Shanique's decision to go second base with Zay makes the experience real for Randall. Though he was unaware, she knew of her realness in trying in the trial marriage.
It's hard to say that Gen Z'ers wouldn't be spiteful to prove a point, but the truth is these people weren't making the experience real for their significant other — they were making the experience real to them.
8.The red flags.
There were just so many red flags, and Gen Z'ers really don't stick around to find out the second one. Every relationship on The Ultimatum had distinct red flags that signaled to just about anyone to GET OUT!
First up, we have Zay and Rae, who we all knew wouldn't make it. Zay's anger was a huge turnoff, and Rae's inability to confess her true feelings to a man she loved was terrible.
Now, Shanique was my girl, but her lack of communication with someone that was totally chill, Randall, was a huge red flag. She shut down a lot when she didn't hear what she wanted to.
The most considerable gas-lighter of them all was Colby. At first, we really thought Madlyn was in the wrong. We only saw a man that was awfully in love with someone that seemed disinterested, and then we learned of this man's total disrespect and lack of accountability.
Finally, April ended up having the most character growth during the experience. She had a tough time listening to anyone and played a lot of scenarios in her head repeatedly, which was a bright red flag.
9.The total shift in the end of the show disregarding everything.
There are just some things that are hard to avoid, from cheating, lying, and physical abuse. Everyone left The Ultimatum with a great disregard for what happened those past weeks.
Something that was awfully breezed over was Rae and Zay's physical fight. She hit him in the face, and they got into a heated argument toward the end, with him being overly aggressive.
Another situation that was glossed over was whether Colby cheated and his lack of accountability. Everything seemed very rushed by the season finale and the draw-dropping proposal and wedding.
A lot of the relationships had moments that needed to be addressed. Gen Z'ers make it impossible to move on without communicating.
10.The end result: THE REUNION.
The REUNION had some big revelations like a pregnancy, a breakup, and a new hair color.
We learned a lot during the reunion, like Zay and Rae reuniting, Madlyn expecting, and Shanique and Randall's six-month break. But in the end, I question if the "ultimatum" even worked?
April is happy, and with an older man, it's like Jake never existed. Jake and Rae's relationship was short-lived when a trip never happened, and she actually reconciled briefly with Zay. It didn't last, though. Alexis and Hunter continue to plan their wedding, and Lauren and Nate are moving forward with conversations about babies. But ultimately, the couples that decided to stay together are still together.
Though the perfect life is objective, Gen Z'ers could agree that The Ultimatum broke down many of these relationships rather than helping them depending on the outcomes that any couple may have expected or thought they were getting out of the experience. So yes, The Ultimatum went against all Gen Z stereotypes and most likely many other generations'.
