Queer-Inclusive Comedy Web Series “Stupid Cupid” Tackles Modern Dating

Stupid Cupid is a diverse and queer-inclusive indie web series that tackles modern dating and addresses how going simple might be the best route.

I was provided free screeners of the first four episodes of Stupid Cupid for review. The opinions I have shared are my own. 

Dating is tough (I say as someone who has been on a lot of them. Spoiler alert. I have not). Anyway, I think we can all agree that meeting someone via dating apps isn’t for everyone. Not to mention how certain modern apps seem to promote casual hook-up culture and not offer a platform to people looking for something long-term.

Before you come at me, if casual hook-ups are your thing, go for it. I’m just saying it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s where the premise of Stupid Cupid comes in. Trying to serve those feeling left out, Alex and her friends create the titular dating app. However, things go wrong when a drunk Alex messes with the app and people start using it.

It falls on Alex and her team to identify the errors and how to fix them. This involves going on dates, with hilarious outcomes, to see what works and doesn’t when using the app. They also have to act fast because Alex is trying to decide if she wants to sell the app to another company for a big payout (they can use the cash). Of course, along the way, our main cast of characters also make discoveries about their love lives.  

The first season of Stupid Cupid consists of 7 episodes (each being 5-10 minutes long, for a total running time of 37 minutes). In my opinion, I think writers Yaroslav Altunin and Sarah Randall Hunt did an impressive job of setting the story and introducing us to the four main characters in a highly limited amount of time.

Alex (Hunt), Harper (Joanna Sotomura), Stevie (JJ Hawkins), and Reed (Wayne T. Carr) have their own little character arcs. I liked seeing them address certain issues in their lives and work on becoming better. Again, kudos to the writing team for giving each character a personality while also spending time on making their friendship (and professional connection) seem believable.

The acting is good across the board. You can tell the cast was having a lot of fun. From the PR material I got, the entire season was shot in 6 days. Applause!

I liked the main message. From what I could understand, it’s about stripping away the labels we’re so quick to apply when we want to meet someone. Going overboard with preferences can stop you from interacting with someone awesome. It doesn’t need to be romantic. You could end up finding a new friend.

Also, we all know how certain bigots use “preferences” on dating apps to try and excuse their racism and other highly-problematic behavior. Certain dating platforms need to reevaluate how they function.

All seven episodes of Stupid Cupid are available for you to watch right now on YouTube in the US. 

Go check it out. I’m all for supporting indie works that focus on enjoyable story-telling while highlighting diverse and queer people (in front of and behind the camera). Here’s to hoping we get a Stupid Cupid Season 2. It will be interesting to see this creative team try and handle dating during the current pandemic.

Feel free to share your thoughts with us.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

Twitter

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary