When people think of earlier precursors to reality TV and bringing the public into the spotlight, one of the most notable programs that spring to mind is The Dating Game. Pairing up singles through a series of questions became a television staple, leading to entertaining interactions as bashful and outspoken singles flirted with each other live on air to amuse the masses. It was slightly sensational but mostly harmless fun for all those involved.
However, there is one appearance on the show that has left a stain on the 30-year running program, when a serial killer with a violent record and in the middle of the crimes for which he was to be convicted appeared on the show… and won.
The Following Article Discusses Sexual Assault, Murder, and Violence Towards Children
The Crimes of Rodney Alcala
Rodney Alcala ended up with the moniker “The Dating Game Killer.” His numerous trials are difficult to summarize, with three convictions being appealed until ultimately being convicted for five murders taking place from 1971 to 1979 (Robin Samsoe, 12; Jill Barcomb, 18; Georgia Wixted, 27; Charlotte Lamb, 32; Jill Parenteau, 21). Moreover, as is often the case with serial killers, it is speculated that the actual number of victims of Alcala could be as high as 130. Alcala’s criminal history also goes back to as early as 1968, when he attacked and sexually assaulted an 8-year-old girl named Tali Shapiro in Los Angeles, fleeing the city to evade police.
Rodney Alcala was known for the cruelty of his crimes, often strangling his victims till they passed out and waiting for them to resurrect before performing the act again. He often gained people’s trust through his photography and claims of making a living as a professional fashion photographer. Alcala would amass over 1,000 photographs of women, teenage girls, and boys, many in sexually explicit poses. This was the basis of the police believing that the murder and sexual assault victims of Alcala were much more significant. Rodney Alcala died of natural causes on July 24, 2021, at the age of 77, in a hospital near Corcoran State Prison in California.
How Rodney Alcala Appeared in, and Won, The Dating Game
With the intro from host Jim Lange calling Alcala “a successful photographer, who got his start when his father found him in the darkroom at the age of 13, fully developed,” the serial killer was introduced to millions of Americans on the hit dating show, The Dating Game. The bachelor displayed a peculiar charm as the show progressed, giving him an edge over fellow contestants. He answered such questions as “How would you describe yourself?” with “I’m called the banana, and I look really good. Peel me.” Throughout the show, his strange choice of words intrigued Cheryl Bradshaw, who picked Rodney as her date.
After meeting Alcala, Bradshaw expressed discomfort, stating that he gave off a “weird vibe” that caused her to feel faint. She added, “I started to feel ill. He was acting really creepy.” Trusting her intuition, Bradshaw ended up calling the date off after calling the TV’s producer and saying: “There’s weird vibes that are coming off of him. He’s very strange. I am not comfortable. Is that going to be a problem?” Little did Bradshaw know that Alcala was at the height of his killing spree at the time of his appearance and, a year later, would be arrested for his crimes.
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Bradshaw was not the only one who felt off-put by Alcala during his appearance, with the bachelor beside him, Jed Mills, calling him a “bizarre guy” with “strange answers.” In a subsequent interview, Mills added that there was “Something about him, I could not be near him.” There was also hesitation from the production team to feature the oddly behaved bachelor. Still, they decided to include him, despite executive producer Mike Metzger stating, “He had a mystique about him that I found uncomfortable.”
Of course, much of this came out after the news of Alcala’s murders became public, with much reflection from those involved leading to many of the quoted statements. This includes a more daunting statement from the previously mentioned Jed Mills, who had said in a YouTube interview for Inside Edition, “When I think about what he said ‘I always get the girl,’ he kills them, that’s what he’s talking about.” Ultimately, Alcala’s charm, honed by deceiving and manipulating people into trusting him enough to get close, was displayed in The Dating Game, with Cheryl Bradshaw falling for his words. Thankfully, the bachelorette trusted her gut and went against the show’s format, a choice which may have saved her life.
How the Vetting Process for Reality TV Has Changed Since Rodney Alcala’s Appearance on the Dating Game
How did this happen? Well, in the 1970s, it was much easier to stay anonymous when applying for these shows, and even with Alcala’s history of violent crime, there was no easy access to databases for people to check. This did not change when Alcala was arrested a year later. The vetting process for potential bachelors for The Dating Game was never really refined in the light of having a serial killer on the program with its 30 years and 24 seasons on the air.
The vetting process for any reality TV series stayed lax into the 2000s, with Rodney Alcala’s appearance seemingly attributed to a random happenstance that was out of the control of those producing the show. The lack of protection can be seen as late as 2009, with Ryan Jenkins’s appearance on Megan Wants a Millionaire being overshadowed by the murder of his Vegas-wed wife a month after being eliminated from the show. Megan Wants a Millionaire was pulled from the air and marked a much heavier vetting process for all reality TV shows in the USA going forward.
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Now, the vetting process to get on reality TV can take anywhere from four to twelve weeks, with extensive background checks, medicals, combing of social media, paperwork, interviews, and often the involvement of third parties whose sole purpose is to help pick suitable candidates. Now, scandals around reality TV contestants usually rest with their personas instead of horrific crimes committed.
The process will always have faults, with minor modern controversies, such as American drag performer Sherry Pie being edited out of Drag Race in 2020 after catfishing allegations came out after she appeared on the show (via NBC News). The system will never be perfect, but it has improved since Rodney Alcala’s chilling appearance on The Dating Game.
