Pratik Handore
Amazon Prime’s ‘Somebody I Used to Know’ is a romantic comedy film directed by Dave Franco. Franco co-wrote the screenplay with his wife, Alison Brie, who stars in the lead role alongside Jay Ellis and Kiersey Clemons. After Ally returns to her hometown, she meets Sean, her ex-boyfriend, leading to a desire to rekindle their lost romance. In the film, Ally produces a reality show called ‘Dessert Island All Stars.’ Given the popularity of reality shows in the modern television landscape, viewers must be wondering if the show draws inspiration from actual reality shows. In that case, here is everything we know about ‘Dessert Island All Stars’ from ‘Somebody I Used to Know.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Dessert Island All Stars: A Fictional Reality Show Blend
In ‘Somebody I Used to Know,’ actress Alison Brie (‘Community‘) plays Ally, a Hollywood television producer from the small town of Leavenworth, Washington. Ally makes a name for herself by creating and show running her own reality competition that becomes one of the most popular television shows. In the film’s opening minutes, Ally is wrapping up filming on the show’s third season. However, the film does not dive deep into the reality show’s format, leaving viewers to fill in the blanks.
Ally’s show is titled ‘Dessert Island: All Stars,’ and it features an interesting format that combines cooking with dating. It is hinted that the show has a dating theme and explores the emotional relationships between its contestants. We also see Ally interviewing one of the contestants, who discusses his time on the show with Ally. The show’s title seems to be a reference to popular island-themed dating shows that have become popular in recent times. These include shows such as ‘Love Island USA,’ ‘Heartbreak Island‘ and ‘Too Hot to Handle.’
However, the show’s rules remain unclear, and the dating aspect only appears to be a small part of ‘Dessert Island: All Stars.’ Ally often points out in the film that her reality show is about food and cooking. Hence, it is likely that ‘Dessert Island: All Stars’ is a reference to baking or cooking reality shows that have amassed a massive fan following in recent years. Shows such as ‘Cupcake Wars,’ ‘Sugar Rush,’ and ‘Bake Wars’ are dessert-themed cooking reality shows that might have inspired the show.
‘Dessert Island: All Stars’ seems to be a blend of cooking and dating reality shows, giving it a unique format. The show is canceled by its parent network after the third season. It is stated that the show’s ratings have dipped after a successful first season, a trend commonly seen with reality shows. However, in the end, another network picks up the show and rebrands it as ‘The Dess-Hurt Locker.’ The rebranding highlights the constant gimmicks added to reality shows to keep them fresh and exciting for the viewers.
Ultimately, ‘Dessert Island: All Stars’ is a fictional show, and its format remains unclear for the most part. However, the show’s presence in the narrative allows the writers to poke fun at the reality television landscape. Hence, it is safe to say that the fictional show is meant to spoof popular dating and cooking-themed reality shows with dedicated fanbases and millions of viewers invested in them without an actual storyline, arc, or even a clear format.
Read More: Where Was Somebody I Used to Know Filmed?
