After a four-year hiatus from our screens, Farmer Wants A Wife returned last night and Australia was introduced to five white, heterosexual men, on the hunt for love.
Because the year is 2020 and, quite frankly, Australia is not here for that shit, viewers were quick to criticise the shameful lack of cultural, racial and sexual diversity in the casting.
Some viewers likened the programming to an unpleasant throwback from days-gone-by:
White Farmer wants a white wife... I know this was a throwback to a early 2000s show, but you did not have to make a show that looks like it was made in 2000. The lack of diverse casting was horrendous. Worst in modern Australian TV history. I turned off 30 minutes in. #FarmerAU
While others suggested the producers be more forthright with what the farmers really want:
Zero diversity on #farmerwantsawife. Maybe should've called it Farmer Wants A White Wife. 🤷♀️ #farmerau
#FarmerAU Farmer Wants a White Wife 🤷🏻♂️
Other viewers questioned the innate sexism of bringing back the format as "wife-seeking" only:
Down side to watching footy are the commercials. 11 yr old just asked seeing ad for “Farmer wants a Wife” is there also “Farmer wants a Husband”? Good question...
As well as the blatant lack of queer representation:
I wanna be the farmer on Farmer Wants a Wife, queer Farmer Wants a Wife would be so good. I’ll volunteer to be first. #farmerwantsawife
Why has no one made Lesbian Farmer Wants a Wife?
In summary:
Channel 7's representation of regional NSW: - White - Straight - Male - Hats #FarmerWantsAWife #FarmerAU
Australia deserves to see a better representation of our incredibly diverse nation on television. So until that happens, we'll be sitting this season out.
