As a single New Yorker, I know that sometimes landing a date can feel like an extreme sport. And yet, I have never gone to such extremes as turning on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, to gawk — as even the most devoted fans do — at singles sticking their necks out farther than we at home ever would, whether for love or 15 minutes of reality fame.However, when Logo announced the arrival of Finding Prince Charming, I knew I was going to watch. Simply because as absurd as the premise of ABC’s franchise may be, “The Gay Bachelor” (as headlines have deemed it) sounded downright insane to me — for all the obvious reasons that the OG Bachelor does and more. I rolled my eyes at the title and the hetero fantasy it implies (one that’s been damaging enough for women). The “Prince Charming” packaging likely seemed necessary for TV audiences to digest (and root for) gay relationships. As Vulture writes, the show is most notable for the era it represents, “when marriage is not just a possibility for queer people, but an obligation.” But, of course, part of the fun of being LGBTQ is living outside these boxes.Exhibit A: What’s to stop the men in the house from hooking up, falling in love, or maybe even living happily ever after with each other? Here’s where modeling the show off a franchise designed for heterosexual couples breaks down. On The Bachelor, there is only one man to 26 women; on Finding Prince Charming, there’s no scarcity of men. Obviously, not all gay men are sexually compatible, but as Dan Savage points out , producers could have come up with another “supply-and-demand imbalance that isn't about gender or genitals.” Say, one older man and a group of younger contestants exclusively attracted to older men, or another such combination.From its basic framework down to the attitudes expressed by the contestants, and especially by Prince Charming himself, what we have here is a “gay” dating show constrained by straight rules. Same-sex relationships are equal — but different — from straight ones, and watching this effort to make them fit the mold is cringe-worthy, but also results in the most interesting moments on the show, which is otherwise a cookie-cutter endeavor.