Singles, Are You Ready? The Comedy Matchmaking Show Young Hot Sluts Returns to Brooklyn

In the age of apps, meeting someone in person—and building a sincere, mutual connection—is a rare, if not an impossible, pursuit. Accomplished in no small feat by a concoction of sexy, smart singles and hilarious live entertainment, the comedy matchmaking show Young Hot Sluts thrills viewers in a monthly showcase of the finest New York’s dating pool has to offer.

That finding love in the city is difficult comes as no surprise to anyone (horny) in the larger metropolitan area, but the innovation of this live, interactive dating show might be the cure. Created, produced, and hosted by Carly Ann Filbin—the singular talent and brilliant mind behind this seductive production—the night is filled with potential, as well as lots of laughter, some playful teasing, and plenty of rousing audience participation. 

Despite the dirty implications, a sense of togetherness sits front and center in Filbin’s scintillating, live performance series. She fosters an intimate feeling of “you had to be there,” thanks to the bond she forms with all those who are part of her event, especially the audience members.

By supplying prompts for the contestants to impress their round’s Main Slut—such as a twerk-off, or the correct answer to the perfect post-coital Postmates meal—her creative method for forging attraction is infectious. The comedy show’s outstanding success is rooted in Filbin’s ability to generate a palpable electricity through seductive humor and expert crowd work.

Filbin creates a space wherein everyone leaves feeling good about themselves, and maybe just a little bit turned on—which is exactly what she’s going for. She makes the environment one of welcome, play, and warmth, by stating at the top of the show a collective goal: to meet people. Laying the groundwork, she asks those in the audience to share who is looking for a kiss, a hook-up, or even love, in order to encourage people to put themselves out there. 

How Filbin curates this level of brazen coquetry is simple, really. If someone catches your eye, Filbin instructs at the beginning of each performance, go up to them and make a move. 

In advance of the contest’s upcoming performance on November 15th, held at littlefield in Brooklyn, I spoke with a few past participants from over the matchmaking game’s five-year run, and the consensus is clear that Young Hot Sluts will surely excite. “I’ve never seen any show like this,” says one former Main Slut (think, the Bachelor or Bachelorette), Leo Galletto, who describes it as hitting the right balance between raunchy and wholesome. 

Audiences, in particular, play as much a role as the contestants on stage, since the only way to judge a participant’s physicality is from the audience’s reactions. By design, both the Main Slut, as well as the contestants, sit behind a curtain, where the only people who can see what the hopeful singles look like are Filbin and the lively, vocal, discerning members of the audience. But—although looks don’t factor into the Main Slut’s final selection of whom they’ll go out with on a date—it’s wise to arrive looking your best, many past participants suggest, in order to present your most attractive, bold, and outgoing self to your romantic prospects.

Dress hot, but prepare nothing, shares one past contestant, Zack Signore, a sentiment which captures the spirit of the evening: to not only put yourself out there, but also to be willing to be vulnerable, honest, and real with your answers.

Filbin jokes with the audience or gently engages in some mild self-deprecating humor in order to afford those looking for love the time to respond meaningfully to her string of probings. She cultivates a diverse selection of eligible contenders, as the show’s three rounds range across sexual orientations—from gay, lesbian, and straight—and just how taken care of and disarmed everyone on stage feels speaks volumes to Filbin’s hosting capabilities. 

“Part of Carly’s gift is getting the audience on your side right away,” says another previous contestant, Elizabeth Weisel, of the comic’s masterful ability to lower the stakes of the competition by making room for people to show their true selves. 

Of his anticipation coming into the evening, past participant Luis Machuca captures the undercurrent of optimism brimming beneath the surface of this cheeky, yet endearingly earnest affair. 

“It’s just a show…but what if you meet someone?”