“The Bachelor” premiered Jan. 6, with every ounce of manufactured and cringe-worthy content I had hoped for.
Some people lambast the ABC series for falsely promising lasting relationships: only two couples have endured from the 18 seasons. Others suggest the women who watch the show are naive, carried away by the (clearly contrived) romance.
It is not, however, the promise of romance that draws in this female viewer. It is the comical seriousness of the contestants, the aloofness of the bachelor himself and the golden one-liners that spur many women to watch the show. Not to mention the suspense of the rose ceremony, where we find out which of the ridiculous women will be appearing in the following week’s episode, continuing their battle to win the heart of an equally ridiculous man.
Last week marked the beginning of “Juan-uary,” as fans are dubbing this month in honor of the new bachelor, ex-pro soccer player Juan Pablo Galavis. Juan Pablo is the suave and sensitive single father contestant from last year’s “Bachelorette.” He was so loved by fans of “The Bachelorette” that he was chosen to be the next bachelor. Juan Pablo is the perfect TV contestant. He is sweet and charming. He also is good-looking, played professional soccer and speaks just enough broken English to make the female contestants swoon. What more could women ask for?
It seems some of the 27 women came in with that exact attitude, convincing themselves that the chemistry between them and Juan Pablo was real. Sure, like their “real’ hair color or “real” professions. One woman’s occupational description was “free spirit” and another’s “dog lover.”
As the women emerge from limousines to introduce themselves to Juan Pablo, many bluntly tell him that they feel a connection and that they think a relationship could work between them.
The female viewers laugh. We can sense all the insecurity hidden beneath makeup and overly confident dialogue no doubt manufactured by the show’s producers. We do not watch “The Bachelor” because we believe there is real romance or chemistry. We never fully allow ourselves to buy into this sort of entertainment, as many men think we do. We watch it because it is entertaining television. It is funny at times, even when it is trying to be serious. And it plays out like a soap opera—and is almost as scripted—which makes it interesting to watch. There are beautiful people, broken hearts, tropical vacations and lots of drama.
The women who watch the show because they believe in the type of contrived, media-hyped romance it promotes are few, and they are as naive as the contestants who go on the show believing they will truly find love. Thankfully, those women are few, too.
And if you think all the women on this show are falling for the true love tagline, you are kidding yourself. The women on the show may want a husband, especially one who is attractive, famous and potentially wealthy. That being said, they are trying harder to beat the other women than to really win the love of the bachelor. They all want their 15 minutes of fame and eventually their own shows, which would grant the lucky woman 25 new bachelors, all good-looking and all desiring her. The women are ambitious more than they are in love.
Just look at Juan Pablo. He was a contestant on “The Bachelorette” and saw how difficult it was to win. He didn’t look at the female bachelorette and think, “Wow, I really loved her and now I am never going to find another like her.” He probably looked at her and thought: “Wow, she kicked me off the show without a second thought and has a slew of other men vying for her.” He didn’t want to be with the bachelorette; he wanted to be in her position. Now he is. But tell me: after being a contestant and seeing how little love has to do with the show, who would then choose to be the bachelor? Someone who wants fame, power and who is not seriously looking for a committed relationship.
With this in mind, we acknowledge that much of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” is contrived. So no: women who watch “The Bachelor” are not all soppy romantics who dream of a man we hardly know choosing us among 20-plus other women and granting us a beautiful rose. That is a nice fantasy, but most of us do not buy into it. Reality and life experience has shown us otherwise. We are not fools for watching “The Bachelor”; we are simply enjoying some cheap, artificial and comical entertainment. “The Bachelor” is a trainwreck of attractive people, and we cannot take our eyes off of it.
Meredith Berger is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. Her columns run Mondays.
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