This is Why I Hate "The Bachelor"

Alright, the new season of The Bachelor has started, season 47 is it? And I, for some reason unbeknownst even to MYSELF, have made the decision to watch it all the way through. The main reason that I decided to do this started out of general curiosity. I watched one season last winter/spring with 2nd time Bachelor Brad Womack, and found myself annoyingly (emphasis on "annoyingly") drawn in. So much to the point that I remember crying along with Chantal when he broke her heart on the mountain top and chose Emily, everyone's favorite southern belle.

Brad and Emily 4 Ever!

So why have I decided to go back for more? Is it the large general gathering of charming personalities? Probably not. Perhaps the quirky, cute rivalries between each of the contestants? Definitely not. The 25 hot babes that parade around in evening gowns and bikinis? Wait, which blog am I writing again? Strike 3.

As a general rule, I can't stand reality television. The Real Housewives series bring me to a point of boiling anger, the Kardashians make me want to throw objects through windows, and oh, for crying out loud, if I ever have to sit through an entire episode of Jersey Shore, there's a 95% chance that I will start a fire. And everything that I can't stand about each of those shows is completely present in The Bachelor. I think the part about the show that I find most annoying is how formulaic it is. We all know that there is going to be 1 divorcee, 1 single mother, 2-4 sob stories just depending on what came out of the casting call, and of course 1 major source of tension within the first epsiode. In fact, I found it almost boring that Jenna got the last rose on the first episode, how could you NOT have seen it coming.

My fascination in this show is not really about what is going on in the show itself, but what a great study in 20-something single women. Most of the women on this show are within a few standard deviations of my age, they are all painfully single and hunting for "the man of their dreams" who ironically they choose to ignore has already proposed to another woman and been rejected on national television all within the last year. Yet they all claim to just looooooove him. Sure he's cute, in that Raphael Nadal minus capris kind of way. And ok, sure, kind of cool that he's a wine maker. But really, these women are all coveting an image that the media built up over an entire season. It's fascinating to me. If we were all going to follow dreams of marrying our tv crushes, then I would have eloped with JTT (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, for anyone who lived under a rock during the early 90s) before puberty even hit.

Who didn't have this photo taped onto their wall next to a pile of Beanie Babies? And he was always at the top of everyone's MASH list!

I just don't understand the institution of The Bachelor. I feel sad for these poor girls who get their hearts broken every show because their "true love" didn't love them back. I feel angry towards these mean catty girls who just perpetuate every sterortype of the quintessential mean girl. How? How can people just be that blatently rude?? It don't make no sense. And then I of course feel awkward for the one crazy girl who's just there to stir the pot and doesn't realize that the humor of the show is at her expense. And worst of all? I really really hate that despite all evidence to the contrary, I'm still going to watch it. I think there's also a little part of me that just wants to understand what everyone's Facebook posts are going to be about on Tuesday mornings- ya, you know who you are!

So I'm sure that my weekly studies in the average 20-something year old female behavior will spark some new and interesting posts. But in the mean time, Mickey and I have decided to jump on the Kacie B. bandwagon.

Will you please accept this rose and join me for my next blog?