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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Bachelorette - Love Connection?

I've decided to forgo my Wednesday Write It Out topic to talk about something serious- The Bachelorette.

Does this show (and I'm including The Bachelor here) do anything besides give us drama?  Sure, it's mixed in  with some love, but mostly, it's a huge soap opera-esque competition.

I have to say, I love it, but it hardly ever ends in a happy union.

Is it even realistic to go onto a show hoping to develop feelings for a person you've never met?  25 of those people hope to fall in love with the same guy or girl.  Can we really help who we're attracted to?  Only 2 girls that I remember have bowed out of the show because of a lack of feelings or other women want love more (vampire girl on Brad's season).  Are you telling me you can stick a person in front of another and say, "Fall for this guy" and it works?  Doesn't the competition aspect make a person want it more badly than he or she might otherwise?  And also, the fact that these dates happen in such exotic locations as Africa, the Carribean, and Spain helps set the mood a little; but unless you're super rich, your honey won't be taking you around the world to brew up some lovin'.

*Side note: I'm done with the rhetorical questions now!*

Getting back to the relationships that did last...yes, there was Ryan and Trista's million dollar pink wedding that aired on television. And Ali and Roberto are still together (who she probably wouldn't have ended up with if Frank hadn't returned to his ex-- she clearly had a thing for Frank).  But everyone else gets back to the real world and realizes they've been immersed in this fun world of traveling and competition that hardly reflects the setting of a real relationship.  Even now, Brad and Emily (the most recent pair) are having problems, and they continually grace the covers of tabloids. 

So why does America tune in season after season?

Simply put: Chris Harrison.  He's a master interviewer-- knows how to build suspense-- and his ties are quite entertaining (I crack myself up).  Okay, really.  It's the crazy stunts people pull, the drama that goes down.  In Brad's season, there was possessive-stalker Michelle (who turned out to be a totally different girl on the What Happened After The Bachelor show) who talked bad about people and gave herself a black eye while sleeping.  Justin from Alli's season went on the show as a Canadian wrestler.  The guys thought he was there to promote his career.  Not only did he have a girlfriend, but he hobbled around on crutches and the question is, which leg did he truly break (he can be seen with the left leg AND the right leg in a cast at separate times)?  Now there's this Bentley guy trying to get with Ashley, the newest Bachelorette, who said in an interview that aired on the first episode that he doesn't give a crap about her but he would if she was Emily.  What a quote.  That definitely hooked me from the first episode.  That, and...

the guy in the mask.  Take the mask off.  We want to know what you're hiding!


Any comments about the show in general?   

J.P., my favorite for Ashley.  Him and Ryan P.

1 comment:

CKinNC said...

Jenna - great blog post. I, too, am a fan (and should be ashamed for admitting this!). The one thing that drove me nuts on this first episode was Ashley's voice. Everytime she would say, "that is so cute!" (which was about 5,012 times) I would do that nervous twitch thing. Don't you think plots like Ashley and Bentley have to be at least a little bit planned before it airs?