I never obsess over reality TV shows. I especially never obsess over reality TV shows involving one gorgeous guy, a bunch of beautiful woman, extravagant dates, and loads of drama. Recently, I have become hooked on the television craze, The Bachelor. My obsession seemed to occur without me even noticing it and I have a feeling that many others can relate to me on this one. These are the stages of my obsession that document how I went from “what’s The Bachelor?” to “I can’t… I’m watching The Bachelor.”

1. It all begins with the chitchat. As the newest season is up and coming, the buzz begins to generate again about everybody’s favorite Monday night guilty pleasure. You don’t pay much attention to this yip yap seeming that it does not mean much to you since you have never even seen an episode before.
   
2. As the days dwindle down to the premiere, the chitchat turns to gossip and soon it seems that everybody you know is talking about this infamous show. You wonder what the big deal is and if the series truly deserves all of the rage it receives.
   
3. Social media platforms cultivate more and more talk of The Bachelor. By this point, you have considered checking it out a few times. However, you always seem to convince yourself out of the idea. You claim “it’s not my type of show” and “I would never watch something so fake.” After seeing the new bachelor’s name everywhere you decide to finally give him a search.
   
4. You type the words “Ben Higgins” into Google and instantly you are greeted by thousands of pictures of this mystery man. At first glance, he’s just another brown-eyed heartthrob. But as you scroll through picture after picture, each one seems to become hotter than the next. Soon, you find yourself on image 1,284 and at this point you believe that you may have a slight problem. However, it is far too late. The addiction has already begun.
   
5. Now, the chitchat is not just chitchat anymore. What once was meaningless babble has become valuable conversation in your day. You dream about Ben’s glistening eyes and his adorable, pristine white smile. You count down the days until you can turn on your television on Monday night and enjoy your first time ever watching "The Bachelor".
   
6. Finally, the day is here. The Bachelor is about to premiere and you could not be more excited. You cozy up in your PJs and find a comfortable spot in front of the TV. Ben’s face emerges on the screen and you are suddenly hypnotized. The girls each exit the limo and greet Ben in their unique and individualistic ways. You comment on the girl’s dresses, their lame jokes, and of course their strange (and some unrealistic) occupations. At this point, you are hooked.
   
7. With each week that passes by, your love for The Bachelor only intensifies. You become a Bachelor guru. You are the one starting the gossip with friends about the contestant’s dates. You become the go to girl whenever somebody wants to know who went home on this week’s episode. People are now aware of your obsession either from your constant conversations abut Ben or from your rants broadcasted on Twitter or Facebook during and after each episode.
   
8. Soon after, you begin to identify with girls on the show and pick out which ones are your favorites. You understand how the women feel when it comes to keeping themselves guarded with Ben, you never comprehend why Ben chooses to favor some girls over others, you grow envious whenever your favorite girl does not receive a one-on-one date, and you tear up whenever a favorite of yours is eliminated. You are completely emotionally invested and from this point on there is no turning back.
   
9. You are so familiar with the show now that you have the right to make fun of it while still loving it indefinitely. You question the girl’s crazy actions, mock the dramatic nature of the show, and even wonder why women would ever sign themselves up for this. However critical you may be, you and everybody around you knows exactly where to find you when Monday night rolls around- right in front of the TV screen.
   
10. Without realizing it, you have gone from someone who could care less about The Bachelor to The Bachelor’s number one fan. Between the weekly drama, the nail biting suspense, the luxurious dates, and of course, Ben’s dreamy looks, how could you not become obsessed. You totally forget about the times when you did not even know the show existed and focus yourself on being a devoted Bachelor fan. You are now completely addicted to Ben Higgins and his dramatic season on your new favorite television show, The Bachelor.