As embarrassing as it may be, I am a proud fan of "The Bachelor" and am a dedicated viewer every Monday night. Yes, I know this show is not categorized as "quality T.V." And yes, I know more than half of the couples have broken up. Yet, in my opinion, watching "The Bachelor" is the best guilty pleasure you can have.
1. First of all, it's entertaining.
Every season, you get a new batch of crazies. Some girls are simply just "out there," like the infamous Ashley S. from Chris Soule's season. Some get too drunk to even function, like poor Ryan M. from Kaitlyn Bristowe's season. And some are just plain annoying, like Lace who we all met on the premiere of Ben Higgin's season. From watching the girls gossip, to seeing the men get in dramatic fights, no one can deny that this is some entertaining reality television.
2. In a weird way, it's super relatable.
No, we don't all have to date 25 people at a time. And no, we don't get to go on amazing dates around the world. But the awkwardness, the jealousy, the butterflies and the exciting feelings of falling in love are all things on this show that viewers can relate to. The majority of people on the show are not famous in any way, are not rich and are usually people that we see everyday, like the single mom, the hardworking nurse and the small town kindergarten teacher. If you take away the luxurious mansion and the incredible destinations, this show really is just a bunch of people hoping to find love. And it doesn't get more real than that.
3. There's an incredible bachelor or bachelorette that is genuinely looking for love.
In most cases, there's a super gorgeous and completely genuine man or woman searching for love and is hopeful their journey will end with an engagement. Viewers get to root for this person all season and watch as they experience both the ups and downs of relationships. And in most seasons, we inevitably fall in love with them ourselves (cough cough Ben Higgins).
4. Some awesome friendships are made that viewers get to see develop.
After every season, I always have at least 10 new Instagram accounts I begin following in order to keep up on the contestants' lives. Even though some do not find love, many of the women on the show form long-lasting friendships, which viewers get to watch develop. Even the men form "bromances" that are super cute and show how close all the contestants get to be on the show.
5. You get to watch good people get a real shot at love.
If you're a romantic like me, you love watching people fall in love. And what's so great about this show is that it gives people a real chance at doing this if they were having some trouble in the real world. From the single mom who has been hesitant to start dating again to the farmer who lives in the middle of nowhere, "The Bachelor" helps these people out by giving them the opportunity to meet people they probably would have never met otherwise and get to know each other through some incredible dates. Even though some of the couples have unfortunately broken up after the show ends, some have gone on to get married and have a family. And we all got to watch how their love story began.
