"The Bachelor" franchise has received a lot of criticism since it first aired in 2002. How is it possible to date 25 men/women and be able to fall in love? How can they choose the person they want to spend forever with after only three months? How are they not bothered by the fact that they were “dating” other people at the same time? How is any normal person OK with this? Well, the answer is pretty simple, "The Bachelor" (and "The Bachelorette," obviously) create the illusion of love.
Let’s begin with the most obvious problem—it’s a show. It’s produced. Most of the contestants audition because 1. There’s a good chance it could lead to fame and 2. The paycheck. The contestants sent home on the first night get their five minutes of fame and they are never heard from again but the final eight are usually a little luckier. They may not get the final rose but they do get random promotional deals on Instagram and paid appearances at night clubs!
Once the cameras start rolling, we, the audience, don’t really know for sure how genuine the contestants are being. Although it doesn’t seem like it sometimes, the contestants are aware that they are going to be broadcasted on national television. Considering most have jobs and reputations to uphold back in the “real world,” it is in their best interest to show their best self. Who knows, they might even be the next Bachelor or Bachelorette. And if that doesn’t work out, there’s always "Bachelor in Paradise!" There are some contestants that are “here for the right reasons,” but is it really possible to fall in love under the circumstances?
The illusion of love is contingent with the dates. If I had a dollar every time I heard “____ is the perfect place to fall in love,” I’d be able to buy the "Bachelor Mansion." Does Lake Disappointment (yes, this is a real place) really sound like the perfect place to fall in love, Ashley #6? It most certainly may not be but the show’s producers will make it the date of a lifetime (or they’ll just force the contestants into saying so). Whether it’s a group date or a one-on-one, you can count on the dates being unique and completely unrealistic. How can you not notice the romance in the air when you’re in a horse and buggy with a hot guy en route to your very own ice castle? You’d have to be coldhearted not to find it romantic (exception: any of the dates with the infamous Juan Pablo). The producers make the dates as romantic and unrealistic as possible so there’s no other choice but to feel the butterflies. This is why most dates end up in the contestant receiving a rose.
In my opinion, it’s mostly psychological. I love to give the couples the benefit of the doubt but when 94 percent of them break up less than a year after the show’s finale airs, you can’t help but wonder what went wrong. When the cameras stop rolling and the dates and roses cease to exist, they’re left with reality. It’s just the two of them now. What next? Who’s going to uproot their life and move to be with their fiancé? How much do they really know about each other? How do they cope with the fact there was a 50 percent chance they weren’t “the one?” That sparkly, Neil Lane diamond ring begins to feel pretty heavy…
The purpose of "The Bachelor" franchise is to “find love.” Every Bachelor expects to propose at the end and every Bachelorette expects to be proposed to. The pressure is there, whether they admit it or not. It’s forced and it’s rushed. Is it possible to find "the one?" It’s not impossible but it’s not likely either. The producers lend a hand by creating this illusion of love. Sometimes it works, Sean and Catherine Lowe are an excellent example of that, but most of the time, it fails, especially for the Bachelors. The couples without the show are like fish out of water, they flop around for awhile but eventually, they just can’t go on anymore.
It’s great television, though.
