Telling people that you watch "The Bachelorette" is a lot like telling people you put sugar in your cereal (me), or listen to "5 Seconds of Summer" (also me). You’ll see shock, revulsion and a flicker of superiority. You see, "The Bachelorette" is bad television, and people who watch it are airheads, naturally. Well, I say that’s not fair at all. So here’s my defense.

First of all, there’s something refreshing about the format of "The Bachelorette." One woman, the bachelorette, starts with 30 of America’s most eligible bachelors (the ones who applied to be on the show, that is) and, through lavish dates and cocktail parties, gradually culls the pool of men each week until she finally chooses the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. It’s kind of great to watch all the contestants trying to prove to the bachelorette that they’re serious, committed, even ready for marriage, especially given the social norm that guys hate commitment and avoid it at all costs. It’s also great to see a woman given so much agency on a TV show. She’s the one asking the guys out on dates, with full authority to kick scumbags and f@ckboys to the curb. The bachelorette is dating and kissing dozens of guys, simultaneously, and instead of being slut-shamed, she’s given a stack of roses to hand out at the end of the week to the side-hoes she wants to keep around. Kinda revolutionary, right?

"The Bachelorette" also works because it pokes fun at all the weird norms and complexities of modern love. Our grandparents would certainly never understand the intricacies of romance today, from thirst trap selfies to Tinder nightmares and, of course, Netflix and chill. So the idea of one woman finding love through a glorified game show is suddenly not so strange. After all, this woman is attempting to secure her soulmate with no technology and absolutely no communication with friends and family. She’s got no way to Facebook-stalk these guys, or play the read receipts game, or cryptically subtweet the season’s villains. So when we see a dozen guys forced to wrestle each other in sumo suits or write fake eulogies for the bachelorette as part of a “date,” we can’t help but laugh. At least these guys get a rose at the end of the week to prove that they’re not just “hanging out.” Modern love is complicated and confusing. On "The Bachelorette," it’s simple.

And finally, the show is just fun. Amanda Seyfried called it a “wonderful study” in human interaction, and she’s right. Watching a couple dozen guys get loaded up on alcohol and testosterone and attempt to coexist in a California mansion (all while dating the same girl!) makes for pretty great television. You get to witness all the weirdness that ensues when you separate humans from friends, family and any sense of rationality, in pursuit of their “dream girl.” Such artificial circumstances, oddly enough, seem to bring out the true character of each contestant (and dare I say, humanity as a whole), and watching it all unfold is not only fascinating but pretty damn addicting.

That being said, just like "5 Seconds of Summer" songs are a bit cliché, and sugar in your cereal is a nutritional nightmare, "The Bachelorette" has its issues. Most importantly, the lack of racial diversity on the show is ridiculous and really outdated. Seriously, fix that, ABC. Does this show really need another insecure, ‘roided-up, misogynistic and weirdly confrontational white guy? Another Chad? Another Clint?? Beyond race, self-selection bias means that the show’s contestants all tend to be tragically underemployed, a bit self-centered and full of delusions of grandeur. They’re not always the sharpest guys around. But lives aren’t at stake on "The Bachelorette." These men with job titles like “Hipster” or “Santa” are, worst case scenario, going to return to their strange lives with a couple good stories to tell. As TV goes, it’s pretty harmless. So why all the hate?

It’s pretty small-minded to make judgements about people based on what TV they watch. Just because I’d rather veg out with an episode of "The Bachelorette" than suffer through an hour of "Downton Abbey" doesn’t make me any less intelligent. Girls are continuously criticized and mocked for the most insignificant things, like watching “trashy” TV or wearing too much makeup or posting bikini selfies on Instagram. Let’s take a page from "The Bachelorette" and let people be their weird selves.

You know where I’ll be, Monday nights at 8.