Up until last January, I was completely against the idea of The Bachelor/Bachelorette series. I didn't understand how someone could stand in front of 20+ people of the opposite sex, date all of them, and pick one that they want to be with for the rest of their lives in a matter of a couple months.
For the longest time, I avoided the show at all costs. I knew that if I sat down to watch it, I would get hooked on the drama that the show contains. Last January, that dreaded day took place. My sister and my mom were watching the Bachelor, and as I walked downstairs, my sister said, "You want to watch?" I sat down and ten minutes later I was hooked. Mostly, it was me laughing at the contestants and the stupidity of it, but still. It quickly became a thing that I watched weekly. Ever since then, I've been an avid watcher. I'm not proud of it, but it's entertaining.
After watching the show for a little while now, I believe it can be real. I understand that some people can fall in love in different ways, and I think this is one of them. Not everyone on the show is meant to find true love, but I think some of them can and have. I think it can happen, but I still don't think it should happen the way it does.
The show is completely unrealistic in so many ways. Here are five things that would make the television series more believable and authentic:
1. No kissing on first dates.
Such a crazy idea, right? Call me crazy, but I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world if a boy didn't kiss me on a first date. I think that says a lot about who he is and what his intentions are. It doesn't speak bad things about those who do kiss the other person on a first date, but in today's world it would make someone stand out to me if they didn't.
2. Eating the food that they are given on dates.
Maybe it's just me, but if there's food on a plate in front of me, I'm probably going to eat it. To my knowledge, it's 100% unrealistic for two people to be on a date with food in front of them and neither of them actually eat it. To me, I think the beauty of a person is within their natural self. People can be their natural self while just sitting and talking, but I think it shines through a little more when we see them eat. It sounds weird, and someone's natural self can shine through while doing various things besides eating. But while on this television show, dinner dates are where I think it would be cool to see this take place.
3. Wearing more sweats and t-shirts.
The men wear too many suits and the women wear too many dresses. I don't own enough dresses to wear one every day for two weeks, and normally you can catch me wearing running shorts and a t-shirt. I know that I am not the only girl in the world who prefers comfort over fashion, so it would be awesome to me if a girl showed up wearing sandals instead of heels.
4. Girls not wearing makeup.
I wear makeup maybe four out of seven days of the week. And I when I say I wear makeup, I mean that I wear mascara. Barely. So basically I never wear makeup. I know I'm not the only person in the world who wears minimal amounts of makeup either, because most of my friends and the girls I see on campus are the same way. The girls on The Bachelor appear on the show every episode with their full face painted on, which is so unrealistic. Who has the energy for that? It would be incredible to see a girl on the show stand out for being natural.
5. Not kissing 16 men or women in matter of three hours.
Earlier in each season, there are large amounts of contestants still on the show. During the cocktail parties, they have the option to sit down with the bachelor or bachelorette in that season and they all often end up making out with them. In my opinion, when there's that many people involved in the situation, their extent of touching each other shouldn't go past this example of Marshall and Lily, from "How I Met Your Mother", high-fiving.
