No matter how much people talk about the problems with it, "The Bachelor" has become a cultural phenomenon. With each rose, America falls more and more in love with the dating show. When it comes to the episode that aired early last week, here's one thing that everyone is talking about, but no one is actually discussing.
Colton Underwood, the eligible bachelor, jumped a fence.
The moment that fans were waiting for finally happened, but the context of that moment showcased behavior that needs to be addressed. After one of the final three women, Cassie, explained that she didn't feel that being with Colton at that moment was the right choice, Colton responded by hoisting giant red flags.
During the conversation, he gaslighted Cassie by making her feel ridiculous for not being ready to continue the relationship at that moment. He states, "You're overthinking everything." This minimizes her concerns and dismisses that she doesn't feel that the relationship is right. He then continues by saying, "I don't know where your doubts are coming from."
Colton totally ignored when she explained where her doubts were derived from, which she delved into in the previous conversation. She was concerned because her father didn't give his blessing to Colton. Interestingly, Colton knew about this but didn't tell Cassie until she directly asked him about it. He then continues by saying that there's no pressure. He follows this up by putting pressure on her to stay.
The moments leading up to the much-anticipated fence jump also contributes to the string of red flags. When Cassie leaves, Colton rushes to his room, which is where he displays his last appropriate reaction of the night. As he leaves the room, he begins to throw a temper tantrum. Colton proceeds to hit one of the cameras, knock a radio off of a ledge, then finally jump the fence.
The amount of red flags that Colton shows within this twenty-minute segment is completely ignored in the next episode. In the "Women Tell All" special, everyone treats this as a normal way to deal with someone that you love. In fact, they treat this reaction as romantic frustration playing out.
By treating this as the romantic ideal, "The Bachelor" is taking these red flags and idolizing them. With the popularity of the show, this creates a dangerous example of love for younger generations. Society needs to address the problem presented by Colton and explain to younger viewers that this isn't what they should look for in their own relationships. If this behavior continues to be romanticized, the final "final rose tonight" of the season may result in a relationship of manipulation and pain.
