With the premiere of this season's "The Bachelorette" last Monday night, my social media timelines (and probably yours too) is about 90 percent JoJo related.
For those of you who aren't college aged girls (maybe guys?) "The Bachelorette" is a popular reality TV dating show in which one girl (the Bachelorette) is placed in a dating pool of approximately 25 men in hopes to find her future husband. At the end of premiere, the Bachelorette awards the men she believes she hit it off with that night with a rose, while the rest are sent home. The show continues in a similar manor, while the Bachelorette casually dates the 25 contestants until the show's finale, ending with what everyone hopes will be a dramatic TV worthy marriage proposal from one of the two finalists.The show's rules are adopted from it's counterpart, the Bachelor, in which the roles are reversed with one Bachelor and 25-30 women.
Last Monday I agreed to watch the show's season premiere with some of my closest friends. As funny as a lot of it was, I left feeling a teeny bit sick to my stomach at society's view of women, sex and dating. Why girls are obsessing about which guy is the hottest, why that man wore a kilt and why that drunk guy thought it was ok to poke people repeatedly in the belly button, I'm sitting here like:
In attempt to appease some of my Bachelor/Bachelorette crazed friends, I've had the undeserved honor of being able to watch a few episodes. My emotions usually alternate from laughing hysterically, yelling at the TV, or being genuinely disgusted at our society. I decided there's no better way to portray my feelings towards this show than with the help of Michael Scott and Co., so here are a few thoughts on why "The Bachelorette" and its avid viewers reflect problems with our society, as told by "The Office":
1. The contestants will do anything to get the attention of the Bachelorette.
Don't insist on kissing her before she even knows your name, don't wear a kilt, and save the Santa Costume for Halloween. Some say it's funny, I say it shows society's lie that dating means having to desperately seek attention from the opposite sex, using whatever means necessary.
2. Somehow it's OK to be emotionally and physically involved with more than one person at a time.
3. "I don't actually support what they're doing, it's just entertaining."
If I had a dollar for every time someone used this line to justify loving "The Bachelorette," I'd be living in Cabo. Here's a thought: watching religiously = supporting, and a lot of wrong things are entertaining; it definitely doesn't mean you should devote one night of your week to obsessing over it.
4. "Will you accept this rose?"
5. The majority of "The Bachelorette" relationships don't last.
A life together with no cameras, no expensive dates in foreign countries, and no competition might seem a little boring now. Maybe if they'd just chill with the drama and pursue each other intentionally (Whoops my Wheaton is showing), the relationship might actually mean something.
So next time you're tempted to watch "The Bachelorette" with your friends, just remember: it encourages a damaging view of dating, "entertainment" doesn't mean it's OK, and I guarantee there's at least 50 less obnoxious ways you could spend your time than obsessing over who will get a rose.
Go watch "The Office" or something.
