I'm going to say it: I'm a reality TV junkie. "Property Brothers," "Cupcake Wars," "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" (which is still dearly missed), "The Biggest Loser," "Shark Tank," and, my number one guilty pleasure, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." These all take up waaaaay more of my time than I'm usually willing to admit.
But I have to draw the line somewhere, and that line is drawn at "The Bachelor."
I'm generally all for people doing whatever makes them happy, but I've never been comfortable with the concept of this show. Here's why:
You can't manufacture sincerity... but that's exactly what the show attempts to do. How do you convince someone you're worthy of their eternal love in such a short period of time? Easy. You sell yourself as the full package, which every participant on the show repeatedly does. Thus, the show is full of sex appeal and people flashing their wonderful, deep, and, most of the time, quirky personalities.
It seems pretty clear that if someone who wants you in their life so badly is marketing their personality to you, the information about this person is not going to be completely genuine. That's not to say the contestants lie about who they are, but the process of the show is like a big game. And everyone is playing to win.
Furthermore, marriage and love should be about finding someone that's right for you, not trying to sabotage 24 other people so someone will want you. Yes, it's true that in the "real world," you'll occasionally have to convince someone to have an interest in you if you want to have a relationship with that person. But it's more likely that you'll have to establish a connection with that person, so the feelings of affection are mutual. I could be wrong, but I don't see too many examples where the journey to finding love is centered around competition.
Which brings me to my next point: the competition. Yes, it's also true that you'll have to compete from time to time if you want someone to spend time with you, instead of someone else. But the level of competition and intensity on "The Bachelor" creates an environment so toxic that eventually what used to be a minor sense of determination and pride for one's self, leads to full on hatred for the other people in the room.
If you're one of the thousands of people who loves "The Bachelor," please know that this is in no way a personal attack on you or your choice of entertainment. Like I said, I love filling my nights with pointless TV shows. But I sincerely hope with all of my heart that there are not any young people watching this show thinking that this is how the world works and that you have to claw your way to the top in order to be happy.
