Every week, millions of viewers take time out of their Monday nights to tune into ABC’s "The Bachelor." Not to discriminate against the male gender, but the viewership is heavily comprised of young women. It just is what it is. These girls are known for their flair in dramatics, with plenty of cattiness, gossiping and backstabbing galore, as well as their fair share of waterworks. (Think Kim Kardashian’s iconic ugly cry times ten).
I’m not going to lie; I’m a newly converted fan of this long-running show. But before I started watching this current ongoing season, I couldn’t understand the obsession. Far from promoting gender equality, women are pitted against each other, fighting for the love and affection of one man, The Bachelor. The show is beyond cheesy, but worse, it sends the message that women under thirty should be dedicating their time to chasing a man to marry and that women are basically 'crazy.' Suffice to say, this show is a regression in how far we've come in terms of gender roles and equality. So, here a few ideas on why we continue to watch "The Bachelor."
We Love The Escape Into Fake Reality
Sometimes, it's just nice to forget about the schoolwork, schedules, issues and overall craziness in our daily lives. We want to unwind and not have to think so hard. We simply want to be entertained, and "The Bachelor" does just that. It's nice to get distracted by the pretty dresses and elaborate dates as well as become invested in the lives of these girls, which allows you to escape forget about your own reality for a little while.
"The Bachelor's" Pretend Reality Illustrates How We See Love
Inviting twenty-five girls to compete for one man's love is not exactly a realistic representation of how dating works. Flying to all these different places, taking hot-air balloons, helicopter rides and swimming in The Bahamas sound and looks lovely, but isn't exactly the average date when we're just getting to know someone. Yet as progressive as we've collectively come, we still can't resist a good old fashioned, romance, the kind of fairy-tale where you're swept right off your feet. There are countless wedding-centered shows currently on television and it's clear we still live in an age where weddings are considered one of the most important, if not the most important, day of a woman's life.
It Gives Viewers An Outlet To Let Off Steam
Having a bad day? A bad week? School, work, or personal life troubles bubbling up inside of you? Have no fear. "The Bachelor" provides us with a safer way to express our frustrations. We can take a day or week's worth of negative emotions out on the ladies of this show or through our social media outlets. At least this way our loved ones won't be the unfortunate souls feeling the wrath of our anger.
It Makes Us Feel Better About Our Own Lives
When you're watching a girl threaten or back stab another, cry in the back of a limo, or claim to be a "chicken enthusiast," we're bound to feel better about ourselves. We think we would never act a certain way, or do something totally crazy for a guy, especially in the pursuit of a silly rose. We look at the craziness of each episode and dismiss it's absurdity because we like to believe we're better than that.
It Makes Love Appear Much Simpler Than It Actually Is
It's easy to get lost in the fairytale aspect of it. It looks so simple and sometimes we want love to be like that. But in reality, love is not a twelve-week process. You can't dictate how long it will take for you to fall in love with someone. And it's definitely not a competition to see who can "win." Even though it's kind of cool to imagine it could be that way. But, this cheesy, dramatic way of dating also makes us glad real-life dating isn't the same. After all, the idea of getting dumped and left on an island in The Bahamas doesn't sound like too much fun.
So why do I and so many others crawl back to watch more on "The Bachelor" each week? We are twenty-first-century women intrigued by the idea of a fairy-tale romance, but glad the reality of dating isn't how it's portrayed on the show. And sometimes we just want to be entertained.
