As the 21st season of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" begins, one can't help but wonder how the franchise has made it this far. We all make the same jokes that everything on the show is staged, scripted, and ridiculous. While that all may be true, and very entertaining, there's more to the show than that. The point of the show is to help someone find the love of their life, a concept that we can all understand.
Every week we get to watch the Bachelor or Bachelorette go on dates and try to make lasting connections with people. We cheer when our favorites get chosen at the rose ceremonies and we speculate over who is really there for the right reasons, and who is being a jerk on national television. We have gotten so invested in the show because we want to see people falling in love and finding someone to spend their life with. While marriage may not be an immediate concern in our lives, at the end of the day we don't want to end up alone. This is why the show has survived, and why they are still able to find people who are willing to be contestants. We all want to find love, and watching other people find it on the show is the closest you are going to get from the comfort of your couch.
As a college student, it seems like believing in love is the most naive thing you can do. The fact that Tinder is alive and well is very telling of that. It's hard to keep believing that the love of your life is still out there when every guy you meet seems to be exactly the same. They don't want you as their girlfriend, they just want you tonight. That's why we need shows like "The Bachelor". Even if it's all fake, we need to be reminded that love is important and that someday we will all have a shot at it. I watch "The Bachelor" for the same reason I have an extensive wedding board on Pinterest. I want to get married someday, and doing these things gives me hope and keeps me entertained until I find the person I'm meant to be with.
I honestly believe that there's someone out there for everyone.
Yes sir, even you.
And sometimes it's just nice to be reminded that everyone is just as yearning for love as you are. Okay, maybe not to the same extent, but marriage still seems to matter to people. I could never personally handle being on "The Bachelor" because I would never recover from being dumped on national television. But that part is just as important for us to see, because none of this is easy.
But that's why I'm so excited for this season. After rooting for Jojo all last season, we get to see her get another shot at love. A real shot. So Bachelor Nation, I hope your brackets are ready, because the wait is nearly over. And if the thought of watching "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" sounds like a hard pass to you, you might want to reconsider because something tells me that this season is going to be pretty great.
Oh Bachelor Mondays, I've missed you so.
