My heart skips a beat when I see an advert for The Bachelor. You’ve got women in stunning dresses, men in gorgeous suits and of course, Andrew G (Osher will never catch on, it’ll always be Andrew G!). But as this season’s Bachelorette draws to a close, with the finale this week, I can’t help but reflect on my love/hate relationship with the TV show.
So I feel like I don’t have to go into too much detail as to why I love this show. It’s dramatic, it’s easy watching, it’s funny, awkward and entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, I’m completely aware that it’s created by producers, it’s not natural and it’s all for entertainment purposes, but sometimes my moral brain kicks in and asks ‘why are you watching this shit?’ So here comes the hateful side of this relationship… and it ain’t pretty.
There’s just something so morally wrong about fighting others for the affection, attention and eternal love of Sam (just in case you’ve been living under a rock, both the Bachelor and the Bachelorette’s names are Sam, so I’ll be referring to ‘Sam’ as both the bachelor and bachelorette). Why should we be competing for someone’s attention? It only encourages insecurity and doubt whilst fuelling bitchiness and the breach of the ‘brocode.’ Just think of it locally, on a small scale… imaging you and your three best friends all had a crush on the same guy. You wouldn’t spend the next few months flirting with him and going on weird group dates. In fact, you and your girlfriends would probably just settle on going out for dates with one another. The whole concept is just wrong!
It’s ridiculously white washed and clone-ish. As in, all the girls are attractive, tall, thin girls… and the guys are attractive, tall, muscley, blokey fellas. Has Channel Ten heard of diversity? It’s extremely misrepresentative of Australia and the men and women who live here.
Love isn’t a game. The amount of times the phrase ‘i’m looking for true love,’ is mentioned is enough that my friends and I managed to turn it into a drinking game. While yes you may be looking for true love, would you like some high resolution glasses because I think you’re looking in the wrong place. Literally. Think about it. For one minute. Imagine all of the millions of people we’ve passed in our lives, subconsciously thinking ‘they could be the one,’ and then being put in a mansion with 12 people and apparently, one of them is your ONE! Nope, nuh uh, don’t buy it.
How does living in a beautiful mansion and wearing dazzling dressed and suits allow you to get to know anyone personally? Wand to get to know people for who they really are? Take them camping for 3 months to the middle of a forest or dessert. I’m pretty sure that dealing with real life situations and not dates where you get a private helicopter tour is a much more efficient way to get to know someone. Also, it’s kind of setting the whole relationship up for failure. Unless the Sam’s can actually afford the frequent helicopter ride or bridge climb or snow trip or insert over the top romantic date here date… then they’re going to be disappointed when their weekends consist of movie nights in a dominos pizza.
However, we do learn some very valuable lessons…
Guys can be emotional.
A sequined dress doesn’t guarantee true love.
A kiss over 4 minutes long on top of the harbour bridge is just awkward!
Ritchie is the cutest human alive and shouldn’t marry Sam… hello Ritchie… I’m single.
And… the bro code should NEVER be broken… isn’t that right David?
What do you think? Do you love it or hate it? Let me know in the comments below!
A Worldly Addiction 