“A blunder at the right moment is better than cleverness at the wrong time.” Carolyn Wells
Yesterday I wrote about my love of The Bachelor/Bachelorette television reality show. I love the drama, excitement, drivel, silliness, travel and the blown up craziness of the entire series. It is an escape. A get-a-way of sorts. For a few hours a week I live vicariously through stunningly beautiful women as they travel the world going on unrealistic dates, each one more spectacular than the last.
At this point in the series The Bachelor and his bevy of beauties have been sequestered for five weeks.
The only other time that I have heard the word “sequester” used is during a controversial trial, the jurors are not allowed to have access to the outside world, so they will focus on the facts of the trial, getting no influence from others-including opinions of radio, newspapers, magazines or family and friends-that may taint the outcome of the trial.
Hmmm…from this definition “The Bachelor” is synonymous with “High Profile Trials”.
As a juror sequestration forces you to focus on the case until the conclusion.
As a contestant on The Bachelor your focus is funneled into tunnel vision, and the light at the end of the tunnel is a huge Neil Lane diamond. Or a modeling career, or a newscasting job, a bit role in a movie or traveling the world for free. Very few actually go on the show to find true love and if love does happen it seems as if they unintentionally tripped and fell into it.
As I was writing about my love of the unrealistic reality show…
Juan Pablo, the current Bachelor, was busy sticking his foot in his mouth. Again. Ai-Yi-Yi!!!!
As evidenced in the plethora of articles written in the last few days…
Slate-Finally, a Bachelor Contestant Exposes the Show’s Weird Sex Issues
Time Entertainment-The Bachelor Watch: ‘Nam, Man.
Bustle-’THE BACHELOR’S JUAN PABLO APOLOGIZES FOR SEXY OCEAN TIME WITH CLARE, BUT HE MISSED THE MARK
Do I, or do I not, have extraordinary timing??!!!!
First of all…
This is a television show!!!!
Second…
All of the contestants have been separated from everyone and everything they know, they only have each other. A new habit takes only 21 days to form, these women have been cooped up together for over 35 days, is it any wonder that things get a little bit crazy?
Third…
They are all competing for the same man! This fact alone gives license to all types of crazed behaviour.
The Bachelor has 25+ women battling it out for his attention, when does this ever happen in real life? Never. I would think that after repeated affirmation you would begin to believe, in some area in your brain, that you are irresistible. Ha! How did you never before realize how incredible you actually are? No matter how you try to keep in mind that this is a unique situation and stay level headed…I am sure that the lines begin to blur between your awesomeness and reality.
The Bachelorettes on the other hand, are stuck hanging out with each other. All. The. Time. For five weeks, thus far. Can you imagine hanging out with 25+ other women, all the time? No breaks, no alone time, with nothing to talk about but each other? Well, you can talk about your boyfriend and how incredible he is…until you remember that the girl you are talking to is dating the same man.
How awkward can that be…gushing about your romantic date, how you kissed, hugged, made-out etc. intimating to your conversation mate that you may be falling in love…then remembering that she has a date with the same man-the one you are falling for-tonight. Seriously awkward.
Fourth…
You are forced, by the situation, to become friends with people you may not like, respect or choose to spend time with in your ‘real’ life. On one hand, this is pretty cool, it breaks down barriers and allows you to experience new thoughts and ideas. But on the other hand, you are competing with these women.
They may not measure themselves with the same yardstick of respect that you do. You cannot trust that they will not share your doubts, fears, secrets with the others…especially if they feel that sharing your doubts, fears and secrets will further them in the competition. Or at least take you out of the running.
You may hold yourself to higher standards than the others which may make you vulnerable to peer pressure. In past relationships you have taken time to get to know the person you are dating before getting physical or romantically entangled. But this show forces relationships to develop quickly. Not only are you in a race with time (each season films for about 3 months) you are in a race with the other contestants. If you know that other girls are becoming physically involved with The Bachelor competitive nature may push you to become romantic with someone you barely know.
(I believe that is one of the huge factors in the franchise, as a woman my emotional attachment in dating has been severely compromised when it becomes physical. It is much more difficult to be critical of someone that I enjoy touching and kissing.)
To sum it all up…
I do love the show. I do not love all the characters. I do not agree with all of their actions. I watch for the entertainment factor. Just like I watch CSI, Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy and many other shows.
I do not believe everything that I am shown. ABC loves to splice and dice to come up with The Most Dramatic show EVER! Just because you hear someone say something on the show does not mean that they said it at that time or in that context. Many have inferred after the season has ended that they did not like the way that they were portrayed, but when you agree to go on the show ABC ensures that all the film is theirs to use however they like.
So…this week the producers inferred through the splice and dice that Clare and Juan Pablo did more than a little smooching in the ocean…ABC chose to show the scene where Juan Pablo supposedly “slut shamed” Clare…and they chose to show the clip of Clare post swim speaking of “the best night of her life” and comparing herself to a baby giraffe learning to walk…
Maybe it happened and maybe it didn’t. Maybe the ‘splice-masters’ spun together a story of their own making. Drama gets ratings. Obviously everyone, (well everyone but me-it seems) is in an uproar.
My only question about the entire scenario…Why did ABC high-light and exploit this part of the episode? In fact, they are still pushing it. Why throw your lead under the bus? Why push Clare into the spot-light?
Instead of becoming crazed over what did or did not happen…I am anxiously awaiting next week’s drool worthy travel to New Zealand!
Thoughts on the show? Fill me in!!!
