Before the flood of hate mail rushes in, I don’t hate Peter Weber. I’ll admit that at times it can be hard for me to see past the boyish charm, perfect body, and all that hype to the person underneath. However, I can’t bring myself to say that Peter, while so very charismatic, is the Bachelor that we deserve. But of course, I would not make a claim like that without backing it up, so here is what I have gathered about Mr. Weber from the first six weeks of season twenty-four of The Bachelor.
- He Lacks Empathy
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It’s a bold claim, I know. Unfortunately, it was the very first episode of this season that brought me to this painful conclusion. I mean what could Peter have POSSIBLY been thinking when he allowed Hannah Brown, his very recent ex-girlfriend, to appear not once, but TWICE, in the first episode? Of course, her first appearance may have really been a surprise to Peter, but to give her the OK to show up at the first group date? Unforgivable. It wasn’t fair to the girls. It wasn’t fair to Hannah B. On top of it ALL he even invited her to come join the house. It’s confirmed, men really are trash.
- He Rewards Drama
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I think this claim is pretty obvious to anyone who’s watched any episodes so far. First, there was the drama with Kelsey. We all watched as she blew the champagne drama completely out of proportion. After spewing hateful words at Hannah Ann (who may or may not have stolen the bottle on purpose, I’ll let you decide), Kelsey wasn’t reprimanded by Peter but instead gifted with a new bottle of champagne for them to share, only condoning her childish behavior. Peter continued to goad the girls into turning on each other when he used the opinions of the other girls to decide to send Alayah home in episode three and then AGAIN in episode five. Obviously no one likes a drama queen, but if Peter were really following his heart, as he claims to be time and time again, he would have never allowed the opinions of other girls to change how he initially felt about Alayah (who we have no REAL proof had bad intentions going into the show). I mean, name one girl on the show who doesn’t play it up A LITTLE for the cameras. Finally, I can’t leave out the worst of ALL, when Kelsey showed up at Peter’s door in episode five. Of course, what Tammy said about Kelsey went too far but she never said it to Peter so there was no real reason for Kelsey to go out of her way to get extra time with him and shocker! Peter doesn’t diffuse the dramatic situation, instead he gives her a rose… For someone who “isn’t about all of the drama,” Peter sure encourages it time and time again.
- He Doesn’t Give As Much As He Asks For
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I noticed during each of the one-on-one dates so far that Peter asks FAR more questions than he answers. Of course, this could just be a Bachelor thing as he is trying to get to know so many women at once. However, Peter is constantly telling the girls to “trust the process” and “give him their all” but he almost NEVER gives himself to them. Peter is expecting this raw vulnerability from these girls who are practically dating a complete stranger. I feel like the only thing we have really gathered about Peter for sure this season is that he’s a pilot. Weird. I just know I would want a little more from someone who constantly telling me that I am not giving him enough (i.e. Victoria F. and Kelly.)
- He Measures Love By Vulnerabilty
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Of course, in any great relationship there has to be a certain level of trust and intimacy. That being said, Kelly hit the nail on the head when she said she was nervous about her one-on-one date with Peter because she didn’t have some sob story to share with him. It seems to me that Peter is constantly looking for the girls to share their most intimate secrets with him so that he can have the confirmation that they REALLY trust him. Personally, I just don’t see that as a real measurement of someone’s trust and dedication to a relationship. You can’t base your feelings for a person around whether or not they share their most traumatic experiences with you. We have to keep in mind that these girls have only known Peter for a couple of WEEKS… Whatever happened to getting to know a person by their passions or life experiences? It seems that Peter has lost sight of getting to know each girl on a foundational level because he has been so distracted by gauging whether or not the girls are trusting in the process enough. I mean, he’s trying to find his WIFE here… why hasn’t he asked any of the girls about their jobs or life goals or families?
- He Loses Sight Of His Goal
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With a season filled with SO much drama, I cannot help but place some of the blame on Peter himself for giving the negativity so much of his attention. I understand that it is important for Peter to weed out the girls that he thinks would not make a good wife, but it seems that he’s ultimately losing sight of his end goal in the process. Peter focuses so much of his energy on figuring out who is instigating each issue in the house, to the point that he’s forgetting to get to know the girls. I feel that if he really wanted to find his wife, he would make more of an effort to look for her rather than to look for all the girls who he won’t end up marrying. Drama is inevitable in a house full of girls all dating the same guy. Peter is wasting all of his time that he could be spending with his future wife on petty and childish negativity. Ultimately, it is only hurting him because he’s missing out on his chances to really be sure about who is right for him (Madison). It is time for him to finally decide if his eyes are on the drama or on the prize. Ultimately, the girls who aren’t right for him will reveal themselves without him having to constantly consult other girls to help make his decisions.
In the end, Peter is just an average guy trying to navigate through what must be an incredibly confusing and difficult journey. While I do think he could be doing a better job at how he handles certain situations, I can appreciate his constant efforts to do the right thing. I may not LOVE this season, but I will be continuing to watch until Madison gets the ring on her finger that she deserves.