It’s Monday night, but sadly there are no more episodes of The Bachelor to watch. Last week, we watched Nick find love with Vanessa and send Raven home broken hearted. As this season ended, I thought about all of the hours I’ve spent watching and why I’ll keep dedicating my Monday nights to it.
Now I love any reality TV show that has a competition and a prize at the end and The Bachelor is no exception (for those that would argue that people are not prizes, I agree, except in the case of The Bachelor when it’s 25 women fighting over one guy). While it provides endless hours of laughs and opportunities to judge others while eating, I watch The Bachelor because it allows me to make connections with others.
First: My Dad
My dad and I watch other shows together, like Top Chef and The Amazing Race, but it wasn’t until JoJo’s season of The Bachelorette that we started bonding over the show (I think it had something to do with Aaron Rodger’s brother being on it). When I watch the show at home, I sit in front of the TV and my dad is on his laptop. Every once in a while, my dad will glance up and when I catch him watching, he’ll claim he isn’t. But, JoJo’s season got him hooked and when Nick’s season began he quickly dropped the ruse. Now, my dad isn’t afraid to text me and ask about the fate of “that girl who was inappropriate” (he’s talking about Corinne) and I’m glad that The Bachelor has given us another thing to talk about.
Next: My Sorority Sisters
Now I know there is a stereotype about sorority girls watching The Bachelor, but it’s one that I gladly embrace because it’s allowed me to connect with so many of my sisters. When a new season of The Bachelor rolls around, I know there are at least 30 like-minded women, ready to watch with me. This season, some of my sisters and I partook in a fantasy league (which I won) and it allowed me to talk with girls that I don’t frequently talk to. I’m grateful we have this show in common because it allows me to connect with my sisters even more.
Finally: My Sister
I can thank my sister for my love of reality TV and I started watching The Bachelor because of her. Whether my sister and I are watching together on the couch or we’re states apart, I can always count on her to talk about this show with me. And she can always count on hearing a sarcastic remark from me.
So thank you Bachelor franchise because you’ve given me this opportunity to talk, laugh, and spend quality time with amazing people. See you next season.