True Love or Fame?

The Bachelor is a beloved show bringing together a couple that is meant to live happily ever after, or is it? A long-time favorite, Katie, finally found her fiance, Blake, on the last season of the Bachelorette. Katie’s happiness was tangible, as she spent years trying to find the right man who matched her maturity level and fun side. The couple wrote on social media, “It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways. We are so grateful for the moments we shared together and the entire journey that has unfolded this year, but we ultimately have concluded that we are not compatible as life partners, and it is the most caring choice for both of us to move forward independently” highlighted in People. Katie and Blake were in a long-term relationship following the finale of the Bachelorette. Another statement made by Katie bringing more clarity to this situation, “We were together for six months and Blake and I are very level-headed and mature, and we communicate very well on our thoughts, and we just both knew if this was how our first six months were as a couple, going forward it was going to not be in our best interest for our happiness to stay together” claimed in US News. The reality of the Bachelor, a show meant to bring together two soulmates, is that a majority of the couples end up ending their relationship less than a year later. 

When reality hits after the show, many couples are unable to uphold their commitments to one another. With this being said, there are 24 couples that are still together. These couples demonstrate the true purpose of the show, to help two people build a lifelong connection. As mentioned in a study down examining the success rate of the show in The Middlebury Site Network, “It turns out not that many do. In fact, only two-thirds of the seasons end with proposals. Then out of those proposals, only 5 have led to marriage, with the bachelorette having a better success rate at 30% versus the bachelor at 11%.” This statistic brings to light how the Bachelor is purely more a source of entertainment than helping find two individuals find each other. Although many valuable relationships and connections have been ignited through this show, the show over time has lost its legitimacy due to contestants, not all coming on the show to find love, but rather fame. This is seen in the last season’s Bachelor in Paradise with Brendan and Piper more concerned about how many Instagram followers they had and how they looked to the public, rather than strengthening their actual relationship. To answer the question, is the show doing what it is meant to? Yes and no, although the show gives the contestants all the resources they need to find love, more contestants go on the show for fame because the show is so widely broadcasted. As we move forward, fans can only hope that this ideal changes from finding popularity to striving for love.