The Bachelor is a reality show that has become a pop culture staple; practically everyone has heard of it and knows the format of the show. For years, I would hear people talking about the show, wondering why the titular bachelor had chosen to go on a one on one date with a certain girl, or how long they thought he and the winner would last as a couple. The hype around the show intrigued me, but never enough to make me tune in. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that twenty girls were competing for the love of one man, and that he was somehow supposed to fall in love with and propose to one of them within six weeks.
With the beginning of the new year also came a new season of The Bachelor. After seeing promos for the season on social media for weeks, I decided to finally give the show a shot. After watching the first episode, I came to realize why so many people like this show, and even changed my mind on some of the opinions I had about it.
The premise of the show is still ridiculous to me, especially since I found out that a lot of contestants only go on the show for exposure. When I watch, I definitely have to suspend my disbelief and just accept that aspect of the show for what it is. This year’s bachelor, Arie, is being marketed as every woman’s dream guy, but I find him to be very boring, especially in comparison to the ladies who are trying to become his wife. It was clear from the first episode that the women are the true stars of this show.
One of the criticisms I had of The Bachelor was that it was anti-feminist, and portrayed women as being willing to fight and scheme to get a husband. Of course, women who are all trying to marry the same man will have an argument or two, but the drama this season hasn’t been as malicious the way I thought it would be. For the most part, the arguments that occur are because of one person (Krystal, the villain of the house), and only happen because someone is defending themselves or someone else against Krystal’s rude tendencies. None of the girls ever say anything mean about another’s appearance or try to sabotage another’s chances of winning (well, besides Krystal). In the most recent episode, when one woman is in tears after being told by Arie that he “doesn’t see a future for them”, the woman who claims to love Arie the most actually goes to comfort her. The women also have conversations with each other about their lives and give each other advice and encouragement about their individual relationships with Arie (this really surprised me).
Despite my initial fears about how The Bachelor portrays women, I’ve discovered that friendship between the contestants is a prevalent part of this show. This is the first season I’ve watched, so maybe this is an isolated case, but season 22 of The Bachelor certainly features a little bit of girl power. I’m glad I gave this show a chance; it’s hilarious (even though it’s probably not supposed to be), and it’s fun to try to calculate who will get a rose every Monday night.
Still, no matter how much I’m enjoying the show, I can’t help but roll my eyes when Arie talks about choosing his future wife every episode.