If you’ve been watching this season of The Bachelor, or any season of the fan-followed franchise for that matter, you’ve probably found yourself thinking that if any of this insanity went down on a real-life date it’d be weird AF. So, here’s a list of some moments from Nick Viall’s current season of The Bachelor that made great TV, but would be serious red-flags on a real-life date.
1. When Alexis Showed Up to Meet Nick in a Dolphin Suit
On The Bachelor: Of course the reality television show is known for having some wacky entrances when contestants first meet the man they’ll be vying for, so Alexis’ dolphin ensemble wasn’t too out of the norm as far The Bachelor goes. More so, even though many watchers may have counted off this quirky aquatic-mammal-loving girl, she’s still a contender for the final rose!
In real-life: So, on any date that isn’t being filmed for reality television, I’m not sure Alexis’ approach would’ve flied. I mean, seriously, can you imagine renting any sort of animal costume before heading out on a first date? On a second thought, you’d probably want to steer clear of any costumes at all.
2. Wearing A Wedding Dress as Part of a Group Date
On The Bachelor: Not one, but several of the girls competing for Nick’s love this season wore wedding dresses as part of a group date where they literally staged various themed wedding photos with the Bachelor himself. And not only were they wearing wedding dresses and on a group date, which is awkward enough, the themes ranged from the classic princess bride to a pregnant bride-to-be in a shotgun wedding. Since it’s The Bachelor, though, Nick didn’t find this intimidating or overwhelming, but actually took it as a chance to envision his future bride.
In real-life: Seriously, this is pretty much the ultimate danger zone for any girl in a relationship. If you’re not wearing a ring, and he hasn’t popped the big, “Will you marry me?” you can pretty much guarantee that if you randomly showed up in a wedding dress, he’d be incredibly uncomfortable, and wondering if he missed the memo saying you got engaged.
3. Looking for a Fiancée When You Still Have a Nanny
On The Bachelor: To be fair, it wasn’t like Corinne having a nanny was just embraced by her fellow contestants. Actually, many of them even rushed to tell Nick in the hopes that he would lose interest in this season’s Bachelor villain. But their plan failed when Nick seemed unfazed by the fact that one of the women he would potentially propose to at the end of the show was unable to cut her own vegetable slices for lunch.
In real-life: On most first dates, any guy would be a little confused, if not completely turned off by the fact that their twenty-something date had a nanny. Maybe it’s the choice of word (perhaps assistant would be more acceptable?) but most men would be wondering why exactly a grown woman needs a nanny — at least enough to inquire further. Either way, Nick Viall better know how to make Raquel’s famous cheese pasta.
4. Going on a Date in a Zero-Gravity Airplane
On The Bachelor: Other than being a little wary of going up in an aircraft (who wouldn’t be?), Vanessa seemed genuinely excited about the opportunity to get to know Nick while floating around in zero-gravity. Besides a little hiccup in the date when Vanessa got motion sickness, the date seemed to go incredibly well. Moreover, if it wasn’t extravagant enough already, they ended the date eating on the private roof of a skyscraper. But it’s just another episode of The Bachelor.
In real-life: Most of us girls expect nothing more than dinner, a movie, or maybe even a Netflix and chill session. For most guys, it’s safe to say anything involving air-travel or zero-gravity technology is well out of the budget — and the realm of possibilities.
5. Shoveling Cow Manure
On The Bachelor: When Nick took the girls back to his hometown in the latest episode, the group date involved going to a dairy farm, where they were greeted by Nick adorably feeding a baby calf. While the date started off with some relatively simple and fun tasks like feeding the cows, and then milking one, the girls were soon introduced to their last assignment: shoveling manure. Most of the girls found the entire barn experience endearing, and the manure shoveling tolerable and even somewhat funny (well, other than Corinne). The contestants made the best of their date with Nick, even if it did involve literal cow poop.
In real-life: There are few girls who could be good sports about shoveling manure. Not only would no guy think of cleaning poop off a barn floor as a good idea for a date, but virtually no girl would go along with it. Seriously, no girl wants to ruin her shoes, or smell like manure for the rest of the day. Not really romantic, charming, or sexy for that matter.
It’s pretty clear that The Bachelor is not exactly an accurate representation of real-life dating, or a good source for potential date ideas either. It is however, good entertainment. And that’s the reason we’re so addicted.