Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Culture > Entertainment

Alumni Adventures: Kyle’s Korner Diving into Reality TV

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Lasell chapter.

Miss our old staff? Us too. We thought there’s no better way to throw it back than by inviting some of our fav alumni writers back for one week only. Get ready to dive into the nostalgia!

Hey, guys! How has it been? I know it has been a while, and I hope everything is well!

Life post-grad has been interesting. It’s honestly weird not having to come back to Lasell and having to commute to work every day. Even though I feel like I do not have much free time, I finally started watching new TV shows. It’s rare for me to break habits, but I felt like I needed to switch things up in my TV routine. Here is a low-down of a few shows I have been watching, and where they are available for streaming!

The Bachelor/Bachelorette Franchise

This is something I am a bit ashamed of, but I became a member of Bachelor Nation since college. I have never really seen the show before 2019, minus seeing the season finale of JoJo’s season at a friend’s house. I never thought it was for me, I thought it was weird, and kind of gross. I still think the show is a bit foolish, but dang, it is good TV.

I started watching in the middle of Hannah B. ‘s season last spring. Honestly, I started watching because of Demi Lovato’s Instagram stories of her yelling about Luke P. while watching the show on her TV. The man seemed a bit crazy, so I immediately thought “I need to know more.” Just like that, I watched every episode I could on Hulu to get myself caught up to speed. Then, I went straight into “Bachelor in Paradise”.

We are now onto Peter’s season as The Bachelor. This season has been a whirlwind. Drama in every episode, and I am just not connecting to these girls in general. I feel like this is a bad season to just get into the franchise. Who are you guys rooting for? I am not sure, truly. I do, however, think that out of the top 4 girls, Kelsey would make the best bachelorette. A little messy, a little emotional, but she seems the readiest for commitment. Do not get me started on Victoria F.

Also, Netflix has season 13 of the “Bachelor” if you really want a blast from the past. I have seen some episodes and it really shows how time has changed.

The Circle

I think in 2020 I caught the reality show bug. I have been rewatching a lot of old reality shows that are on Hulu or Netflix. “The Circle” was more commonly known in the UK, but Netflix decided to create an American adaptation. At first, I was a bit unsure if I would like it, but I finished the series in only a few days.

I caught on to this show late, so by the time I watched it all episodes were already on Netflix. Netflix uploaded a few episodes at a time over the span of a few weeks, something I was not aware of until halfway through the season. This show followed a rotation of 8 people all competing to win money. The game is about alliances, strategy, and friendship. The only issue is, none of these contestants meet face-to-face. They only speak to each other using “The Circle” and only see photos through social media profiles the contestants pick out. The gag is: the contestants could choose to be whoever they want to be. A few contestants chose to have a whole new identity, while some choose to only change their photos, and others chose to be their genuine selves. The contestants also get to choose who stays and who goes home. This made the show very interesting.

Love is Blind

This is a new show that I am still watching, but Netflix did it to me again. Like “The Circle”, this show is also about not meeting face-to-face. It is different, though, because this is a dating show.

Men and women enter a house with intentions of finding their forever. The people get opportunities to mingle and get to know each other. However, they do not get to do it face-to-face. The men and women speak to each other in these “pods” and through walls. It is not until they decide to get engaged do they actually truly meet for the first time.

After that, the couples get to go on romantic Mexico vacations, before coming home, moving in together, meeting families, and getting married. Did I mention that they only have about a month in between the engagement and the wedding? Scary, I actually do not like the pressure of having a set wedding date. But, it makes for good TV. I am only at the Mexican vacation part so far, and a couple has already broken up! Truly some great drama that I would recommend to a reality TV fan.

These are the new shows I have been watching lately, but I have also been watching America’s Next Top Model, old seasons of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Flavor of Love, and many other older reality shows. I am still slowly trying to push through the “Real Housewives” franchises, but there are just too many to watch!

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Kyle Mahoney

Lasell '18

Kyle Mahoney is a recent Lasell College graduate. Kyle majored in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations, with a minor in Business. Kyle has written for Her Campus Lasell for three years, as well with completing an internship with HCHQ Spring semester of 2018.