Last summer, I made a fatal mistake: I started watching The Bachelorette. My girlfriend and I were curious and bored, and somewhere between barista shifts and summer classes we became engrossed in Bachelor Nation. It doesn’t make sense to me, even now, and yet I’m still sitting here every week yelling about how Colton is obviously a terrible kisser and begging everyone to please, for the love of god, stop with the virgin jokes. Maybe it’s the celebrity appearances? Maybe the locations? If I’m being perfectly honest, though, it’s the drama.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love seeing Terry Crews and Nick Offerman interacting with the contestants. It’s one of the smartest decisions the production team has made, in my opinion, because sometimes everything gets really awkward, and when that happens it’s easy to throw in a clip of a comedian and all is well. The production value is one of the show’s greatest strengths, and that’s not just limited to its guests. Nothing is more Bachelor-esque than helicopter rides (there’s already been one this season and we’re only on week three!), customized fireworks, and jet-setting adventures to exotic locales. When the contestants—and drama—dwindles, there’s always a new and exciting place to soak in to make up for it.
Although it’s not technically part of the budget, the clothes are definitely a very fun part of the show. There are a lot of aspects of this show that sound really interesting to participate in, but buying and packing all the clothes for the endless cocktail and beach parties sounds positively miserable. I wanted to be a fashion designer for the first 15 years of my life, so the sparkly dresses and sometimes questionable swimsuits bring me a not insignificant amount of joy.
All that said, the awkwardness and drama are really what I love most about the show. The Bachelor house is a pressure cooker of emotions and seeing the ways in which the contestants interact and judge each other is fascinating. If I were a psych major, I’d probably have some deep analysis of it all, but I’m not and I don’t. I just think it’s fun to watch. There are things that both the contestants and viewers deem “okay” or “not okay,” that really would never come up in the real world, because 30 women aren’t trying to all date the same guy in the real world. Of course, drama is going to be stirred up in new ways every season, because everyone handles something as odd as that differently. The social setting is weird and fun to watch in a way only this show could be.
Is watching The Bachelor really the best use of my time? No, probably not. But it’s fun, and it’s ridiculous, and sometimes I need a break from thinking to enjoy some mindless TV. It’s not the greatest show by any means, but it’s fun, and a little fun never hurts.