Tuesdays have had many different connotations for me over the years. In elementary school, Tuesdays were pizza day at school (a big deal for a 10-year-old). When I got a few years older, Tuesdays became a day I dreaded because that was when I had piano lessons. But now? Tuesdays are back to being a very exciting day for one reason only: it’s Bachelorette night. While I cannot say I’ve been watching for as long as many dedicated fans, I have been a loyal watcher for the past few seasons of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, and I have some thoughts.
Producer tricks don’t fool us
Bachelor Nation is many things, but gullible is not one of them. When Kendall went and interrupted her ex-fiancé Joe’s literal proposal to another woman? There is absolutely no chance that was her idea and we all knew it. Immediately the internet was flooded with memes about people speculating what dirt the producers could have on Kendall to make that happen. Or what about when Riley told Maurissa that he didn’t know if he could propose (out of seriously nowhere), and then nothing really came of it? We knew immediately that producers made him say that because all of the final three couples were so solid that there was no question of whether they’ll go through with the proposals. We are fully aware of the fact that this reality show is doctored and manipulated for drama, but we don’t care.
The same formula, every single season
The Bachelor/Bachelorette doesn’t have very complicated concepts: one heterosexual woman or man dates 32 individuals of the opposite sex all at once and slowly reduces the group until they propose to the individual that they like the best. But it is widely known that The Bachelor Franchise is horribly unprogressive. Up until recently, the majority of the cast (including the star of the seasons) have all been white, attractive and lean. While they have attempted to add in important discussions regarding race as of late, it still seems very inauthentic considering the franchise has never had a mid- or plus-size contestant or a bachelor/bachelorette that dates the same sex on the show. Furthermore, I was shocked when I was scrolling through Instagram the other night and saw a contestant on Michelle Young’s season, Pardeep Singh, post upon his elimination saying he was honoured to be the first Indian American contestant to ever get a rose on the show. How is that possible with there having been 25 seasons of The Bachelor and 18 seasons of The Bachelorette? At this point, when the hosts utter the infamous words, “This is the most dramatic season yet”, we roll our eyes … yet keep watching.
While we love rooting for our favourite contestants and yelling at the villains of the season when they get screen-time, I don’t really think the reason we watch has much to do with the contestants or concept at all. My favourite part of each week’s episode is when it’s over and I check Instagram to see the jokes and opinions that others in Bachelor Nation have about the events from that night. It is entertaining to make fun of, make predictions for and analyze with friends and family. So really, we don’t like the Bachelor franchise, we like Bachelor Nation.