The Bachelor Franchise: A Love-Hate Relationship in Full Bloom

Alright ladies, let’s talk about The Bachelor franchise. Yes, that “romantic” reality TV show where we willingly watch an attractive person date a bunch of equally attractive strangers—because what could possibly go wrong, right? Now, if you’re like me and have been watching The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor Pad, and even Winter Games for the last 15 years (yes, every single season, don’t judge), you’ll know it’s both the best guilty pleasure and a trainwreck that you just can’t look away from.

Let me just say upfront, I don’t agree with the concept of the show at all. I mean, really—how is it not gross to date, kiss, and emotionally manipulate a dozen people all at once? And don’t even get me started on the fakeness. Obviously, some of these people are lying through their teeth! They’re on TV for Pete's sake, and we all know what fame-hungry reality TV contestants will do. Yet, despite this moral conflict I have with The Bachelor, you’ll still find me glued to the TV with my boyfriend every Monday night. Yep, you read that right. My boyfriend watches with me, too—although calling him a fan might be a stretch.

When Your Boyfriend Becomes Your Bachelor Watch Buddy

When we first started dating, I was upfront about my Bachelor addiction, and somehow, this man agreed to join me on my reality TV journey. At first, he was just there for the snacks and maybe to humor me. But soon enough, he got sucked in too. Kind of. Well, at least enough to give commentary and throw in some eye-rolls when things get really absurd (and we all know how often that happens).

Now, we talk way too much during the episodes. And I’m not talking a little side whisper here or there—we’re practically narrating the whole thing. So naturally, we constantly have to rewind because we missed something “important.”

Still, no matter how ridiculous the whole premise is, there’s something about the franchise that makes for a great discussion starter for us. You’d be surprised how much watching these messy relationships can spark conversations about real-life dating, men’s perspectives, women’s perspectives, and all that jazz. So, as much as I want to hate it, I can't deny the benefits. It’s like couples therapy—but with a side of drama and Chris Harrison (or, well, Jesse Palmer these days).

The Latest Bachelorette Season: What a Hot Mess

And speaking of drama, let’s get into this last season of The Bachelorette, which was just... WOW. If you missed it, the season was a total dumpster fire. Jenn Tran, the poor woman, was basically set up for failure by the producers. Like, people literally started a petition to fire the Bachelor producers over how badly they handled her season. Yikes.

From day one, it was obvious something was off. I mean, did anyone else feel like half the men thought they’d be meeting Daisy or Maria? It was so clear they weren’t there for Jenn, which was super shady of the producers. Like, why cast a bunch of dudes who clearly weren’t into her? That’s some messed up manipulation right there. Jenn deserved better.

In fact, I was so naïve when I started watching the show years ago. I used to buy into the whole "these men are looking for love" schtick. Ha! How times have changed. As the seasons rolled on, all sorts of dirt would come out about these supposedly “perfect” men—racism, homophobia, domestic violence, cheating, DUI arrests, supporting Trump, you name it. It’s like the more I watched, the more I realized that many of these guys are just pretending to be emotionally available on camera, only for their true colors to shine off-screen. It’s horrifying.

Marcus Shoberg: He Fooled Me, and I Should’ve Known Better

Which brings me to the one contestant who really fooled me this season—Marcus Shoberg. Ugh, why did I fall for his sob story? His rough childhood, his trauma, his struggle to open up… I was eating it up. He seemed like such a tortured soul, and when he cried, I couldn’t help but feel empathy for him. And then boom, Reddit (God bless Reddit) served me a reality check. Turns out, Marcus is an absolute nightmare of a human being. Apparently, he has a laundry list of women accusing him of some seriously bad behavior, and I believe every word. To think Jenn and Jonathon Johnson have been dismissing these allegations is just disheartening. You’d think we’d all learn by now, right?

Devin Strader: My Worst Nightmare

And don’t even get me started on Devin Strader. He was my gut-level red flag from the get-go. Everything about him screamed "I’m only here to win." He didn’t care about Jenn, and he definitely wasn’t there for love. But of course, he played the game, pretended to care, pretended to love her even (ugh, seriously?), and in the end, he was just a manipulative liar. It’s guys like him that make women question everything men say. It’s like, you let your guard down, trust him, let him in, and then surprise! It’s all a lie. And don’t even get me started on how he leaked Jenn’s texts—and sexts. Talk about a complete invasion of privacy. It was disgusting. The way he refused to take accountability is just a reminder that some people have zero self-awareness.

The Bigger Picture: Love, Lies, and Lessons Learned

But despite all the drama, the toxic masculinity, and the endless betrayals, The Bachelor franchise has given me something. It’s shown me how gullible I used to be, how much the show manipulates us, and it’s also given me and my boyfriend hours of conversation about relationships. We’ve explored everything from trust to vulnerability to what we’d do if we were ever in one of those rose ceremonies (hint: run!). So, even though he claims he’s “done” with the show after this latest dumpster fire of a season, we both know we’ll still be watching the next one. If nothing else, it’s a great way to remind us of what not to do in a relationship.

Plus, no matter how much I complain, I’m always fooled at least once every season. This time, Marcus got me. Next time? Who knows. But one thing’s for sure: I’ll be watching with my popcorn, commentary on full blast, and my boyfriend right beside me.

Thankful for your presence, Neja