THE MOST DRAMATIC BOOK ABOUT THE BACHELOR YET
With The Bachelor’s 4.76 per cent success rate, one might assume that the romance of the show’s final rose has wilted. Yet the 16-year-old franchise continues to dominate reality TV with over eight million viewers tuning in to watch last season’s finale. “A woman’s entire emotional life was being completely destroyed, and I was glued to the television,” says Los Angeles Times journalist and Bachelor devotee Amy Kaufman. With the help of the show’s producers, contestants and celebrity fans (Amy Schumer, Allison Williams, Spencer Pratt), Kaufman dives deep into the cultural history of “America’s favourite guilty pleasure” in Bachelor Nation. She uncovers some juicy behind-the-scenes drama, naturally. But the biggest revelation of all is that our love for The Bachelor is nothing to feel guilty about. So you often hear people say they hate-watch The Bachelor or they watch the show ironically. But it has to be about more than that, right? “Obviously it’s fun to watch it with your girlfriends and say ‘Oh, she’s so crazy’ or ‘Why isn’t she here to make friends?’ And obviously I take part in all of that. I’m very snarky on Twitter. But I don’t think that’s what it’s all about—you don’t just watch something to talk crap about it. There’s something deeper there. And the fact that all of us say we’re ashamed is interesting. Why is this the show we all feel bad about watching? There are plenty of other weird shows on TV.” In the “Why I’m a Fan” chapter, Spencer Pratt writes “On Game of Thrones, people are getting their heads chopped off and being burned alive and it’s like, that’s what 20 million people should watch?” “Totally. Nobody takes him seriously, but that is a very good point.” The Bachelor really is a show that you have to watch with other
people. Why is that? “You realize you’re not alone in your judgments or in thinking that something is sweet. It’s nice to hear that reflected from your friends. And I think people in the book make the point that unlike Top Chef or Survivor, where not all of us know how to be a great cook or how to make a fire, we’ve all been in a relationship. Which makes us extra-harsh in our judgments but makes it more fun to watch in a community.” You dedicated your book to “whomever gets my final rose.” Would it be a relationship deal breaker if you found a perfect partner but they wouldn’t watch The Bachelor with you? “They wouldn’t need to watch it with me; they would just need to show respect and not look down on the fact that I love The Bachelor. I’m not saying they need to sit down next to me, getting all emotional and judging everyone, but they can’t say ‘Ugh, I can’t believe you watch this trash.’ Like no, bye.” —Meghan McKenna