{"id":3475,"date":"2022-11-28T22:32:41","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T22:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/?p=3475"},"modified":"2022-12-08T16:45:36","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T21:45:36","slug":"unreality-tv-the-bachelor-phenomenon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/fall-2022\/unreality-tv-the-bachelor-phenomenon\/","title":{"rendered":"Unreality TV: The Bachelor Phenomenon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Untitled_Artwork-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3487\" width=\"538\" height=\"506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Untitled_Artwork-1.jpg 656w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Untitled_Artwork-1-300x282.jpg 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Untitled_Artwork-1-230x216.jpg 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Untitled_Artwork-1-350x329.jpg 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Untitled_Artwork-1-480x451.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 538px) 100vw, 538px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>The Next Big Thing<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flashy sets, petty drama, tears, flowery confessions of love, and a host with quippy one-liners. Perhaps these tropes are familiar\u2013 if so, you might be thinking of a reality dating show. Skyrocketing into its current place atop the reality tv roster, dating shows have become the most widely watched form of television programming in the past few decades. (Nielsen Media Research).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beginning in the 1960s with shows like <em>the Dating Game <\/em>and <em>Love Connection<\/em>, the genre and its audience have expanded exponentially, with at least 28 dating shows aired on network and cable channels in the year 2000 alone. Among these are names like <em>the Bachelor, the Bachelorette, Dating Story, Taildaters, <\/em>and <em>Temptation Island<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This rapid increase in popularity indicates a shift in audience preferences. The entertainment industry relies on ratings, and reproduces the kinds of shows that attract the most attention (Roberti, 2007). More of a certain type of show points to a higher demand for its specific kind of content. But where is this demand coming from? Who is the audience fueling the growth of dating reality TV?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>\u201cBachelor Nation\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Behind the success of reality dating shows is an ever-growing loyal fanbase. From the guilty pleasure watchers, to the critical consumers, \u201cBachelor Nation\u201d consists of a wide variety of consumers. However, its most prominent demographic is mostly single, white women, in their late twenties (Roberti, 2007). Research indicates that these women tend to be of higher education and income bracket, spending more average time per week watching television compared to those who do not consume reality dating shows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, research suggests that consumers of programs like <em>the Bachelor<\/em> tend to possess certain specific traits, the most prominent of which is \u201csensation seeking,\u201d (119) or looking for stimulation in things like entertainment to supplement real experience and exposure (Roberti, 2007). Sensation-seeking, specifically experience-seeking and disinhibition, is predictive of the weekly number of hours spent watching tv dating shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-1024x538.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3492\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-1000x525.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-230x121.jpg 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-350x184.jpg 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630-480x252.jpg 480w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6a53cb60-6d15-11ec-95e2-f35a8b0feb82_1200_630.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8216;The Bachelor&#8217; (ABC\/John Fleenor)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>The Cinderella Story<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One possible appeal to its audience is the idea of \u201cthe Cinderella Story.\u201d The premise of <em>the Bachelor<\/em> is simple: 33 lucky young women are given the opportunity to fight for the hand of one handsome, charming, young man. He is the ultimate prize, the ultimate confirmation of worth, beauty, and status. Over the course of 6 weeks, the pool is slowly narrowed, with the bachelor dismissing women one by one in ritualistic ceremony, until only one woman remains. Typically, when the season ends, the happy couple is engaged, with a large supporting fanbase following their subsequent journey together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winners of the show are conventionally beautiful, thin, but ultimately \u201cnormal\u201d women, coming from jobs like accounting, real estate, education, and nursing. They are propelled into internet fame, often amassing hundreds of thousands of followers on their various social media platforms, and acquiring distinct influence in the rapidly expanding niche of \u201cBachelor Nation.\u201d Using glittering dresses, beautiful scenery, flowery declarations of love, and a seemingly fairytale ending, <em>the Bachelor<\/em> directly relies on the familiar \u201crags to riches&#8221; trope to motivate its audience. And this tactic is compelling\u2013 viewers often identify with certain contestants over others, tuning in week after week to root for the woman that they believe deserves her happily ever after <a href=\"https:\/\/intellectdiscover.com\/content\/journals\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/intellectdiscover.com\/content\/journals\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1\">(Haden et. al., 2020)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"262\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-1024x262.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-1024x262.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-300x77.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-768x196.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-1000x256.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-230x59.jpeg 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-350x89.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1-480x123.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1500x500-1.jpeg 1495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>The Bachelorverse on Twitter<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a predominantly younger generation, \u201cBachelor Nation\u201d is also largely social media savvy. This aspect of the show\u2019s audience demographic is critical\u2013 with access to wide reaching platforms like Twitter, shows like <em>the Bachelor<\/em> are able to keep the conversation going, providing more opportunity for audience engagement, and promoting the program to a younger audience. This access can translate into big money for the franchise <a href=\"https:\/\/intellectdiscover.com\/content\/journals\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/intellectdiscover.com\/content\/journals\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1\">(Chozick and Carter 2013; Sotonoff 2011)<\/a>. Forums like Twitter allow for inter-fan connection, discussion, and ultimately, greater attention and loyalty to the show itself <a href=\"https:\/\/indigo.uic.edu\/articles\/thesis\/A_Networked_Family_How_Fans_Talk_About_The_Bachelor_on_Twitter\/10882022\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/indigo.uic.edu\/articles\/thesis\/A_Networked_Family_How_Fans_Talk_About_The_Bachelor_on_Twitter\/10882022\">(Nesmith, 2012)<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The show and its viewers exist in an ever-evolving symbiotic relationship; online fan input has become a unique and critical aspect of the show\u2019s success. New contestants for upcoming seasons are chosen based on audience preference and popularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Rife with Issues<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While its version of reality might be fake, the Bachelor franchise is not without its own very real problems. Racism, fatphobia, and sexism all stem from <em>the Bachelor<\/em>\u2019s history of promoting a very specific image of romance: white, heterosexual, conventionally attractive. For years, critics of the show have cited lack of representation as one of its greatest flaws\u2013 it was only in 2021 that Matt James became the first Black Bachelor, following his co-star Rachel Lindsay as the first Black Bachelorette in 2017 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/06\/28\/arts\/television\/bachelorette-rachel-lee-kenny.html\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/06\/28\/arts\/television\/bachelorette-rachel-lee-kenny.html\">(Conscarelli, 2017)<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/170213-rachel-lindsay-bachelor-ok-1924-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rachel Lindsay, 2017 Bachelorette (Rick Rowell\/ABC, 2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/609598d134af8d001859c1b7-2.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3482\" width=\"335\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/609598d134af8d001859c1b7-2.webp 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/609598d134af8d001859c1b7-2-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/609598d134af8d001859c1b7-2-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/609598d134af8d001859c1b7-2-230x173.webp 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/609598d134af8d001859c1b7-2-350x263.webp 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/609598d134af8d001859c1b7-2-480x360.webp 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matt James, 2021 Bachelor (Craig Sjodin\/ABC, 2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The very nature of <em>the Bachelor<\/em> in its attempt to find the \u201cperfect match\u201d simultaneously promotes the idea of the \u201cperfect woman\u201d: authentic yet in control, open yet decisive, independent and successful, all while reducing her value to her potential performance as a partner to the ultimate main character, the Bachelor. Additionally, the smaller body types of contestants, despite criticism, remain the same.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">T<em>he Bachelor<\/em> also fosters a culture of women criticizing other women. Due to the largely female audience demographic (Roberti, 2007), much of the attention contestants receive comes from women who watch the show. Intense scrutiny&nbsp; comes with such exposure. Many audience comments are petty, relating to the contestant\u2019s looks, and assaulting their personal character. Female contestants are berated, fat shamed, and bullied by <em>other women <\/em>in ways that would be unacceptable coming from men (Kramer, 2019).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even the content of the show itself encourages this kind of behavior: due to its competitive nature, much of the show consists of contestants gossiping about one another, sabotaging each other in order to enhance their own chances. They model the very behavior that is then replicated by their fan bases. In this way, reality TV has very real consequences. A large portion of viewers are also distinctly aware of the show\u2019s inauthenticity. A study even indicated that a statistically significant portion of viewers found the very premise of the show hard to believe. An even larger portion \u201cwatch the show ironically because it is so ridiculous\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/intellectdiscover.com\/content\/journals\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/intellectdiscover.com\/content\/journals\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1\">(Haden et. al., 2020)<\/a>. It is clear that, while entertained, many <em>Bachelor <\/em>consumers watch this content with a heavy degree of skepticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So has <em>the Bachelor<\/em> become too problematic? Have we as an audience outgrown this heteronormative, privileged, performance of romance? Maybe. The show itself may represent an ideal that we no longer wish to aspire to, but, when all is said and done, it\u2019s certainly entertaining to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\" class=\"underline\">References:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beresin, E. V., &amp; Olson, C. K. (2018). <em>Child and adolescent psychiatry and the media<\/em>. Elsevier&nbsp;Health Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Church, S. H., Robinson, T., Callahan, C., Klotzer Barboza, K., &amp; Montez, D. (2020). Savvy&nbsp;viewers and (simulated) reality TV: An analysis of <em>The Bachelor<\/em>\u2019s appeal to viewers. <em>The&nbsp;Journal of Popular Television<\/em>, <em>8<\/em>(1), 23-43. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1386\/jptv_00009_1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conscarelli, J., &amp; Ganz, C. (2017, June 28). \u2018The Bachelorette\u2019 Leans on a Racial Conflict, and&nbsp;Nobody Wins. <em>New York Times<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/06\/28\/arts\/television\/bachelorette-rachel-lee-kenny.html\">https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/06\/28\/arts\/television\/bachelorette-rachel-lee-kenny.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kramer, J. S. (2019). It\u2019s Okay That We Back-Stab Each Other: Cultural Myths That Fuel the&nbsp;Battling Female in The Bachelor. In <em>Race\/Gender\/Class\/Media: Considering diversity&nbsp;across audiences, content, and producers<\/em> (pp. 168-172).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nesmith, N. K. (2017). A Networked Family: How Fans Talk About The Bachelor on Twitter&nbsp;. University of Illinois at Chicago. <a href=\"https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10027\/22153\">https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10027\/22153<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberti, J. W. (2007). Demographic characteristics and motives of individuals viewing reality&nbsp;dating shows. <em>The Communication Review<\/em>, <em>10<\/em>(2), 117-134.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spencer, C., &amp; Paisley, K. (2013). Two women, a bottle of wine, and <em>The Bachelor<\/em>. <em>Journal of&nbsp;Leisure Research<\/em>, <em>45<\/em>(5), 695-716. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18666\/jlr-2013-v45-i5-4370\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18666\/jlr-2013-v45-i5-4370<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Next Big Thing Flashy sets, petty drama, tears, flowery confessions of love, and a host with quippy one-liners. Perhaps these tropes are familiar\u2013 if so, you might be thinking of a reality dating show. Skyrocketing into its current place atop the reality tv roster, dating shows have become the most widely watched form of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[184],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fall-2022"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Unreality TV: The Bachelor Phenomenon - Sharing Sociology<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/fall-2022\/unreality-tv-the-bachelor-phenomenon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unreality TV: The Bachelor Phenomenon - Sharing Sociology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Next Big Thing Flashy sets, petty drama, tears, flowery confessions of love, and a host with quippy one-liners. Perhaps these tropes are familiar\u2013 if so, you might be thinking of a reality dating show. 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