By Julie Rosenberg ’16

As we approach the last episode of season 20 of “The Bachelor,” filled with love and hope, viewers look back with nostalgia on the past seasons. Many dedicated fans think of their favorite bachelor and favorite girl from this season and how in love they both were. But, is love the right word for it all? After 20 seasons of ”The Bachelor” and 10 seasons of “The Bachelorette,” making 30 seasons all together, only six couples are still together as of 2016. So tell me again, how in love were they at all?

For anyone who has not been infected with the contagious addiction to “The Bachelor,” here’s a rundown on how the reality show works. One lucky man gets introduced to about 25 girls seeking to find love and marry him.

Over the course of the show, the bachelor gets to know the girls at cocktail parties, on individual dates and group dates. As the season progresses, the bachelor kicks girls off the show during “rose ceremonies” by not awarding them a red rose indicating their safety for the next week. Finally for the season finale, the bachelor proposes to one girl.

People look forward to getting in their fix of two full hours of “The Bachelor.” “It’s my motivation to make it through Monday each week,” freshman Mac Farrell said.

That is where some go a little overboard. People spend their entire day looking forward to watching girls flaunt their fake personalities in front of a man they barely know, yet “love” enough to know they want to marry him. These girls go into the show knowing that this is the man they want to marry before they even meet him, and we as viewers sit back to watch it all unravel. The playing of “The Bachelor” has even become a family and virtually a religious event in some places. On “Bachelor Live,” the late night show hosted by Chris Harrison, celebrity fans of the Bachelor come to talk about their opinions of the girls and the bachelor himself.

Also, groups like churches and sororities can video chat in to share their opinions on the previous episode. All of this commentary only promotes the show more. People think, “Hey, if a church group is watching, the show must be legit and not degrading at all!”
The concept of judging the people on the show has become so habitual to viewers. It is not something that is frowned upon like gossiping behind the back of a girl at school. Everyone is in on it, adding to the fact that the show is completely absurd in a sense. We pick apart all of the girls’ hair (and pasts) while they pour their hearts out on television looking to find love.

“I don’t even know why I watch it. I feel like a worse person after I do,” junior Lindsay Feldstein said. “I need to do something better with my life.”

We are a generation looking to find everything from the comfort of our couch, including love and hope for relationships, and maybe we just should not. Maybe we should use our time to go out and look for love ourselves.

Maybe we should be going on dates and getting to know people. And maybe we should… But we could also watch Olivia jump out of a cake and dance in front of the bachelor Ben Higgins. If you asked me, I would choose that.