Here for All the Reasons: Why We Watch ‘The Bachelor’

Novelist Masad (Beings) and Seibert Desjarlais, a literature professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, argue in this fun anthology of essays by viewers of the reality TV series The Bachelor that the franchise’s fandom “is a rich space for discourse on culture, race, sexuality, gender, human behavior, and community.” Claire Fallon and Emma Gray, cohosts of the reality TV podcast Love to See It, kick off the collection by discussing how in the 2010s The Bachelor became a lightning rod for political debate; it attracted conservative viewers who enjoyed the show’s largely white, Christian cast as well as liberal feminists who critiqued it as an example of outdated cultural norms. Subsequent critical essays take aim at the show’s stereotypical representations of contestants of color, its focus on heterosexual relationships, and its perpetuation of impossible standards for femininity. Other entries praise the franchise as a way to spend time with friends and connect over show-related gossip, an opportunity to escape from the complexities of real life, and a chronicle of genuine human moments, like the nonromantic relationships that arise between contestants. Offering intriguing arguments and passionate appraisals, this is a testament to the undeniable pull of a cultural touchstone. (May)