Chris Harrison Throws Juan Pablo under the Bus

It’s taken me a week to figure out what I want to say about The Bachelor Finale with Juan Pablo last week and now I can sum it up with one title. The Bachelor TV show threw their bachelor under the bus.

I understand from what I’ve read that the producers ended up not liking Juan Pablo, speaking out against him, saying he was their least favorite Bachelor. They might have had good reason, but from what we saw on the finale, Chris Harrison mercilessly badgered Juan Pablo. It was squirm-worthy.

While watching from my home, we were simultaneously disgusted and bored by how Chris wouldn’t stop trying to get Juan Pablo to say that he actually loves Nikki Ferrell. But nope, J.P. would not say it on national TV, instead explaining that it’s a personal moment and not something he takes lightly or wants to share with BachelorNation. Nikki seemed perfectly fine with Juan’s decision.
So my question was this: Why not let it go? They looked happy. They were still together. Just because The Bachelor loves to have happy couples, needs to have happy couples to justify their show and keep viewers, the smartest move would’ve been to stop trying to take him down on national TV and focus on the fact that they are still together. By badgering, you looked stupid.

As Juan Pablo said, they lived this unreal fairytale of fantasy dates and traveling for four months and now they were going to start their real relationship. That was the gist of what he kept trying to tell Chris Harrison during the uncomfortable interview. Basically, we like each other a lot and are going to see if it carries over into the real world.

And good for him, for them. Just because Sean and Catherine Lowe have chosen to let cameras in their bedroom and sex life, doesn’t mean every couple wants that. And, as I recall Sean Lowe took his shirt off every time they asked him and cooperated with the Bachelor producers 100%, including letting his wedding be televised as a Bachelor special. Who knows what they offer these contestants. I read somewhere that Mike Fleiss (the show's creator) offered a nice sum of money for Juan to propose. Who knows if it's true.

But Juan Pablo wasn’t having it. You could see that this guy just wanted to be done with The Bachelor and everything it's done or hasn't done for him. What was the big announcement that Chris thought would be revealed that night? Apparently Juan Pablo was set to appear on Dancing with the Stars, and he and Nikki were planning to move to Los Angeles for those weeks that Juan Pablo was on the show. But they dropped him when bad publicity made J.P.'s stock plummet. The perverted remark didn't help (see earlier blogs for my explanation of the word perverted) and when Juan Pablo became one of the most controversial figures in the history of The Bachelor, I'm sure DWTS bowed out of its offer.
The weekend after the finale, March 15/16, the lovebirds attended a wedding in the Dominican Republic and were reported as looking very happy and in love. Have you seen the youtube movie he had made for her that says "I love you" in Spanish? It's cute.
Nikki posted this picture of them at a wedding on Instagram yesterday (Sunday March 16).
And the picture below was taken by the press in the DR:

Sure, the guy might have some problems with more than language but my beef is with the producers of the show and how they not only deserted Juan Pablo at the end but turned their non-successful ending into a witch hunt. Trying to make something marketable out of Juan Pablo's boring ending, they turned on him like a pack of hungry dogs. I admit it would be hard to continue a farce if you don’t like him and if he’s not cooperating, not following the contract’s stipulations but the final episode made Chris and his cronies look downright bully-ish--Chris asking Sean to add his two cents, Chris interrupting Juan Pablo and then walking off the set between commercials, all made it look like our beloved Bachelor host was taking it personally and that’s never good for an interviewer, or an executive producer. IF you read Chris Harrison's interviews from the morning after the show, he makes it sound very personal, especially when he says the couple on stage just kept digging themselves in deeper and deeper. In my opinion, Chris was the one with the shovel. 

I was extremely disappointed in the finale because of how they handled whatever was going down for them. Chris Harrison should've moved on, cut to commercial and put Des and Chris or Sean and Catherine in the hot seats to ask how things were going, or gone into the audience.

I was then equally disappointed that the new Bachelorette is Andi Dorfman. She may be a perfectly wonderful person but her cross-examination of Juan Pablo and name-calling wasn’t classy and left a bad taste in my mouth.

I'm not sure if I’ll tune in for Andi’s season. Anyone who teases someone because of his accent is not someone I want to support.

What about you? Will you watch this summer?

Kim Hornsby is the bestselling author of The Dream Jumper's Promise, a bookclub suspense novel that hit bestseller status with Amazon Books. Priced at only $1.99 for an ebook, the story about a Maui scuba shop owner whose husband goes missing, has 184 reviews on Amazon, most of them 4 and 5 Star.
www.http://amzn.com/B00AA4FAJC
 

Juan Pablo and Clare Get Sexy in Vietnam

The latest installment of THE BACHELOR had Renee finally getting that kiss, Clare finally getting that swim in the ocean, and three girls who got very little air time, finally going home.

In my family room, we were overjoyed when Renee got the one on one date with Juan Pablo. My daughter even looked up from her tablet and maybe even took one ear bud out to listen!

The single mom from Florida, who's been consoling and drying tears all over the bachelorette mansion was over- the- Vietnamese- moon happy about the prospect of spending the day with J.P. So much so that I think she said her palms curled? And tingled. I cringed, waiting for another date where Juany does not kiss the cute mom with the ultra straight hair and ankle tattoo. Wandering around Hoi An, the two parents bought gifts for the kiddo's back home, and once again, I was worried that Renee was slipping off in to the friend zone with too much talk of children. At dinner, they were at it again. Ben this, Camila that. But, Juan did explain that he didn't feel right about kissing her on national TV seeing her son was 8 years old, and probably stayed up to watch his mommy on The Bachelor. What?

The group date had lots of Andi bitching and moaning about never getting one on one time with the guy she is dating. Although she's a favorite, I got a little tired of hearing the same thing in four different outfits and hairstyles. I know the producers do this on purpose, tell the girls to say it again and again, just in case they didn't get it first time in the other dress and ponytail. Shame.
But, once Andi heard that one word from J.P. she settled down. "Patient" or was it "Trust"? Didn't matter, she just needed to hear him speak a word to her.
Earlier, the group paddled giant coconuts around some brown water, went farming and had a true Vietnamese experience in Tra Que Village while Clare and J.P. tried to have alone time. Again. What we didn't see until the ending credits, was the funny ox-riding, showing a tail repeatedly swatting Ally's backside, like it wasn't bad enough that she never got a one on one date. But the ox scene didn't have the drama of Clare stealing off with J.P. in the coconut. At the evening party, Andi was upset again when her boyfriend stole the blonde hairstylist for a quick swim in his hotel suite's frigid pool, right after he made a group toast to a wonderful evening with 9 ladies. Shame J.P.

All he wanted was to ravage Clare, so was it any wonder that later, when she snuck off after filming ended for the night (or did it?) and found herself at Juan's door to ask him for a swim in the ocean, he'd accept? She'd never had an ocean swim before. Or was it a warm ocean swim, or was it a swim wrapped around a Venezuelan soccer player? Once out in the warm waves, the two lustbirds went at it. How long did the cameras have to stand there on the beach with lights on the locked-together couple? And what went on? We'll never know. Or will we? Apparently it went too far but they didn't do anything inappropriate, in Clare's mind.
One of the best lines of the night came from Opera Diva, Sharleen, who said her goal was for J.P. to see her as a panda in a room of brown bears. Nice Chinese analogy that I hope to use on my daughter now instead of that army one - be all that you can be.


The next one on one date was with Nurse Nikki. Heading off to Marble Mountain, Juan Pablo found the beginning a little rough seeing he'd been swimming/snuggling until the sun came up with the hairdresser. All he said to Nikki was that he wasn't a morning person. Little did she know why he was so incredibly tired. Her ignorance worked to her advantage as she fearfully rappelled into the belly of the mountain, with J.P. guiding her butt to safety. And his waiting arms.

Dinner at the Full Moon Town Restaurant had Juany interviewing Nikki for the role of stepmother, and Nikki giving the interview her all. She got the rose and kisses followed, leaving us to wonder if the Bachelor compares the girls' kissing abilities. I think even though he can't say pediatrics, Juany sees the value in having a nurse in the house with Camila. Don't you?
The Rose ceremony had the girls gathering in an overly lit, pagoda on the water, all crammed in to an L-shaped couch where once again, Juan Pablo took Clare for alone time. Turned out he regretted something they did in the ocean, or after the ocean, the night before. This had us wondering about logistics of waves, water, bathing suits, cameras, protection. Whatever went on, Clare thought it was the most beautiful thing ever, blissful, and J.P. was backtracking big time, having finally come to his senses to realize. Maybe knowing that they filmed what went on in the warm ocean and his daughter might one day see that, he rethought his lusty behavior. That, and having a real, but nice date with a pretty nurse who's a bit shy.
Oh, and the 'Swim' wasn't fair to the other girls. Duh! The sneaky girl who goes to the bachelor's room on every show often makes it to the hometown date level, but rarely lasts much past that unless your name is Courtney and the guy's name is Ben Flajnik. Poor Clare. "We didn't do anything inappropriate", was said (by her) leaving us wondering again if the fantasy suite came early or what??
Juan got all upset about eliminations but the most shocking part of the evening was leaving the last rose to hand out to our beloved Andi. That'll teach a girl to tell the Bachelor she's having a hard time sharing. Andi appears next week in her one piece bathing suit kissing J.P. under a waterfall so it looks like she finally gets her one on one date, unless Clare was being held back by the producers, just off camera.

Eliminated: Funny Kelly, the dog lover, but so stuck in the friend zone, Danielle with curly hair who we rarely got to see, and Ally, the nanny from Chicago who was probably very funny and cute and lovely and interesting but looked too much like Andi.
Next week, New Zealand, mate!

Kim Hornsby is the Bestselling Author of Suspense. Her novel THE DREAM JUMPER'S PROMISE is FREE Feb 3-5th 2014 at Amazon books. With 174 Reviews, most 5 Star, this book is her #1 BESTSELLER. click on the link to "buy" a copy.
 She also writes short stories in The Husband Hunt series, modeled after The Bachelor. The first in the series is free on Amazon books for download on Kindle, computer, or phone. Click here.

The Bachelor Makes Horrible Mistake

Last night on The Bachelor, Juan Pablo chose to have a pool party instead of a formal cocktail party with the girls, thereby establishing the Latin Daddy as one of the most unique Bachelors in Bachelor history.

Horrible Mistake: I expected a quick on-air apology or disclaimer would be inserted into last night's airing after J.P. called Gay Love "perverted" in public last weekend. There was no mention of it on The Bachelor last night, only media back peddling. When he realized what he'd said and how un P.C. it was, J.P. quickly apologized, saying the language barrier was the problem and ABC's lawyers publicly disowned his comments in legal fashion.  But calling same sex relationships perverted was a word choice that will tarnish his name. I'm not sure he'll ever get back to America's Latin sweetheart after this.
FACT: The dictionary's definition of Perverse is to deviate from conventional behavior, so it could be a case of Lost in Translation.

Last night's installment of the Bachelor started with a one on one date with Cassandra, the shy, leggy, single mom. J.P. has said that if he isn't feeling it from the two mommies, he'll let them go ASAP because they have children waiting at home. That's fair.
Obviously he felt something for Cassandra, although it was hard to see from my spot on the couch. They laughed, danced, ate, kissed, but I did not see anything romantic happening between the two. Mostly they gazed at pictures of their kids at J.P.'s house. Her son's Daddy, by the way, is a Basketball player for the Detroit Pistons, the team she cheerled for.
(Is that a verb? Sorry)  If we had to hear that she hadn't had a first date in 3 years one more time, I think I was going to throw my bag of Double Stuff Oreos at the TV. She got a rose.
Then the smiley, little Science Educator got a one on one date, thereby setting some name-calling in motion from the gal who thought she'd get the date, Elyse. "Baby" "Immature" "Too young" "Baby". Calling another girl names on air and then with other girls is the kiss of death. Expect to see her exit soon.
Yes, the gal is fun, funny, fun-loving, but boy, did we ever see a serious side of her when they stood on the bridge getting ready to bungee jump. J.P. told her it was her choice and after fifteen minutes of her crying, shaking, hugging, she jumped with him. Dinner that night looked fun. I didn't see much kissing. Just sayin'.
The group date included a bevy of others including Sharleen who is getting on my nerves fast, even though I am Canadian by birth and have a child from Taiwan and should like this candidate. BUT, she's sneakier than she looks, seems. With her flimsy, revealing dresses, her upsweep hairdo's and her elegant ways, she's enticing Juan Pablo. Anyone notice her back away and tuck her chin when he leaned in to kiss her last night?

He likes her. She's playing the game well. I predict the girls will be scratching her eyes out in another episode or two. Next week she sings which will probably make J.P. giddy with excitement.
I like Andi. She wears a one piece swim suit for crying out loud! What's not to like. Andi is well-spoken and fun.

Clare is getting needy and got one of the last roses in the cluster last night, a blatant message to cheer up and get back in the game. She did not get her own picture this week as punishment for being clingy.

Once again Renee, the Florida Mama, is the go-to girl when tears flow. She's definitely mother material but I haven't seen her with J.P. yet. Have you? I'm fantasizing that she gets a new, improved hairstyle and a bit of a makeover, rises to the top of the heap, and we get to see how fantastic she and Juan Pablo are for each other.
Hippy Girl, Lucy, was eliminated for being naked too much along with another gal who we never heard from and didn't memorize her name. Lucy cried, which surprised me. I think she might get her own reality show now, called Naked Hippy Chick.
Looks like next week they take off for China or another country that is under Chinese rule, Clare hogs The Bachelor, Sharleen continues to elegantly weave a spell around Juan Pablo and the drama continues. Did you expect any less?

Rumor Alert: Chris Harrison, who is single, has been seen with former contestant Selma who wouldn't kiss Sean Lowe on national TV. Apparently, last weekend he called her "my girlfriend'. As long as you don't take her on TV and kiss her Chris, you should be good.

Kim Hornsby is the author of THE HUSBAND HUNT, a contemporary romance FREE on Amazon Books modeled after The Bachelor.

Tears Flow on The Bachelorette

Last night the tears flowed on The Bachelorette, not only from Des who can't take all the ulterior motives and playing for the camera amongst the men, but from James the wide as he is tall contestant who had the Red Cross date in Jersey.

But I am getting ahead of myself here. When the show opened they were in Barcelona Spain and the first date was a one on one with Drew, the boyish blonde who is quietly falling in love with Des. They explored Barcelona, ordered hot cocoa and got whipped cream mustaches (which Drew kissed off!--a bold move) and couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. When the two love birds sat down to dinner, Drew grabbed her hand and they ran away from the cameras to neck out in the alleyway only to have the film crew catch up with their 1,000 watt light bulbs and film the whole thing. I was shocked that Drew had it in him. Shocked. Once he got her all hot and steamed up, he threw a pail of water on the scene by telling her about James' ulterior motive to be the next Bachelor if she doesn't pick him as her husband. Wow Drew! Couldn't you have waited until you ate dinner?
Needless to say that was the end of the date. Des was heartbroken but rallied for the soccer group date the next day.
I was drooling to see Juan Pablo play soccer and we got a bit of the Spanish hunk but not nearly enough. He's one of the truly manly men and I think the Bachelorette producers did a great injustice to not feature him more on camera. According to tweets, women love Juan Pablo. It was the girls against the guys at the Barcelona stadium and after the girls whupped some bachelor butt they had a party. Des took Chris to her bedroom to read poetry, thereby securing the fact that Chris is a front runner, while the rest of the men confront James about his motives on the show. What??? Michael played attorney while James played guilty and Kasey was the star witness. By the time Chris and Des got back all hell had broken loose and the party was over except for Des talking to James. Again. Just let the smooth talking charmer go! She either really likes him or won't admit that someone is not there for her. James talked his way out of elimination and returned with the men for another sleep in Barcelona. Awkward!
The next date was meant to be a break from all the drama of James and that it was with Zak the ab guy who drills for oil. If this isn't a metaphor... They have a drawing lesson and the result is drawing portraits of each other which ends up with hilarity at Zach's horrific depiction of Des. I laughed out loud. How about you? It was genuinely funny and even Des dropped to the art school floor laughing. I like Zach, even though he loves to show off his six pack. Their dinner was just the right amount of fun and romance and of course he got his rose.
Back at the hotel, James confronted Drew and there was lots of swearing and shouting and I'm beginning to wonder if the guys don't like James. Shut up already and go home!
James squeezed in between two guys on the couch and was instantly taken to the naughty room to talk, yet again. Des and James cry, hug, worry and he's sent off to endure the rose ceremony where he is eliminated along with Juan Pablo!! What was Des thinking, not even getting a kiss out of the handsome single dad/soccer player?

Michael the whiny attorney got the surprise rose and now we're down to a small amount of men with no one to fight about. What will they do?
Previews for next week show that Drew has a secret and I'm betting it has something to do with being a metrosexual. They venture to Madeira and it looks like the drama follows, Des threatens to quit and the men who are there for the right reasons (to write poetry, to let hair grow longer, to show off abs and practice prosecution skills) get all 'deer caught in headlights' and have to endure more tears.
Good stuff! See you next week...

Kim Hornsby is the author of The Husband Hunt series on Amazon books patterned after The Bachelor.http://amzn.com/B00BN1YNS0

Bachelorette Struggles for Honesty!

Des Hartsock is surrounded by dishonesty and what my husband and I call the GAY factor. That is not to say we are calling anyone on this year's Bachelorette show gay, but do you see the scarves they wear around their hoodies, the way some of them speak, and how difficult it is for several of them to kiss Des passsionately? I do and it makes me wonder about motives. My teenage son walked into the room when one of the men who wore an eternity/affinity scarf around his hoody hood talked about his feelings for Des. He said "What a great coverup for his sexuality."
Sorry everyone if I think several of them are on the gayish side. I may be wrong but does anyone else see this besides me and my family?
This week the group flew to Munich, Germany and the first date was a one on one with Chris, the mortgage broker from Seattle. I predict he 'll go far with her. She likes him and he seems to like her too. Writing poetry on the plane was a good move and Des likes that sort of thing. They had a wonderful date until Bryden interrupted them to tell Des he was flying home because he just didn't feel for her the way he should. Rumor has it that Bryden reunited with his former girlfriend in Montana and all is well on his front. Des was okay with him leaving but questioned the rest of the guys' motives. Regardless, she ended up having a fun time after the party pooper left. Nicely done Chris, in spite of terrible timing on Bryden's part.
The group date included the men in the picture above, and they ended up on top of a mountain in the German Alps sledding and making snow angels. After frolicking in the snow, the group went into an ice hotel carved into the side of the mountain (which was charming) and had some snacks and talks. Zack and Mikey got alone time, as well as James but the rose recipient was Brookes who tried to interrupt Des and James but when he saw them smooching in amongst the furs, he had to turn away and tell the cameras just what he felt. It was slight jealousy.
Apparently, on the way home, Kasey and Drew woke from a slumber to hear James confess to Mikey that he was hoping to be the next Bachelor or at least to get some hot tall babes on a boat off Chicago when he went home, and that set the anger wheels in motion for the guys who truly like Des. After a meeting about James' ulterior motives they decided to tell Des he's scum. Drew was smoking angry.
Meanwhile Des went on the world's worst two on one date in a hot tug on the lake with Michael, the attorney and Ben the self promoting father. The best thing about that whole day was the lime green hot tub boat, called a hot tug that they took out on the lake with mugs of steaming liquid. But the drinks weren't the only things steaming. Michael, in true lawyer mode, took on Ben in a cross examination of his intentions and his religion and how committed he is as a father. When it came to the rose, it was Ben who remained flowerless although I'm pretty sure Michael is not long for it. He seems most interested in exposing the bad guy, not getting to kiss Des. (See my first paragraph).
When it came to the rose ceremony Drew was determined to out James as the snake he is but when Des called off the cocktail party, the plan was shut down. She knew who was going home, and I did too. Wearing a checked shirt is bad enough but with a busy plaid suit--that is just terrible. James, who also had a gingham shirt on, was spared for now and Mikey ended up going home. Maybe it was his crack about having 5 children and living in the bosom of his Italian family back in Chicago that led Des to think she did not see a future with Mikey.

Next week looks like it's finally getting good. For one thing, we know Zach is the best kisser and he gets a one on one. The men tell on James and everyone seems to cry over that and the drama factor is upped to the nth degree. This is why we love The Bachelorette and wait all year for another round of the show. The drama, the tears, the scarves around their hoodies.

Kim Hornsby is the author of The Husband Hunt series on Amazon Books, modeled after The Bachelor.

http://amzn.com/B00BN1YNS0

The Bachelorette Has Created A Monster

Last night's episode of ABC's The Bachelorette revealed that they may have created a monster this season. ...the sensitive man. Not that men can't have a sensitive side but something is going on at The Bachelorette and the men are all crying and confessing their heads off.
Atlantic City was the first stop on the round the world tour with Des. The first date was a one on one date with Brad that included crazy-ass rides and loads of cheering and throwing arms in the air. But when faced with dinner conversation, they had nothing to talk about. I have a theory why but it involves telling you that I think Brad might be looking for a mother to his son and not be genuinely interested in Des. Times that by ten and you have my theory. Brad had to go home but I ask you why she dumped him at the top of that lighthouse on the Atlantic City strip, after they'd climbed 458 stairs to the top and caught their breaths? The editing made it look like because he didn't try to kiss her when they saw a spectacular view, she dumped him. Again, I think producers call the shots and once she refused him the rose, they sent him all the way back down to the ground. Alone.
Next was the group date that was just plain hard to watch and WRONG! Having the men compete in a Mr. America mock-up contest, had me cringing in my comfy chair. First they had to choose their talent from a table of props that were meant for women (high heeled shoes), then they got their swim suits by some sort of lottery. Several drew the speedos and then, to make it all worse, they had to compete on the Miss America Stage in front of a live studio audience full of women. Ugh! Luckily Juan Pablo got a speedo and he is a great sport but I kind of feel that he's getting a very bad impression of what America is all about and what we stand for. Ben got a speedo too but I didn't really care about his feelings because he's the villain this season if you can call a man who isn't making friends with the guys a 'villain'. The swim suit competition was just wrong and demeaning and cheap. I'm surprised Chris Harrison didn't just put his foot down on this one. Yea right.
The hash tag guy Kasey won the title, probably because he wore red jeans and jacket that was too small for him and Des felt sorry for him. His tap dancing was awesome I have to say, and not because it was accurate.  He obviously can't tap but he tried so hard and made us laugh. Even the guys loved him. I must note that the one man who spoke out about being thought of as just 'a piece of meat' proceeded to dance provocatively for his talent, thereby securing the fact that he is highly comfortable being thought of as a piece of meat. At the after party, Jack W. got the rose for singing a song that he wrote and it happened to sound like it was just for Des. The men continued to bitch and moan about Ben which is getting kind of old now and Ben's nastiness seems silly, not villainous. Yawn. Oh and Juan Pablo has a daughter. What?!
The next one on one was with James, a thick-necked thuggish looking sensitive man with a smile to light up all the hurricane Sandy ravaged coastline. Okay, what's up with the producers? This is not a date. This is a RED CROSS plug, which is okay but to pass it off as a date was just plain weird. Des and James toured the coast in a helicopter, almost crying to see a roller coaster in the water then met a couple who'd had their family home obliterated in the flood. Yes, it was touching when they gave Jan and her man their fancy date but ??? I, for one, thought the big plug for donations to the Red Cross was misplaced. Luckily Des and James were wonderfully cooperative and had just as much fun on their date at a spaghetti joint. It was sweet to see the old couple dancing to Darius Rucker who I'm sure they'd never heard of, but it all seemed so misplaced. James was sensitive and sweet and teary-eyed and what more could he do? It wasn't a date to get to know Des. Not really. It was a platform for the Red Cross effort on the east coast.
At the cocktail party Des wore a sequined mini and kept adjusting that sucker to keep from revealing her chest. She favored the guy from Seattle who writes poetry (of course he does), Brookes (whose hair continues to remind us of Russel Brand) and several other sensitive men who'd confessed their insecurities over the course of the week. Bryden the Iraq vet isn't sure he fits in with this group and I'd have to agree. But, he accepted his rose and the man sent home was someone who hadn't even had any air time. I think he was the Zack who didn't have a song about Des or a child waiting for him at home or a sad story about how he got on the show. And speaking of the monster, either Des told the powers that be, that she likes sensitive men and wouldn't be opposed to a single dad, or the casting call for this season said "must be willing to show a sensitive side" because we are getting it from all angles. Sure there's lots of muscles and 6 packs but the men speak like they've been coached to reveal their under belly and I'm finding it just a little weird. I wonder if Des thinks the same thing.
What do you think? Do you have a genuine favorite? Me neither.

Amazon Best Selling Author, Kim Hornsby is the author of The Husband Hunt, a novella series on Amazon modeled after The Bachelor. 

http://amznocm/B00BN1YNS0

The Bachelorette Goes For the Sensitive Men

Monday night's Bachelorette episode started out normal enough. The men gathered on the couch the morning after the first rose ceremony and Brooks was given the first date. So far, so good. At times he reminded me of a cross between Russel Brand and Orlando Bloom, which is not necessarily a good thing, but Brooks smiled his way through choosing bridal outfits and cake, ingratiating himself to Des and her love of the sensitive man. And the goofy, fun guy. They picnicked at the Hollywood Sign, on the letter 'L' and Russell, I mean Brooks, gave her his jacket when she was cold. He admitted that his parents were divorced, his relationship with his dad is a work in progress, teared up, and Des looked hooked. He's gonna get the rose. Oh wait, he already did. Crying is not a no no on the first date anymore, apparently.
Then there was a flash mob/group date that had Des enjoying 14 men. They had to rap with Solja Boi and learn to dance and try to impress Des with their dance moves. It wasn't easy to stand out among such a huge group but several men did a pretty good job. The people who cut the show and decide who gets air time only let us see certain men this early and this week they focused on Ben. The guys are ganging up early on Ben, who has the little dude son, and talk was trashy among the guys about how Ben doesn't give a flying fig about making friends. But Ben did not look like a good kisser and I'm wondering how he got the rose again. Maybe that little dude is still lingering in Des's mind. The men pulled out all the heartbreaking stories last night. One Bach talked of his absentee dad and druggie mom and he reminded me of the 'guard and protect your heart' guy. But nicer. His 'in' was the raising my siblings card. Sad.
The next one-on-one date was Bryden, an Iraq vet who badly needs a new hairdo but has a lovely personality. Des seemed to really like him. Us too but I was so busy designing his hair and wondering if he'd be handsome with his too short bangs fluffed up, I couldn't concentrate on their conversation. His hair looked like Jim Carey's in Dumb and Dumber. The tweets kind of said the same thing. When they entered the hot tub and Bryden could not seem to go in for the kiss, it was awkward until Des said "just kiss me!" And that made me wonder if that man would be a great husband for her. Where are the men who don't let her drive every time they get in the car? The men who say, "I'm sorry but I really want to kiss you. Get ready."?
Again Ben. The rose ceremony revealed Ben as a selfish  un-liked Bach in the house. He swooped in on the lawyer from Florida who was revealing the nature of his type one diabetes just as Ben invaded. There must be some Bachelor rule about not turning anyone away if they come to steal you, because at that point I would've said "I'll be with you in 10 minutes, Ben." Turns out he owns a bar and is talking to the men about how an entrepreneur can do very well with national exposure on the T.V.show. Booo. Then again, we only see what the director and producers want us to see.
The rose ceremony revealed the men with morals, bonding skills, and who is a snappy dresser. One guy wore a plaid jacket with a checked shirt and although you can't send someone home for that, he may be short lived on the show if he keeps mixing his patterns.
The tweets at the bottom of the screen are distracting, but I saw a person I know on there at the beginning, (Jennifer Weiner) and I saw Ali Feditowsky, and that's kind of fun. (I'm so shallow!)
Des eliminated 3 guys who were disappointed, one saying it was heartbreaking, but it's still early. Let's face it. They are all going home,eventually, except one. It's just a matter of when.
Next week it looks like the Old Girlfriend comes to the mansion and confronts her 'boyfriend' and that's what will keep us coming back for more. That and the feud with Ben. And Des's dress. And the amazing set decorators who make those dates look so dreamy and romantic.
It's all good, isn't it?
See you next week on The Bachelorette

Be sure to catch Kim's short story series Modeled after The Bachelor and The Bachelorette on Amazon
The Husband Hunt
and The Husband Hunt - Kat's Season
under her contemporary romance pen name Kiki Abbott

http://amzn.com/B00BN1YNS0

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over and out!
Kim

Why Women Love "The Bachelor" on ABC

These next words are only my opinion and not the opinion of the dogs who lie snoring beside me.

The Bachelor. America's mindless phenomenon. I watch it faithfully and my sister, who is the smart one in our family can't get enough of the reality TV show that appears, blessedly, on Monday nights- which is a good night after a weekend, because it gives us something to look forward to after getting up for work on Monday, right? But, The Bachelor comes only twice a year and we have to wait and wait between shows, forced to watch Dancing with The Stars because now the last Bachelor Sean Lowe has joined the dancing reality show to get enough money to buy a house or something like that. We only get to see our beloved Bachelor show half of the nights out of the year. Damned. Can't they produce more shows? Come on ABC. And now Bachelor Pad (which was a terrible cross between The Bachelor and a hedonistic semi-porn game show) is not filming this year for our summer enjoyment. What's a viewer to do?
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are wildly popular TV reality shows. Wildly. Just see how many followers Chris Harrison has on Twitter. Or join Bachelor Nation on FB or twitter. Why is there such appeal to intelligent women who have high stress jobs, who manage families, have been married for twenty years, or even young women who are looking for love? The Bachelor is not just for women either. Even men watch this show, with no worries about how others will gauge their masculinity. (My husband gets a beer and sits himself in front of the TV for The Bachelor, calling out opinions on what he thinks the guys should do or should not do-he loves it!).

ABC's The Bachelor is watched by all age groups, demographics and genders. The Bachelorette, its sister show  is equally popular. If you don't watch the show or have never heard of it (where have you been living? In a cave in Borneo?) the young woman chooses between twenty-five single men, as opposed to The Bachelor where  one man chooses between twenty-five single women. As a nation, we love to watch the drama of a villain among the seemingly nice contestants,(Tiara) the horror of a fan favorite not getting a rose, (Lindsey) or the unthinkable of the mean girl getting proposed to (Courtney).
Why do we tune in every Monday night ( in droves) to watch someone whittle the list down to one hopeful candidate for a lasting relationship? It is mindless FUN, that's why. If love makes the world go 'round, and what the world needs now is love, sweet love, then the quest for love and partnering up is very important in our lives. Maybe the most important thing we, as human beings, have. And watching someone on their quest of this is voyeurism at its finest. We get to see someone during the dating process and it's only rated PG. We are not peeking in on anything that would be considered naughty or twisted. We are simply watching a person doing the most normal human thing possible-look for love.

As someone who's been married twenty-one years, I have two thoughts on why my husband and I sit down on Monday nights to ravage every second of this show like the characters were beloved relatives/friends who we care deeply about. One, is that we are past the initial romantic buzz of our relationship and have long been in the comfortable, I love- you- no- matter- what stage and watching someone who's jazzed on that initial attraction brings back memories and emotions we haven't felt in a long time. And two, is that after a long day with teenagers, chores, work, the dog chewing a hole in the dry wall, stress, we just want to watch something that's entertaining and makes us feel happy without investing too much emotion. After the Rose Ceremony and our favorite is eliminated, we don't go around all week mourning the event. We simply pick a new favorite. Isn't that lovely and so unlike real life when a boyfriend dumps you and you spend three months wondering where you went wrong? We walk away at the end of the show, commiserate on what the problem was and go to bed, our psyches only slightly affected by the bachelor's rejection of our favorite contestant.
If you're an avid fan of the reality show franchise, you know that groups congregate all around the country on Monday nights to watch the show, in neighborhoods, sororities, bars and girlfriend's houses. The Bachelor has become a cultural phenomenon. Tabloid magazines carry the latest news on the contestants, and opinions breed like bunnies on what's going to happen as the road to the Final Rose gets twisty .

After the proposal on national TV, the media heyday begins and the remaining lovey-dovey couple, barely has a chance of surviving as dirt is dug up, pictures of the individuals drinking shots off another girls' abdomen surface and the media struggles to tear the young love birds apart. Very few have survived the onslaught. Ryan and Trista come to mind, and so far Jason and Molly but remember, he originally chose someone else and broke up with his chosen one to go back to get his heartbroken Molly. As a nation we yearn for a happy couple but also can't resist what the media has found against them. Dang.
Emily and Jef didn't have a chance, especially if she was texting another man. The press dove on that one like a hungry tiger and then it was all over before it even got very far off the ground. I wanted that to work. What about you? They seemed perfect for each other. What the heck happened there? They were cute and full of benevolent aspirations, as well as love for each other. As much as I cheered them on and cringed at Ari's advancement as the weeks went on, I didn't shed any tears over the breakup and that's what I'm talking about. All the buzz without the investment. Or at least some of the buzz without actually kissing anyone who's not your husband.
I'm not entirely sure why everyone watches The Bachelor. Unless you are like me. Life is tough (as my mother used to say when I was a carefree teen), and there is so much stress and so many obstacles to overcome on a daily basis. To simply plant oneself in front of the boob tube for one hour a week and listen in on someone's quest for love is a blessed event. Especially if everyone is dressed to the nines, showing off a little skin here and there, kissing and flirting in romantic locations, and it's a game we can play at home. And it's free TV. Not cable. Ongoing TV, something you can count on twice a year for Monday night entertainment. It's love and we all know - Love is All You Need. The Beatles told us this. Tra La La

Over and Out

Kim Hornsby is the author of the short novella The Husband Hunt, available on Amazon books for Kindle or download. It's a two hour read similar to watching The Bachelor and The Husband Hunt 2- Kat's Season
She's also the author of the novel The Dream Jumper's Promise, nominated for BEST INDIE FIRST BOOK (click on the cover above) or http://amzn.com/B00AA4FAJC
and Necessary Detour, published with The Wild Rose Press. http://amzn.com/B00AU50M76
Both novels are Romantic Women's Fiction with strong elements of Suspense