WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Social Skinny: Bachelor Recap

Episode Date: March 29, 2024

Hey Bachelor Nation! This week, Kamden and SK break down the most recent season of the Bachelor, and SK reacts to the franchise in general as a first-time viewer. Are "villains" made through strategic editing on the producers' part? Was Joey the best Bachelor of all time, or was he disingenuous? The girls share their thoughts on this week's episode. 

you are listening to The Social Skinny here on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm Camden and I'm here with SK and this week we are super excited to be talking about the recent season of The Bachelor, which recently concluded, I guess it was a week ago, right? Yeah, I think something like that. It's going to be a pretty interesting episode. Camden's watched The Bachelor for, I don't know, how long have you been watching The Bachelor? A long time, probably since. Since she could walk. Right.

No, I mean, definitely since like at least early high school, my mom and I would watch it together. And, you know, there's The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. And then Bachelor in Paradise, recently also the Golden Bachelor. So lots of variations of it. But the Bachelor, I think, is definitely the best section of the franchise. And yeah, it's been a week. So we feel like it's kind of appropriate to talk about it now since probably all the spoilers are out. If you haven't seen it, then sorry.

So valid. Enough time has passed. Yeah, Camden, she's seen it quite a bit, so she's more of our Bachelor expert. I had never seen it. So we're kind of going to unpack that in this episode. Exactly. That's a crazy title, Bachelor Expert. Well, resident Bachelor Expert as far as this room goes. Yes. So for those of you that aren't super familiar with the show, I'll just give you a super quick rundown of how it works, basically. And I'll explain. The Bachelor, since that's what we're talking about today, there is one man and usually around 30 women. And the season takes place over probably eight to 10 weeks. And every week there's group dates where lots of girls go on one date with The Bachelor or there's one-on-one dates where it's one girl and just The Bachelor. And essentially, he's just dating all these girls to try to find his wife at the end of it. And of course, since it's reality TV, there's drama. there's sort of like

games that they play it can help you like get a rose so then and the rose is how you stay so there's a rose ceremony at the end of every week he hands out the roses to the girls and then if you don't receive a rose

you're sent home and so essentially that's meant to help him weed out which girls he likes which girls he doesn't like and then at the end if the girl also accepts there's a proposal and she gets a beautiful

diamond engagement ring and her and The Bachelor are engaged. Yeah. And also, too, it starts in the famous Bachelor Mansion, which is in California. So it's a massive house that all these people live in, all the girls, essentially. And every week it progresses. So the first couple weeks, they're just in the house. And the dates are either around California, sometimes at the house, things like that.

And then they start to travel. So usually it's too crazy destinations abroad, whether it's Greece or the Bahamas, places like that. And the dates obviously intensify because also you're across the country. So regardless of whether or not you're on The Bachelor, that's just like a crazy date to go on with someone. And these people barely know each other. And they don't have their phones the entire time, right? No, no phones, no magazines, no TV. There's literally nothing for them to do.

They're completely cut off from the outside world. Crazy. I was going to say, I feel like that's like definitely adds an interesting element to it. Yeah, I feel like it would definitely help intensify like the search for love given that you, there's nothing else to do. Like all you're thinking about is The Bachelor and his connection with other girls and whether or not he's going to pick you. Like, I think it's send me into a manic episode. I was going to say that's however long that is, just having only that to think about, it's like how could you not go crazy? Right. It's probably why in theory it works. Yeah, I guess so.

If you've had family to talk to you. You know, in the past, are they pretty successful in terms of, like, the rates of, like, at which the engaged couple actually stays together slash gets married? Honestly, it's such a toss-up, and that's a horrible answer. But some seasons, you have a couple that's super strong. And a lot of the earlier seasons, a lot of those people are still together. They have kids. They have been married for 10 years. It's been really great.

There's also a lot of instances where maybe after. the fact one of them cheats on the other one or they just realize it doesn't work sometimes they'll switch it up and pick someone else like there's been a season where the bachelor he chose a girl and then really realized he regretted it picked a different girl and then now him and that girl are married and have two kids so sort of depends also a lot of times when people have failed relationships on the bachelor that's when they go on bachelor in paradise which not to get into the weeds with that but basically with Bachelor in Paradise, they go to Mexico and there's like 10 girls and nine guys-ish.

And then it's more of a game in the sense for like you need to be coupled up every week to stay. And people get eliminated, but then they add more people. Interesting. Yes, if you're not coupled up that week, you get eliminated, but the couples change a lot.

There's kind of more drama because more guys, more girls. It's right. That sounds interesting. I think I'd like to see that next. Yeah, that one's fine. It's like a little raunchier. So I was usually not allowed to watch that one as much as the other versions of the franchise. But that makes sense.

It's definitely the most drama. So now that I've kind of gone through, you know, this whole explanation, I'm just super curious. S.K., what's been your reaction to watching your first season of The Bachelor ever? You have anything to say? I have to say it was kind of a roller coaster. I think before this, not to say that I was. was a bachelor hater, but I kind of never understood the appeal. After having seen it, I think I definitely understand the appeal more. I can say, I don't know how, I guess had we been keeping up

with it better, I think I could have managed watching one episode a week. I will say it feels a little long. Like I could not sit down and even we binge watch the last few to finish. And that was easier because they were the last episodes of the season. So they felt a little more interesting. I will say a lot of it felt like kind of like it was slow and like a lot of the same so I think I definitely I found the whatever their intros were

that that was definitely really interesting Oh, the first episode and they get out of the limo which makes sense that like the first and the last part of the season would be the most interesting but I don't know it's a I thought it was funny seeing everybody's different reactions how seriously some of the girls take it

I like to think that hopefully I would not act the same in those situations, but also I think it's one of those things where, you know, it's probably easier said than done. And also a little bit of it is like if you want to be remembered on the show or try to make a career out of it, it's like you want to do something that sets yourself apart from the rest of the cast. And sometimes that might be something that's a little bit more negative. You are listening to The Social Skinny here on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I guess one of the more surprising things for me,

me, well, I don't know if it was surprising. I guess it makes sense because it's reality TV. But was definitely the editing. I think those were some of the situations that like made me most uncomfortable, even though I'm so aware of, you know, how they edit those conversations to make it seem sort of awkward or like someone's asking not like a socially unacceptable question, but a question that seems very out of the blue or blunt. And then they would just edit these gaps of like 30 or 40 or.

40 seconds of just looking at each other and no one's saying anything. Right, right. And I know it's so fake, but it still made literally my skin crawl because it's uncomfortable watching people in a situation like that. So I don't know. I mean, it made me think that would be a super funny job to have, would be like to produce and edit a show like The Bachelor. Yeah.

But I've heard they actually in the Bachelor Mansion have a massive room that's just covered in TV screens. And while all the filming's happening, they watch it. and that's how they kind of start and putting together what they want to do is like marking it and putting together the storyline because that's the thing

it's like for people who aren't super familiar there's always like a villain on each season or sometimes like two villains and a lot of those girls have said afterwards like oh you know I actually got along really well with everyone in the house like I didn't really mean to have this storyline

that's how they portrayed me so I can imagine that'd be hard but also I guess if you're signing up for the show you're kind of I was going to say It makes sense that they kind of have to create drama out of nothing because most people are normal and aren't actually that dramatic in real life. But I mean, exactly. You got to do whatever to get the view count, I guess. Yeah.

And I guess to keep people hooked, too, because I don't know if you had heard this either, but this season, which we haven't talked about a lot yet on this episode. But apparently Joey knew he was going to pick Kelsey back when they were in Malta, which was halfway through the season. Yeah. Supposedly is what he said. going to say honestly that doesn't surprise me though i feel like if i were to be on a show like that and we talked a little bit about this last night i think i would know like if i felt that strongly about someone i think you would know maybe not completely but at least with like 80 percent certainty about halfway through the season you know what i mean it wouldn't be that i'm actually split that much in the last

episode because if you're that torn between two people then you should probably not propose to either one of them Exactly, exactly. Yeah, so then that's, I guess, too, where the editing comes in in a huge way. Because if he knew halfway through, oh, yeah, Kelsey's the girl for me. To make it seem like, well, that also makes me wonder then did Daisy, because she obviously picked up on it in their last week, but it makes me think either she's a little dense or Joey's a little too good at being the bachelor. Yeah.

But you know, I have thoughts about Joey. I know. Do you want to tell everyone what you think about Joey? Yeah. I feel like this is probably, actually, this is probably a hot take, right? I don't know. Yeah. No, it is a hot take.

I, like I said, I've been off TikTok and just in general, I don't think The Bachelor has pervaded my algorithm yet since I have never watched it before. So Camden has been sort of funneling the, I would say, the opinions of the masses in articulating them to me because I have seen actually nothing. I do not trust Joey whatsoever. I have said this from... Rat guy, Joey. Literally from the beginning. Literally from the beginning. I don't know what it is.

There is something about his personality that I do not trust. He makes this like hair on the back of my neck stand up. I think... Get him? No, I literally, I think he's... I think he's very smart. I think he's emotionally intelligent. It disappoints me that I think that maybe some of the other ladies on there are not picking up on this.

But I think he very much is someone. who like knows what girls want to hear and it just would and I get that he can't really ever say exactly how he feels on these dates but it would bug me the way that he would just pare it back to these girls exactly what they said like if they're like oh you know I'm just really having a hard time because I feel like I'm not getting along well with the other girls but I really want to give them a chance and at the same time get to know you he'd be like mm-hmm mm-hmm yeah no I can imagine but you know it'd be hard if you're feeling like you're having trouble making friends here and at the same time. Also the amount of times this man said connecting and growing and as we grow and connect

to get like someone literally by this person by this man the thesaurus. If I hear that phrase one more time, I'm like out of here. I don't know what it was about what's his last name, some of the G. I don't even want to try to say it. Okay. Well, I just. It's an Italian. Yeah. It looks Italian. It's a no for me. It is a no for me. You would not accept the rose. No. I would say I know who I know who you why, Joey. Oh, I would. I loved Joey. Oh, gracious. I thought he was probably one of the best Bachelor's Bachelor Nation has ever seen. See, that makes me curious then if we went back and watched another season, if I'd A, either think than there, then they're like much worse than Joey. There are. But like, yeah. Or if I would think that they would, like, from my perception,

if I would perceive them to be more genuine, because I think he's very, I think he's insincere. And that's, that's definitely a valid take. I think. unfortunately, the insincerity kind of stems from just the nature of the show in general. Like, if you watched another season of The Bachelor, even potentially if you watched a season of The Bachelorette, I think you'd feel the same, not the exact same way. Well, it's like, you might have similar thoughts. Because it's like, and I understand because you can't really be a different way, I guess. But it's like when you're sincere with every single person, you're no longer sincere with

anyone. Yeah. And maybe that has more to do with my, like, not exactly completely accepting this show yet. Yeah. And I think the show in general makes me highly uncomfortable. Yeah. But yeah, that makes sense.

I just feel like if I was in that situation, knowing how it works and how he has to be there? I just, like, how am I supposed to get to know you or trust you if you were doing it? Like, I just, it's impossible. Yeah. I think for me to be able to build a relationship. A relationship on that. I would just think he was lying the whole time.

Friend to everyone is a friend of no one. Exactly. That's what I mean is I feel like he always wants to be on everyone's side and pleading, like, blah, blah, blah. And then I don't like how the girls are like catty with one another. And he's kind of like, girl, you know, just like, I don't know. Yeah, they, regardless, I think the lead, that's what people typically call the Bachelor of the Bachelorette. The lead is in a really tough spot in some ways. I would say, obviously, they're also in a place of privilege because it's like now they're going to be famous.

and they have the pick of 30 plus people who are like typically very conventionally attractive and successful, you know, to be their spouse. But also they are somewhat at the mercy of the editing. They're contractually like obligated to say certain things, do certain things, potentially even sometimes keep certain people on the show for an extended period of time to like maintain storylines.

I wonder how much of that there is that goes on that we don't see that like we'll never see because of like an NDA or something. People will say there are so many like. I should hop on Reddit. Yeah, honestly we should go on Reddit. I've heard quite a few people who have been on the shows say that you'd be shocked with what goes on, but they can't say. Because I guess their NDA has someone said recently it's like a $250,000 penalty or something

if you break the NDA. And that's even for people who like don't make it that far. That's crazy. Yeah. So there's a lot. People always say there's a lot they want to say, but they can't. Because obviously, like, I saw a girl. Right.

And I saw a Bachelor magic. Gracious. I saw a girl the other day actually make a TikTok and she was like, oh, if everyone, if 250,000 people want to Venmo me a dollar, she's like, I'll go on a podcast and spill all the tea. Which, Loki, given the way that like the world works these days, I guarantee 250,000 people would Venmo her a dollar. I know. But yeah, overall, honestly, I really. really liked Joey. I think I'd like to see you watch Pilot Pete's season when he was the

Bachelor. Well, his name's Pete Weber. Is he a pilot? Yeah. Okay. He was trash. He was so bad. Sorry, Pete. Literally Peter was a trip. No pun intended, given he's a pilot. And I think if you watched his season, you might look a little more like fondly on Joey. On Joey. I might be more appreciative of what I have. Potentially. And, and, you know, and, you might be more appreciative of what I have. Potentially. And, and, you might look a little. And, you might look a little more. And, And you are listening to The Social Skinny here on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. Yeah, I definitely think that should be something that we do in the upcoming weeks so I can have a little bit more perspective. I guess, yeah, when you were saying, what were you saying a second ago about having to keep different people on the show?

I feel like that must have been what happened with Maria. Probably. He did seem to really like her at the end, though. But I think it's almost in the same way where it's. if he knows early on that's not how it is, but he knows she has the say on because whatever, a lot of, you know, she's a fan favorite. And she does seem like a fun,

like a genuinely fun girl who like, you know, regardless of all aspects of her personality, she seems like she'd be someone fun to like hang out with. Yeah. So maybe it's like they seemed to have a more organic connection because he didn't, like he no longer felt the pressure of. even considering her.

So it's just like, hey, I'm going to hang out with her. You know, and it's weird how sometimes that allows for people to have a more organic and seemingly more genuine connection. Because I thought the same thing. I thought they did seem like they had a, you know what I mean? I've never thought about it that way. Like if you were on there and there's some guy where you're like not going to happen, but he's a nice guy. I respect him. Then you should be like, okay, every time I see him, the point of this date is literally just to have fun, which the point of every date should be.

Right. But then, you know. No, that's such a good point. I know, because that one really threw me for a loop. You were shocked. And honestly, that made me a Maria fan. Before that, I did not really love her. But then after that, because I was so like, how could it not be her?

And then they just, it made me so mad for her. I know. Because she's, like, already struggling so much to open up. And then she literally does. And then she gets projected. I know. How she's supposed to be better after that. Exactly.

Her first boy that she ever brought home to meet her family. And she's, what was she 29? Yeah, poor thing. I know. And so about like, she's so cool, so great. And she obviously is just super guarded. Yeah. And then to finally, like you said, open up like that and then literally get stomped on like a little

bug. I know. Poor thing. I was really hoping she'd be the next bachelor. I mean, Bachelorette. Yeah. No, me too. Like even more so than days.

Like even though I really do. Again, that's what's funny is it's like there'd be girls that I really did not vibe with. And then the second that they were like let go. Didn't win. Yeah. Then I'll listen. I was like, wait, is that common? Do you think for the way that they spin the storyline?

Because I also know that I've had some weird adverse reactions to these people. So I think especially at the end, it definitely helps build morale around certain girls. And I think whether or not you're necessarily a huge fan favorite during the show, I guess that is true. Once you get let go, especially towards the end, then it's like you're popular enough where you could be the Bachelorette. And then the public sort of gets excited about you and thinks, oh, we might get another season with this girl. Like Hannah Brown, she was the Bachelorette. Oh, yeah, Hannah B. Yeah.

And when she was on Peter's season, she stayed? Or was she on Colton's season? No, she was on Colton season. Peter was on her season. That's what it was. When she was on Colton season, she stayed for a decently long time. But she, Loki was super awkward. And people, like, kind of laughed her.

Not in a mean way, but, like, she was just kind of silly. and then towards the end that was when people started to like her more and then that's how she then became the Bachelorette and she probably had one of the best seasons of the Bachelorette that's ever aired like she'll forever be a fan favorite so I guess that probably could be sort of a happen with Maria and also have the flip between going from villain to then fan favorite that does not frequently happen gotcha so I thought that was interesting about like Maria's story arc on the show she definitely I think she kind of grew on me. Daisy was someone. It wasn't ever that I didn't like her. I just did not like her and Joey together. And I was really glad to see that she walked away like that. Mm-hmm. Granted, though, I mean, I guess it's different when you're walking away. When you know someone's not going to pick you, it's different than walking away if someone was going to pick you. Right. But I just always felt like there was a huge power imbalance more than they're like, you know, should be in a relationship. And I felt like since she had suffered so much with herself esteem from like her cochlear implant and

everything. I felt like a little bit too much she was getting um the like reestablishment of her identity from Joey giving her attention. And not that I don't think that that can't serve a purpose, but I was worried that it's like if it becomes too tied to that, then it's like, I don't know. What's the relationship then? Yeah, what kind of basis is that for a relationship? Yeah. Well, thanks so much for introducing me to the Bachelor for the first time scam. Of course. It was fun to watch it with you. I'm excited to see some of the other franchises and I guess watched again same time next year, right? Is that how that works? The Bachelor, yeah. I mean, The Bachelor in Paradise will be starting this summer.

Bachelorette will also be starting. I wonder if we'll do it in May. Sometimes they do it in May. So we might have a new season pretty soon, whether or not it's Bachelorette or Bachelor in Paradise. So I'm looking forward to it. Me too. Thanks, you guys so much for listening. This has been the social skinny here on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.