Cultural Artifact 2 - The Bachelor

For my second artifact, I chose to analyze an episode of ABC’s The Bachelor. This reality TV show follows the experiences of Sean Lowe as he dates a total of 26 girls, eliminating a few each week until he is left with one girl, to whom he proposes in a romantic and slightly-cheesy season finale. The show encourages competition between the girls and is known for its dramatic twists.

In essence, this show is a chance at redemption for Sean Lowe, as he was previously rejected on the last season of The Bachelorette. He reportedly had his heart broken by Bachelorette Emily, but now that he has recovered, he is ready to find love again, much to the entertainment of the public (and myself).

The entire purpose of the show is centered on finding a wife for Bachelor Sean, indicating that one of the only ways you can be fulfilled is through a relationship, particularly marriage. Most of the contestants come on the show and gush about love, relationships, and how they see Sean as the perfect man for them (this is all during one-on-one interviews with the contestants).  When those girls get sent home, it is like their whole world comes crashing down, as if this prospect of a relationship was their one chance at happiness. Whether this is actually how the girls feel or simply the manipulation of the producers, it sends a message. The focus on relationships encourages viewers to see their life as incomplete unless they have a partner. In addition, the large budget of the show also allows for extravagant dates and locations, creating excitement and “romance”. The show sets up what an ideal dating experience would look like, and it may cause viewer to see their own relationships as insufficient because they do not live up to the excitement depicted in the show. It supports the idea that people should only be in a relationship if it comes naturally and is exciting for you, a framework prevalent in today’s empire and thought to be one of the leading causes of divorce.

One of the things that concerns me the most about this show is the commodification of love. These are real people on the show, with real feelings, and if only one out of 26 girls will be chosen, what message does that send to the other 25 girls? That they aren’t pretty enough? Aren’t smart enough? Aren’t good enough? The Bachelor has taken something as sacred as falling in love and made it into a spectacle for the entertainment of millions, manipulating people’s emotions and feelings all for the sake of ratings and business. This is the business of the Empire.

Over the past few years, there has also been some skepticism and criticism concerning the producers of the show. A recent article I read indicated that producers intentionally encouraged the contestants to get drunk on specific occasions in order to create a more dramatic show. And, as with all reality TV, we know that any story can be spun with the vast amounts of footage they obtain. It leaves me, and any other critical mind in the audience questioning, “How real is this?” The power that the producers have to create and manipulate any person, event, or story they want can be dangerous to the millions of viewers; they could basically sell us any message they want. And usually, that message is about the commodification of love.

I would also like to note the glamour that is extremely obvious in the show. Every show, the girls dress up in very fancy and often revealing dresses that are obviously designed to attract attention. They also stay in a very luxurious mansion as housemates, complete with pool, hot tub, bar, and other accessories. The lavish lifestyle depicted in the show ties directly into the theme of consumption and wealth as the two main goals of the empire. This is reinforced by the tons of ads directed at women during the commercial break, as if to say, if you buy this product, you will be fulfilled and can have the lavish lifestyle you see before you. All of the fun the girls seem to have in the house and with Sean entice the viewers to want a similar lifestyle, one that is only achieved through consumption and wealth.

However, there are some positive aspects to the show. This year especially, the Bachelor, Sean, is known to be a genuine guy who values family and traditional Christian morals. He has stated multiple times that he is not looking for simply a physically attractive woman; he is looking for someone with a good heart and sense of humor. This is especially seen in his interactions with women of different ethnicities and a woman with a physical disability (she only has one are). All of these women are contestants and he treats them all the same, valuing them as unique individuals, being open to a relationship with all, and getting to know each woman on a personal level. He even admitted that he doesn’t have a physical type when it comes to women, a very rare trait in today’s empire. He appears to truly value who a woman is rather than what she looks like, which is a genuine reflection of Kingdom values. God values each person simply because he created them, and he desires a personal relationship with everyone. Obviously God is the only one who is able to do this perfectly, but I feel like Sean is making an excellent attempt to show how we should treat one another.

Discussion Questions:

1.       Why are we so attracted to reality TV drama while most people avoid drama in real life?

2.       Is it considered appropriate for a Christian guy like Sean to be participating in the Bachelor (if he is truly a Christian)? Why or why not?