guilty pleasure

while i love a good drama (or bad teen soap), i've never been a fan of reality or game shows. survivor, dancing with the stars, american idol, deal or no deal...they just don't interest me, no matter how big the buzz.

but, i have one embarrassing exception: i love the bachelor. i love the drama and the utter ridiculousness of it all. i realize it's a colossal time-suck, but like a bad car wreck, i can't bring myself to look away.

twenty-five women come to compete to "marry" one man. over the series of groups dates, parties, and some fantasy one-on-one dates, the bachelor is supposed to decide which one he wants to marry, proposing the last night immediately after breaking up with his second favorite date. according to the producer's careful formula, the happy couple starts dating exclusively and gets engaged all in one night, only six weeks after meeting.

sounds like a rock solid foundation for marriage, huh?

in the span of what i think has been ten bachelors, not one has ever married the woman he picked! they can't even seem to find a serious girlfriend, let alone wife, and bachelor jason thinks he's gonna find a decent stepmom for his kid on this show? c'mon, buddy!

it's more than a little contrived, but i think it's fascinating from a sociological standpoint. what would make a woman want to participate in this humiliating ritual on national tv? dating a relationships are complicated enough without the cameras and competitors.

how many of them would even be attracted to the bachelor if they met under normal circumstances? but add in limos, cocktail dresses, alcohol, cameras, and a "rose ceremony," and every one is just about declaring her undying devotion mere hours after introduction. it's crazy how unguarded the women are with their hearts and emotions, especially with a man they barely know who is unable to commit anything reciprocally.

the women aren't all idiots. some seem like they'd be professional, capable, even confident women in other settings, but the whole scenario reduces most of them to a bunch of insecure, aggressive, anti-feminist high school girls.

it's too early for me to pick favorites. also, we watched how i met you mother in the middle of last night's episode, so i didn't see everything, but i can tell who "i just don't think is right for jason" or who "isn't here for the right reasons"--the cardinal sins of the bachelor! (i had to look up the girls' names; how does jason keep them straight?)

1. erica is mean girl and a mean drunk. get rid of her!

2. between the ice throwing and myspace stalking, shannon, the dental hygienist, is not an appealing person, let alone girlfriend (or stepmom!) when she talks, jason appears visibly creeped out and overwhelmed, but he keeps picking her. they usually do hold onto the freakshows--i wonder if the producers insist on it?

3. widowed stephanie seems nice enough, but something about her botoxed forehead and overplucked brows remind me of a drag queen.

4. molly is annoying. plus, when jason asked her what she was good at, she say kissing. puh-leaze!

i can't quite decide on jillian the canuck or nikki the pageant queen, but they both seem a little not-in-a-good-way-weird. i guess we'll see...

is anyone else watching abc's romantic mess? who are you rooting for? and is jason even worth it?