MY PERSONAL OPINION

Let’s say I earn a living evaluating people and their behavior, and still at an age when I enjoy a popular topic. I became “hooked” on The Bachelor by cheer accident, but the fact is I tuned in every week to see “Aaron’s run”, and enjoyed seeing the spectacle from then on. I have to call it spectacle, because there is no other name to call this series, since most of the real action is behind the scenes, and the Network orchestrates the contents and final editing of the episodes creating whatever illusion they wish. I also promise to express myself in an “unprofessional” manner, and leave technical terminology out of my article, since I am able to hide under my anonymity and speak normal English for a change.

I’ve seen plenty of criticism on all the ladies, some, of which I believe to be unfounded. If we take away hard nosed feminists, who believe the show is degrading to women, and intellectuals, who don’t even waste their time on something like this, what we end up with is a small portion of today’s single scene. I constantly meet ladies, in every facet of my regular life, with characteristics similar to the ones in the show. School teachers, professionals, stewardess, student, nurse, psychological specialist, among others, appear to me as a fairly well rounded group. People should also take into consideration Aaron probably filled out a “wish list” of his ideal woman; therefore, the show producers had to narrow down the list to individuals they believed would attract Aaron. Of course, to make some viewers happy, the producers included several ladies of different ethnic groups, even if, realistically, they didn’t stand a chance. Don’t get angry with me, it’s simply the truth! As a whole, Americans still do not approve much of interracial marriages, Aaron, having his family in mind, would never go out on a limb on this one, and this is an extremely complicated topic, not to be approached in a simple discussion of The Bachelor. Anyway, the producers chose the wrong ones for the show, for one is somewhat of an insensitive and confrontational militant, who plows through people’s feelings just to proudly indicate she always speaks her mind, and the other, an awkward and difficult person to figure out, specially after asking Aaron if he knew how to dance before accepting his rose. I was expecting her to ask him for a brief demonstration of his tango abilities while she made up her mind. Both ladies secretly agreed to leave the show while being in front of the cameras, so they could have the last word and save face, knowing they were not going to receive a rose. I say this remembering their taped messages to Aaron, right before the rose ceremony, in which their words contradicts their ulterior actions.

Moving on, the reasons for the ladies to apply for the show vary. Some did it to get away from their everyday life, and the possibility of spending several weeks living like a princess, or simply for the excitement of being on TV and have their moment of fame. Others for a chance to be seen by producers and possibly kick-start a career in show business, or to cash in on being in the show, especially if they endured several episodes. I am certain there were even a few who actually believed this could work, and would find a fairytale love in six weeks (A large percentage of people still fantasize on the possibility). I believe in having a “strong attraction” and even “romantic feelings” towards someone you’ve known in a period of weeks, but LOVE should be taken out of the equation and left alone.

Speaking of fantasies, I have read many opinions as to why most men watched the show. Notice I say MOST, for there will always be exceptions. Personally, I believe the answer to this question is simple: Take any normal guy and offer him a 7-week, all expense paid vacation. Tell him he is also going to have a beachfront house with 25 young ladies staying over, whose only interest is to impress and entertain him. Who is going to say no? Hell, even I’ve had such fantasies!

Most men watching the show LIVED the fantasy through Aaron, and fantasized being with each one of the contestants, even choosing which ones would stay or go. It’s the adventure of a lifetime, for most of us normal mortals, and even Aaron will have a tough time going back to his normal life after all is over and done.

Women watched for various reasons, but I believe the primary one was simple curiosity as to what would happen next, and having a romantic nature, which this type of show feeds very nicely. Again, there are exceptions, and this is for fun, please don’t tear me up with my opinions.

Now, my opinion on Aaron and the ladies: I know I’ll probably get some heat on this. Not that I’m right every time, but, while watching these type of programs, I sometimes exclude what people actually say, and concentrate on body language, demeanor, face expressions and reactions to certain type of situations. You want a good tip? Turn the volume down and watch body language, face expressions, eye contacts and demeanors while watching a re-run of this show. You’ll be surprised as to the clarity of what you’re seeing. All my predictions were correct from the beginning, including who was going to get bumped off, with minor exceptions. As far a Helene, well I’ll get to her real soon.

I must indicate this piece is for fun. A true psychological profile takes several hours to perform, and the subject must be present in order to be precise. My opinions are based on a few segments on a TV program. With the majic of video editing, you are able to piece several segments together and create whatever character traits you wish to expose on a person, therefore I'm basing this piece on what I saw on the program. In actuality, some of these people's personalities may be totally different than how they were portrayed. You have the right to not agree with me, since it is possible I might be wrong on some of my observations, and like said earlier, this is for fun.

Here is the lineup of the principal characters:

AARON is a nice clean-cut kid, still immature in some areas, and is impressed by melodramatics. He is intelligent, little experience in life, and much less in serious relationships. He has the gift of being liked by almost everyone he meets, and is a public relations dream boy. He still goes through life being attracted by every lady that is pretty and has a nice figure, and that was his basic criteria for choosing who would stay in the first rose ceremony. Heck, we ALL did that, one way or another in our lives, so lets be honest here! The truth is he still doesn’t know what he wants out of the opposite sex. For now, a good time in a hot tub is his weakness (and fetish). He zeroed in on Helene from day one, his face and eyes lit up whenever he was with her. I would not be surprised if he already had his mind set half way into the show, continuing with the suspense, either to please the Producers (due to a contract to stay the distance), or, because he didn’t have what it takes to end the show early and choose Helene. He contradicted himself several times, most obviously when he lets Gwen go insinuating he is in love with someone else. If this was true, why all the indecisiveness in the last two episodes, when he constantly states he is “torn” deciding between Brooke and Heleen? If you’re really “IN LOVE”, no more needs to be said or done, just sit back and enjoy the pool for a couple of days until the filming of the last scene is scheduled. Anyway, I have serious doubts about people’s “Love” when they don’t know what their feelings are up until the last moment. We must also remember he is not a fool. Who would in their right mind decline another 5 or 6 weeks in “wonderland”, complete with oceanfront, hot tub, and all those nice looking ladies? Besides, it was to Aaron and Dad’s advantage to benefit from his new found celebrity, creating a free nationwide advertisement for his new restaurant. Aaron is probably choosing already which “Bachelor” photos to hang on the entrance. He is a sheltered young man, insecure in some areas, and easily manipulated by someone who knows how to pull the right strings. He has a very high opinion of family, and has grown up trying to impress and obtain acceptance from Dad and Mom. A real nice family guy! His Mom has a strong personality, and is very influential in his life. Aaron’s biggest problem has been to have his hot tub in good working order before his dates. Dad and Mom have always taken care of the rest. His confusion as to what he wants from the opposite sex is evident. Just look at the difference between Brooke and Helene, they are like night and day, not only physically, but also emotionally and intellectually. I would have concluded he knew what he wanted if both finalists were practically a carbon copy of each other. Personally, I believe he let go of some interesting ones early on in the first two rose ceremonies, and carried over several ones who where inconsequential, but, like I said, Aaron’s eyes were on Helene from day one, and everything else was just gravy. I don’t have much believe in “love at first sight”, but there are times when you meet someone and they create a strong impression from the start. Helene did that to him from day one. Even though he is very personable and likeable, Aaron has a problem opening up to people, preferring others do so first. Only when he feels secure and on safe ground does he venture out with a response. Proof of this is the fact, halfway into the series, his decision on whom to give a rose to was mostly based on whoever went out on a limb first, and expressed their feelings towards him. Never did he venture out and used his own judgement, in dealing with the opposite sex, to make the decision.

HELENE is similar to Aaron’s “Mom”, head strong and knows what she wants. She is very intelligent, and respects herself at all times, being levelheaded and in control of all her actions. Shy and uncomfortable in front of the cameras, she never felt comfortable revealing her inner emotions on air, which is why she came across as a cold person, even though she is not. Helene is not a bad person, don’t get me wrong, but I honestly believe she has no deep feelings for Aaron YET, since she is the type of lady who doesn’t take a step forward until she feels she is ready to do so. She definitely felt somewhat attracted to him, and was difficult for her to see Aaron having a good time with the rest of the ladies, while she and Aaron were trying to get to know each other. She needs more time, to see what the relationship brings, in order for her to open her heart totally to Aaron. She is a practical person and, against popular opinion, does have a romantic personality, but she will always be in control of how much and how fast she moves forward. She is no fool and knows when she’s made a good “catch”. I will not go further into it, but will say that I am one who believe they will marry, unless SHE decides against it, for whatever reason. Remember she is the driving force, the one who is not impulsive, and will do what she feels is right for her happiness. She definitely wants to marry well. She is practical, and wise enough to realize it takes the same effort to fall in love with someone nice, loving and successful, who will be a positive force in the relationship, as it is to become involved with a macho “problem child” who would make her life miserable. She was not extremely impressed with all the extravagance of the show. Aaron can’t seem to get his hands off her, and she still doesn’t feel too thrilled to be overly-kissed by Aaron, that is why she had conversations through the side of her mouth while Aaron was trying to kiss her. During the taping of the show, she always kept him wanting for more, just giving Aaron enough to calm him down and keep his interest alive.. I am certain that seeing the shown air two months later, with the camera focusing on Aaron having a great time with several of the other ladies was not very positive for the relationship. Helene is not the type of lady who will give him a second chance, not because of being inflexible or mean, but, once you hurt her feelings of love and trust, something inside of her dies, and she will never see the other person the same way again. I’ve heard a lot about her “giggle”. There’s a reason for that subconscious nervous laugh of hers, and it’s simply her way to relieve stress. She never felt comfortable in front of the camera, and having a group of people and a cameraman following your every move, including when she was alone with Aaron, can be stressful. Sorry people, but I liked her. She is a secure, well balanced, intelligent and very pretty lady with high standards and morals, something difficult to find in today’s society. I can see why a large portion of the young generation did not associate well with her. I wish her well, and know she can make anyone happy if her feelings are committed. I am almost certain she is smart enough to have figured out, sometime around episode 4, she was the one who was going all the way. After all, she is a psychology specialist, and Aaron is a pretty easy guy to read. I believe I’m pretty close on all this, but remember, I haven’t met or personally spoken with anyone here, so this is just for fun. I might be wrong in some of my evaluations; after all, I’m not Houdini. Two last things about Helene and Aaron; Now is the beginning of their relationship, and long distance ones usually never work out, especially when everything is in the initial stages. They need to see each other and spend private time almost on a daily basis, for any deep-rooted feeling to evolve. Helene and Aaron have a chance to cement their relationship and make something positive out of what started as a fantasy TV show, but they will need to work at it close together, and not seeing each other sporadically. And my next prediction is she would return the diamond ring, in my opinion, if things don’t work out. It’s not the size of the ring or the extravagance of the wedding; it’s what’s behind it that counts for her.

BROOKE. I’m sort of divided in reference to her, I’ll explain later. Nice young lady, but she really never had a chance to win Aaron’s heart. Aaron liked her very much, and became attached to her midway into the episodes. Part of him also felt a little sorry for Brooke and her problems with “Daddy”. At the last quick private meeting they had before the rose ceremony, when Brooke told him she felt “scared”, Aaron just didn’t have the heart to deny her a rose, sacrificing Gwen in the end, since he knew Heleen was going to be his choice anyway. Brooke is of normal to average intelligence and is going through a period when she wants to become someone in life. Nice fun loving personality and honest with her feelings, she is too young and immature for marriage at this point of her life. Notice I did not say “Poor Brooke”. Don’t feel too bad for her, she is tough as nails, a survivor, and can be crafty when she needs to be. She got on the show because she knows how glamorous she looks, and is able to use it to her advantage. This is NOT the first time she has been on TV, since I believe she is involved in some type of advertising for a firm in her home town. Brooke has a likeable personality but is not very sophisticated beyond casual conversation. Honestly now, she does not have the potential to be an attorney, she lacks the personality and qualities for this type of harsh career. Trust me on this one! I predict she will cash in royally from this, so we will see her around some more, mostly in front of the cameras. The “tell it all” book will be written by someone else, I’ll get to that later. Aaron will miss her, and is probably doing so as I write this, not because he is in love, but because Brooke is a hard person to let go, and he really felt attached to her. Don’t forget, folks, she also probably showed him a good time off camera! One more thing: Do you remember all the time she took to get herself looking breathtaking in the last episode? Well, dear Brooke is the type of lady who, if you shoot her the right glance, will grab you by the shirt, drag you into the shower, and ravage the living daylights out of you. To hell with the new dress, nails and makeup! There is a possibility she was honestly becoming romantically attached to Aaron, and her crying in the limousine was genuine. Why do I say this? Because it’s hard for me to believe Brooke can “lose her posture” so quickly in front of a camera as she did, but, I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. I honestly got to liking her, anyway, and wish her the best! In my humble opinion, she was the best suited for Aaron among the last 4 standing in the end, since I can’t count the ones Aaron let go in earlier episodes. Sadly, love doesn’t follow common sense.

GWEN. I got to calling her “Teddy bear’, for that is what she is, and uses it to her advantage. Nice young lady, beautiful smile, she can melt you away with it. She will make someone really happy someday. Gwen is very mature and smart, a little too much for Aaron, in my opinion! She is my number one pick for the book. It might not be on the best seller’s list, but it will make money, especially if it’s done quickly, while Bachelor II is still a hot topic. She is well in control of her emotions, and is a very likeable person. Aaron and Gwen, together, would have made the number one public relations coup of ABC, if they had ended up together. Aaron found her nice and fun to be with, and she also knows how to make a guy “real happy”, even though I also believe Aaron did not "cash in" with her, or any other lady in the group. Gwen can take care of herself, so don’t worry too much about her, she just hides her claws and puts on her “I’m a toy” look to win the fight. Kidding aside, I have great respect for Gwen, and whomever she marries in the future is going to have a gem! I keep thinking SOMETHING happened off camera between Aaron and Gwen, which cooled things down a bit, it’s doubtful we will ever know for certain, unless she writes the book. I can't believe Aaron is so shallow he made his decision not to give her a rose based only on the five minutes he spent with each lady before the rose ceremony. My guess is that Aaron realized Helene was going to be the one going the distance, and, when it came down to it, Aaron didn’t have the heart to hurt Brooke’s feelings when it was time to choose between her and Gwen. He knew Gwen would take the blow much better. That is why he asked ALL THREE finalists how would they feel if they didn’t get a rose. Again, we see Aaron asking others to express their feelings before making a decision, not having a clue otherwise as to the ladies’ personalities and feelings. Still, I believe there was something "there" between Gwenn and Aaron.

ANGELA. Another enigma, chosen because of her exceptionally great looks and “challenging silence”. Her sex appeal and lack of emotion, throughout the whole 5 weeks, intrigued Aaron, and thought of her as a challenge. Of course, after Aaron’s visit to her roommate’s home, and then her parent’s, he ran as fast as he could from her. Angela has deep-rooted emotional problems, and, for some reason, does not get along well with her parents or sister. Her family is not very “normal’ per say, especially her mother and brother. Something about her mother, but I will not get into it, since we are dealing with Angela. You could cut the tension between Angela and her family with a knife, specially her sister. Very cold interaction with her family, and one could sense Angela was very uncomfortable the whole time they were there. For once, I felt sorry for Aaron. Angela’s roommate feels a possessive attraction towards Angela that borders on destructive. I can not imagine Angela being so naïve she does not realize what is going on with her roommate! The only intelligent thing Aaron ever said about someone’s personality was when he advised Angela to “be real careful” about the roommate, while riding in the limo. Angela herself seemed a confused and disturbed personality, desperately seeking help for a problem she herself realizes she has. Just listen carefully at her last words in the limo, as she is being driven away after the rose ceremony; a true and desperate cry for help, if you know how to listen! At that moment, I stopped seeing her as a sexy young lady and honestly just felt sorry for her. This was the only time she expressed her feelings in any way. Angela has some internal anger she has learned to control, but is right there on the surface. Something in her life, and the people surrounding her, is not “right”. I can’t place a finger on it by watching a few minutes of a simple TV show, so I’ll just leave it at that.

HEATHER FROM TEXAS. Now there’s a gal for a good time! She has experience in life and is definitely a “party animal”. Never had a chance when it came to romancing Aaron, but he liked her company. She wasn’t emotional or made him embarrassed by telling him she couldn’t live without him. She’s the type of lady you’d love to take to the Pub and have a grand time hanging around with, the typical “life of the party”. Probably found Aaron a little boring and naive, but did a good job of acting as if he was her “idol”. Heather looked sometimes like she could be some of the ladies’ mother, both physically and emotionally, a sign of having “gone around the block” several times throughout her life. Good old Heather can literally lift up Aaron, toss him in bed, and leave him looking (and feeling) like he went through a wood chipper, all without even breaking sweat. She had a hidden agenda, and Aaron’s family banks are nothing to “look the other way” about either, but, lets give her a break, she is human after all, and almost everyone would like to own their own bank (including me). Heather will eventually find her tough looking “Terminator” in the future, tame him down, and keep his joints well greased.

CHRISTI. Last but not least, she kept several episodes interesting for a while. Not much to say here except she got in because of her somewhat pretty face, and is living proof Aaron has absolutely no psychological skills, for he made a comment early on she was the one who “stood out” from the crowd. She did, in her own way! Bless it, man! I hope you’re not in charge of approving loans for Daddy’s bank! He even kept her around for a while longer after the Napa incident! Seriously now, I believe she got a raw deal in the editing room and she is not all that disturbed, but she IS over emotional and theatrical. Christy does have a problem controlling her emotions and competing for something; I would love to have seen her in action, behind the scenes, for the Miss Idaho pageant. If I were still involved in counseling, I would send her my business card offering therapy. No, silly, not THAT way, I’m talking about the real thing. She has mastered the art of trying to make herself look good by making others look bad. Unlike with the others, I can not say I liked her much.

I learned one thing from watching the show: Most young people still think of love as something to be conquered and won in competition, when, in fact, the only weapon that’s effective here is just being yourself. If it’s going to happen, it will. Competition should be left for the sporting arena.

I will end by predicting the success of Aaron’s “The Bachelor II” saga will not continue with the female version of the show coming up in January. Even though the show has momentum, it will loose a large number of viewers who are not equally interested in seeing 25 “I love myself macho guys” competing for one lady. The ratings, at the end, will let ABC know they might have made the feminine population happy by having a Bachelorette, but the ratings will not hold up. Don’t get angry with me, ladies, I’ll eat my words if I’m wrong!

Even when they do make Bachelor III, It will be difficult for ABC to find another Aaron, for his chemistry, both with the cameras and ladies, was pure magic, and, with his wide “toothy” grin, was the driving force behind their rating success.

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