The Bachelor III –03/27/03
By Wendy Thompson.
Q. Yesterday, we got our first glimpse of Andrew and the bachelorettes. I have to ask you some specific questions regarding the bachelorettes, but first, give us your opinion of Andrew.
A. It is too soon for me to have an opinion on him, I will need to see a couple of episodes to get a better glimpse of his personality. I am interested in seeing his personal interaction with the women, and how he handles certain types of situations, which will emerge on this series. I will say my first impression of Andrew is a positive one. He appears to have a pleasant personality, and did not give me the impression of someone whom is overly concerned with his social status and famous last name. Andrew may be a little shy in some situations, but he is probably able to control it well. It appears to me his parents have taken special care so he wouldn’t grow up being spoiled or arrogant. It was clear to me any bachelorette who appears to be overly impressed by his last name, and social status, will not go very far. Yesterday I was able to identify several ladies that may fall into this category. Andrew seems to have the ongoing task of trying to identify which of the women he meet are “status seekers,” and which are honestly interested in him, as a person.
Q. lets get down to the bachelorettes. Give me a rundown of your first impression of them.
A. I was amused to see just how similar these groups of women are from some bachelorettes from previous shows. It appears to me ABC breaks the women down into several categories, and ensures there is at least one candidate from each group on their final list. It’s really too early to define their personalities, with any measure of success. I might be totally wrong, but I recognized the overly aggressive ones, for example Tina (the Event Planner) and Stephanie, who is the one, this time around, who wishes to have the “big ring” on her finger. I believe Elizabeth is overly emotional, and possibly prone to creating scenes (sound familiar?). Some, like Anne Michelle, might be physically attractive, but are probably there with a personal agenda. I believe Christina is somewhat of a militant troublemaker. She is seeking someone, in her own words, “perfect”, and also will probably be an instigator. I believe some will be let go fairly soon, for they will most likely say something inadvertently wrong to Andrew, who will be extra careful on the first night trying to identify the fame and fortune seekers. We must remember he has had to deal with this issue all his life, therefore, I believe he has become fairly good at it. The rest appear to be fairly nice, but we will have to see more of them to get a better glimpse of their personalities.
Q. I know you can not tell which will be Andrew’s favorites, since he hasn’t officially met any of them yet, but tell me YOUR personal favorites.
A. You do enjoy placing me in a tight spot! I barely know them, but judging only by what I saw yesterday, I personally liked Cristina C., Heather, Jennifer S., Tina P., Shannon, Kirsten, and Tiffany. There are some others, but those are the ones that impressed me the most. You must remember these are MY choices. Andrew’s preferences in women may be totally different from mine.
Q. What may we expect on the first rose ceremony, next week?
A. Like I’ve said all along, the first day is just one large party, and it is difficult to get to know someone well enough to make any type of rational decision on whom should stay or go. Andrew will possibly filter out the most prominent fame & fortune seekers, relying on physical attraction and first impressions to select who will receive a rose. I personally believe in all the previous shows, some good candidates were let go due to The Bachelor not being able to spend enough one on one time with them, and having to choose based on superficial observations. This is a shame, in my opinion, since twenty-five bachelorettes may seem like a large group, but, when you narrow it down to the ones who potentially attract the main character, the field gets much smaller. Overall, I believe this could make an interesting series. If Andrew does not let them go from the onset, there are enough colorful and problematic personalities, in the group, that will keep us entertained. I actually look forward to next week!
Q. Let me change the subject. We’ve heard Joe Mil. and Zora have officially ended their relationship. She stated, in an interview, her desire to become a Holistic Nurse. Would you please give us your comment on this news, and clarify what a Holistic Nurse is.
A. I always said there was never any chemistry between them, therefore the news did not surprise me. Holistic Nurses blend traditional medical nursing with specific complementary therapies. These professionals supposedly blend body, mind, and spirit to assist the patient in dealing with their illness. I do wish both Zora and Evan all the best.
Q. Please give us your opinion of the couples in Married by America, and how you feel their relationship is progressing.
A. Here we go, Wendy! Last time, you “squeezed in” Joe Mil. on my Bachelorette articles. This time, I see you are determined to do the same with this particular show. Knowing how persistent you can be, I will say the panel seems to know what they’re talking about, and they have the added bonus of being able to see footage of each couple’s everyday interactions, making their decision process easier. So far, I agree with both their choices of which couple had to be eliminated. On this past segment, I’m of the opinion there were two couples who were tied, and both would probably have appreciated having their ongoing misery terminated.
Q. Please give us your insights on each couple, and how you see their relationship developing.
A. I’ll begin by saying Matt and Cortez were totally opposites, even though she kept saying they had so much in common it was “scary”. Matt appeared to be a clean cut guy, kind of immature for his age, but with a good sense of humor and a really nice personality. Cortez worried me a little, after her comment she liked her relationships to be “a little abusive.” Something going on there, if she constantly seeks this type of relationship. Might have grown up in an abusive atmosphere, and feels somewhat bored of having a peaceful relationship, where she would be constantly treated with love and respect. Jennifer and Xavier were another pair that was a mismatch from the beginning. Xavier appeared to be a well-mannered and thoughtful person, and showed us he has the patience of a monk. Jennifer either did not find him attractive, for some reason she never explained in detail, or she is one of those people whom is difficult to please and get along with. She came across as a capricious perfectionist who believes there is a time and a place for everything, and, as some of her side remarks insinuated, can be selfish and cranky if situations don’t go her way. Stephen and Denise are probably the next two dismissed, unless both do a 180 and begin to communicate with each other, instead of just talking. She needs to stops trying to force Stephen into situations he does not wish to get into, and much less insinuating he is gay because of his behavior. Stephen, on the other hand, needs to open up, and not just give a blank stare whenever the issue is brought up. Personally, I find his behavior slightly peculiar, especially after his comments of being aroused, for the first time in the show, after Denise did some playacting in her costume and ponytails. Listen, folks, human sexuality is a complex matter, and I am extremely flexible, but, if this is the ONLY way to extract some reaction from Stephen, something is wrong somewhere! I can understand him feeling shy of being intimate with her in front of TV cameras, but the fact he has not shown much physical interaction with Denise is somewhat worrisome. Billie Jeanne and Tony appear to be having a grand time! Nothing wrong there, if all they are doing is enjoying an extended weekend fling. At least they will remember their stint on TV once their relationship is over. Seriously now, I see no communication or deep feelings evolving between them. I am of the opinion a solid long-term relationship should be built on six pillars. They are mutual respect, friendship, trust, honesty, good communication, and both being sexually compatible and physically attracted to each other. I believe these two jumped right over the friendship and communication part, and have devoted all their time in determining if they are sexually compatible. In addition, I am almost certain their mutual respect will go out the window on their first argument. Both currently appear to be in sexual heaven, until their first argument, when I have the feeling they would begin to shout obscenities at each other, and their relationship will begin to crumble. They both might agree to fake it long enough to win the house and prizes, if they keep themselves from getting into an argument in front of national TV. I believe their personalities and expectations are different, although it might appear otherwise. Jill and Kevin honestly appear to have clicked, although I don’t see them taking the time to privately get to know each other. I’m of the opinion there is more to Jill and Kevin than meets the eye, and both do not know each other well enough to realize whom they are engaged to. I also saw, on next week’s preview, what appeared to be a scene between Jill’s father and the couple. It might just be crafty editing, to entice viewers, but if it isn’t, Kevin’s father in-law might represent a problem in their relationship. Sometimes, the only opportunity a couple has for happiness is moving far away from their in-laws, since some still haven’t learned when it is time to let go of their children and avoid becoming an obstacle in their path for happiness. In next week’s episode, we will see what actually happened during their home visit.
Q. Thanks, A.T. for this long interview. When will we hear from you again?
A. Next Thursday, after we see the official first episode of Bachelor. This week, ABC played a trick on us, and stretched the show to eight episodes. This episode, on the main contestants, wasn’t much more than a teaser, possibly to squeeze one more week of high ratings. I just hope the producers don’t deface the show with trick editing, trying to create apparent situations that are totally fiction, just for the sake of throwing the viewers off the trail of what really happened.
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE SOLELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.
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