Last week “The Bachelor,” a long-running television reality show where bachelors and bachelorettes alike meet eager singles in the hope of finding lasting romance, broke its psychological contract with its millions of viewers. The story line is that over several weeks the bachelor will winnow down the field of 25 eager young women, each week handing out roses to those he wishes to keep on board for glamorous dates in exotic locales, to one lucky “contestant” who will receive a marriage proposal. The show is an ego-enhancing exercise for the bachelor-in-season and a challenging competition for the ladies in waiting. On the last show, it came down to two women, only one of whom would receive “the final rose.” Yet the marriage proposal by Jason to Melissa was just the beginning of the off-television romance where the bloom wore off. As Paul Harvey, the beloved radio personality who passed last weekend, consistently reminded us, “Now, for the rest of the story.” Continue reading →
The Bachelor, The Dumpee, and The Rest of the Story
Last week “The Bachelor,” a long-running television reality show where bachelors and bachelorettes alike meet eager singles in the hope of finding lasting romance, broke its psychological contract with its millions of viewers. The story line is that over several weeks the bachelor will winnow down the field of 25 eager young women, each week handing out roses to those he wishes to keep on board for glamorous dates in exotic locales, to one lucky “contestant” who will receive a marriage proposal. The show is an ego-enhancing exercise for the bachelor-in-season and a challenging competition for the ladies in waiting. On the last show, it came down to two women, only one of whom would receive “the final rose.” Yet the marriage proposal by Jason to Melissa was just the beginning of the off-television romance where the bloom wore off. As Paul Harvey, the beloved radio personality who passed last weekend, consistently reminded us, “Now, for the rest of the story.” Continue reading →