Monday, June 13, 2011

The Bachelorette — Ashley

There’s a guy in my office who is a great husband who had done something really sweet for his wife (and probably himself as well) and turned watching “The Bachelorette” into a March Madness sort of game. The rules are below (and he wrote these so I can’t take credit):

How it will work:
  • Watch the season premier Monday, May 23, right up until the rose ceremony
  • Before the rose ceremony, pause the show and then rank each contestant from 25 (the dude you think has the best chance of winning) to 1 (the man you’re sure will not guard and protect Ashley’s heart)
  • You can only use each number once (e.g., Ames = 25, Anthony = 24, Ben C. = 23, etc.)
  • Just like an NCAA tournament pool, you’ll accumulate points each week based on who advances, and how many points you assigned to them at the beginning
  • E-mail me your completed grid on Tuesday, May 24
  • I’ll keep a master grid with everyone’s picks and release standings updates each week on Tuesday morning

Now, the obvious flaw in the game is that all of us won’t be able to watch the first episode together, so we’ll have to be on our honor not to cheat (e.g., filling out the entry form after the first rose ceremony).  So, if you’re a cheater by nature, that’s fine.  Find some other game to play.

So, how fun is that? The bad news is that it has forced me to watch The Bachelorette. And, the good news is that is has forced me to watch The Bachelorette. Currently, I’m in third place in the game, and I have Ryan P. as the winner with William coming in second. My other top five finishers are: Ben F., J.P. and Ben. C. I know there are spoilers out there, but I haven’t looked. I don’t plan on it. I will wait and see.

So, I will give my take on the show each week, but not a play by plan like I will on Bridezillas. I think Ashley may have a few issues and may actually fall for the bad boys, thus Bentley. I’m tired of her saying, “I know this works” when, in fact, we know it doesn’t. This is a game, and these guys are playing to win. And, if she likes the bad boys, we know it will never work for her.

So do I hate Bentley? Not really. He would probably make a great bachelor for next season and definitely great TV. There are a lot of women that would LOVE him. He knows it is a game, which it is. To me, it’s no different that “Survivor.” The best player is left standing at the end. He almost deserves a medal for at least knowing he had no interest in her and bailing.

And, are any of the bachelors or bachelorettes really looking for love? I don’t know. Are they just playing the game? Looking for TV time? Trying to get a “dancing” gig? Looking to get a start as a stand-up comedian? I actually think so. And it’s good TV no matter what their reasons, I guess.

Personally, I am a romantic, but I also am a realist. I hope they find love, but I doubt it.

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