The Bachelor relies on cheesy reality TV set ups to manufacture

predictable drama — and this writer is just about ready to quit. 

For 18 seasons now, men and women have been looking for true love by competing with more than 25 other contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The first episode of a season always begins with that season’s bachelor or bachelorette standing in front of a mansion, greeting each participant as he or she exits a limo, dressed to impress.

In each episode, the bachelor or bachelorette takes the contestants on dates, eliminating a certain number of suitors each week and breaking hearts when he or she doesn’t call someone’s name for a rose. But how can you find the person you are supposed to marry like this, in a small batch of eager men or women? The answer is you can’t.

I used to watch The Bachelor — and I still occasionally join my friends for a particularly dramatic episode — but I’ve come to realize the show is a merry-go-round of emotion that rarely leads to a healthy relationship.

Yes, it is funny and entertaining, but after watching many seasons, I have witnessed most of them end the same way: The couple either breaks up or the bachelor or bachelorette does not propose. Brad Womack is true testament to this; he was considered one of The Bachelor’s villains when he chose not to propose to either  of the girls he took to the final rose ceremony. 

When he was given a second chance to be the bachelor on another season, he chose Emily Maynard, but they broke up soon after. Yes, there have been a few couples who have found a happily ever after, such as Catherine Giudici and Sean Lowe and Trista and Ryan Sutter. However, these happy endings are rare on the show.

There are many reasons relationships on the show do not work. First, the show takes place in breathtaking, faraway countries, causing couples to fall in love (or to think they are in love) without any distractions. How can you know if you and your partner will work in the real world with jobs and responsibilities when all you have done is pass the time on beaches and in hot tubs, surrounded by alcohol? Part of being in a relationship is dealing with conflict, which is absent on the show except for the drama that builds from dating multiple people at once.

In addition to this fairytale mentality, on almost every season, there has been a “bad guy” or a “crazy girl” figure, usually someone who joins the show solely for fame. Perhaps one of the most notorious villains was Justin “Rated R” Rego, an entertainment wrestler who was accused of having two girlfriends back home and using the show for publicity. It is difficult to figure out who is there for the right reasons and to pick the right love interest when some contestants are playing games.

Finally, there is the most obvious point: Monogamous relationships do not work when one person is dating 20 other people at the same time. Most people only seriously date one person at a time for a reason. On the show, women are constantly crying and men constantly getting into fights because of jealousy.

Nonetheless, loyal viewers are keenly waiting for The Bachelorette’s premiere May 19, when last season’s sweetheart Andi Dorfman will start the search for her potential husband. Yay.