WHY I AM NOT WATCHING THE BACHELOR

I’m willing to bet that right now there are two groups of readers. The first group doesn’t want to read this because they are devoted Bachelor fans who can’t fathom why someone wouldn’t watch. The second group is anti-Bachelor who doesn’t need to hear my reasons for not watching. So let me start by saying, I have been a loyal devotee to the Bachelor and all of the groundbreaking spinoffs. I’m not totally sold on the finding true love angle, but it’s reality entertainment at its best, and who doesn’t love Chris Harrison? Alas, I’m on an indefinite Bachelor hiatus, and this is why.

Haven’t I Seen You Before? Yes, I’m aware that the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises have been recycling former contestants for years. It’s something I have tweeted Chris Harrison about, in fact. This year was just the final straw. I wasn’t a fan of Ben to begin with and I just can’t respect someone who sells his soul to the same devil that watched him get down on one knee to propose, all the while knowing he was going to be rejected. Now that I think about it, the only sane reason that Ben would come back for more is to promote his winery. In which case, Ben himself isn’t even there for “the right reasons.” So come on ABC, there are millions of desirable singles out there, take a chance on someone new.

Enough with the Mean Girls!

On that note, ABC, how about casting some appealing you ladies? None of these crazy gals are on the show to fall in love. They simply tipped the drama scale during their casting interviews and were brought on so Chris Harrison could state that this is “the most dramatic season in Bachelor history.” Which, from what I’m hearing and reading, may actually be a true statement. When former contestants such as Tenley Molzahn, Kiptyn Locke and Natalie Getz are tweeting up a storm about how difficult it is to watch these mean girls, something is not right. Girls are by nature a wee bit catty (especially when living in a house together and dating the same guy), so surely natural drama will unfold without specifically casting high-drama ladies.

My Schedule is Already Full

Simple as that. With the return of Gossip Girl (OMG is Blair really going to marry Louis?!), enduring drama of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Did you know? $25,000!) and newcomer It’s a Brad, Brad World, (Eight pages in Details!!) my DVR is fully booked on Monday nights. Not to mention I might be out a boyfriend if I add one more show to my list.

There you have it. The top reasons why I am not tuning in this season to watch crazy girls claw each other’s eyes out over a runner-up.

Mary Doyle Senior Publicist