Editorials / Opinion

Aw. How nice. The nation is abuzz this week over some Seattleites and their connection to ABC’s hit show, “The Bachelor.” Former contestant/world-famous crier Jason Mesnick and his wife, Molly, welcomed a baby girl. Local graphic designer Catherine Giudici received the final rose and a giant ring from this season’s leading man, Sean Lowe.

I fancy myself a romantic, but watching the clip below from this week’s finale nearly made me regurgitate an otherwise delicious take-out dinner. I had to stop about 45 seconds in. You like cheesy stuff? Try making it through this…

When did I become such a cynic? I believe in love. I just don’t see how we can believe in the kind of love fed to us on reality television.

New York Times columnist Gail Collins hit the nail on the head in this exchange with David Brooks from their weekly blog, “The Opinionator”:

David, do you find it strange that we live in a country where arranged marriages are regarded as unwise and antiquated, yet one of the longest running programs on television is about a bunch of young women who compete for the affection of a young man none of them had ever met before? A show where it is preordained that at the end of the season said bachelor will announce that he is in love with two of them and will need the full two-hour finale to choose his mate?

Yes, Gail. It’s very strange. (more…)