I have a confession to make to all of you. It's something about which I'm really embarrassed, and that I can't believe I'm even admitting.
I've found a guilty pleasure: the television show "The Bachelorette."
My wife and I rarely watch television, but while watching television one night about a month ago we somehow stumbled upon that show and decided to watch it. We watched that first episode, and found it unbelievably funny. Now, I'm hooked!
It's now down to five guys. Bachelorette Ali is making some pretty good choices.
We found out the other night that Justin, the wrestler, is actually in love with a woman in Toronto and only came on the show to become famous. Can you imagine, a person going on a reality show just to get famous? Big shock.
Of course there have been reality television stars who actually have become famous. There's Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who now one of the stars on The View. She's one of the original 'Survivors' and, of course, the poster child for going from reality television star to actual television star (even one who hosts a talk show with Whoopi Goldberg). I still don't understand her appeal at all, but that's another topic.
Anyway, they're down to the final five guys now on The Bachelorette and it's really funny. Tonight is the last episode.
What's amazing about men is that so many of them think that they have chemistry with women with whom they actually have zero chemistry. Craig R., a Philadelphia lawyer, thought he had unbelievable chemistry with Ali and that he was going to marry her. Watching Craig R. with Ali, there was so clearly zero chemistry with each other.
She felt nothing for him at all. She didn't want to kiss him; there was no spark in her eyes. In his exit interview, however, all Craig could talk about was the incredible amount of chemistry he and Ali shared and about how great they meshed. Was he even on that date, or was he just living some kind of fantasy?
It's so funny how many men truly believe they have chemistry with women with whom there is actually no chemistry at all. It's almost like certain men are just not in touch with their emotions, and they just get caught up with what they believe they want.
Having said all of this about Craig R., I must nevertheless give him a lot of Kudos. He went on a nationally televised dating show and exposed himself as a man who really (and obviously) doesn't understand what chemistry with a woman is.
To Craig, I would say this: Craig, you're a good guy who reminds me a lot of guy with whom I grew up -- a guy who is nice but really is clueless about women. Real chemistry is when you can't stop touching each other, your eye contact is intense, you smile and you laugh -- but not just in a friend type of way.
It is so interesting to watch this from the perspective of being a dating coach. All I could think as I watched poor Craig was, "Here is a nice guy who has absolutely no clue at all. None. He has no idea what he's doing. He has no idea what someone else is feeling, and at the age of 27 he should really start to get an idea."
So there's a recap of my secret guilty pleasure, The Bachelorette. You need to check out this show. It's hilarious! It really is.
They even give you 'coming attractions' about the upcoming season of the show featuring the front runner (they show them falling in love and then, apparently, he's breaking her heart in Fiji). What I'm thinking is really going on with that, though, is that the producers are just showing a little drama between them before they consummate the relationship.
Reality television is really just the newest generation of soap operas, except real people star in them instead of paid actors. Then again, you never know, they might all be actors.