Bachelor Nation
Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Ratings9
Average rating3.4
Draws on interviews with producers and fans to present a behind-the-scenes look at the reality television phenomenon and explores the show's cultural influence and significance.
"The first definitive, unauthorized, behind-the-scenes cultural history of the Bachelor franchise, America's favorite guilty pleasure. For sixteen years and thirty-five seasons, the Bachelor franchise has been a mainstay in the lives of American television viewers. Since it premiered in 2002, the show's popularity and relevance have only grown. Bestselling writers and famous actors live-tweet about it. The iconic reality television show's reach and influence into the cultural zeitgeist is undeniable. Die-hard fans--dubbed 'Bachelor Nation'--participate in fantasy leagues and viewing parties. And more than eight million viewers tuned in to see the conclusion of 2017's season of The Bachelor. Los Angeles Times journalist Amy Kaufman is a proud member of Bachelor Nation and has a long history with the franchise--ABC even banned her from attending show events after her coverage of the program got a little too real for its liking. She has interviewed dozens of producers, contestants, and celebrity fans to give readers never-before-told details of the show's inner workings: what it's like to be trapped in the mansion 'bubble'; dark, juicy tales of producer manipulation; and revelations about the alcohol-fueled debauchery that occurs long before the Fantasy Suite. Kaufman also explores what our fascination means, culturally: what the show says about the way we view so-called ideal suitors; why we have a subconscious yearning for fairy-tale romance; and how this enduring television show has shaped society's feelings about love, marriage, and feminism by appealing to a marriage plot that's as old as the best of Jane Austen."--Dust jacket.
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Hits that sweet spot in the middle of gossipy and scholarly - not so analytical/dry that it wasn't fun to read, but not so trashy that you feel ashamed for reading it (or not really ashamed, but embarrassed, whatever). Kaufman clearly loves the show and knows it inside out, while still clearly seeing its Problematic nature. Her sources are great - a lot of former contestants went on the record, and she managed to get a copy of the (27-page!!) contract everyone has to sign to be on the show, among other things. I didn't really think the book needed the “Why I Watch” mini-essays by celebrities who are fans, though; if I'm reading this book, I'm probably enough of a fan that I don't need to know why Diablo Cody or Allison Williams watch in order to justify it to myself. They weren't badly written and they didn't take up too much of the book, I just didn't think they were all that relevant. If you watch The Bachelor or are interested in the sociology of reality TV (or both), I definitely recommend this.
This book pretty much capitulates all the desires I've had to intellectualize my love of The Bachelor franchise, giving the proper history, context, and – of course – juicy backstage details. I couldn't put it down.
The introduction made me wary; Kaufman's fun and approachable style – the kind you'd find in a Cosmo article (not that this is necessarily negative; after all, I do indulge in Cosmo... let's just say I have my fair share of guilty pleasures) – made me wary that this book would be another mindless capitalization of us franchise-obsessed suckers who will guzzle everything Bach-related, even if it's ditzy and objectively terrible (cough every Bachelor/Bachelorette memoir I've ever read cough) (Side note: big proponent of reading whatever the hell makes you happy to read, regardless of how dumb it is or what someone else might think of you... but pro tip: buy those ones for your kindle).
But this book did not disappoint. If anything, it blew my expectations away with an expert balance of history, expose, personal conceit, and scholarly reflection. Particularly hitting home were the words of one quoted feminist scholar: ‘It almost seems to be less about The Bachelor and more about this idea in the past few years that if you identify as a feminist, you somehow have to justify everything you consume...people really feel like their consumption patterns have to be explained as part of a larger identity.' Um – YES. Emoji clap, emoji clap, emoji clap. This book helped me come to terms with that innate need by making me realize that I don't need to come to terms with it. We're allowed to have guilty pleasures, and I reserve this as mine. Though some may scoff that I can continue watching the show knowing what I know – I will do so just as Kaufman does, because I can separate it from my intellectual and feminist aspirations. Plus, my dad and I watch it together and I just can't leave him hanging.
