Dear 'Bachelor' Casts: You Cannot Rush True Love

By Jane Boursaw Posted Jun 24th 2010 02:20PM

The news that 'The Bachelor' couple Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi have split up raises an interesting question: Should we even care what happens at the final rose ceremony?

'The Bachelor' has run for 14 seasons, and can you guess how many of those have ended in marriage? It's really hard to keep track because there have been so many break-ups, make-ups and bachelors ending up with other people not on the show. But according to Wikipedia, not one of those seasons have resulted in a marriage between the show's leading man and the lucky final lady at the rose ceremony. Season 13's bachelor Jason Mesnick split with his winner, Melissa Rycroft, but ended up marrying his runner-up, Molly Malaney.

Its female counterpart, 'The Bachelorette,' has fared only slightly better -- out of five seasons, one has resulted in marriage. Season one's Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter were married in December 2003 and have two children. Season five's Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski are currently engaged and living together in Chicago.

So, let's get back to our original question. Should we care about the final rose ceremony?

Let's face the facts here -- most of us probably don't watch the show to see a happy marriage come out of it (although we're very happy for Trista and Ryan, and their kids are cute as the dickens).

No, we watch it for the drama, the tears, the make-out scenes, the lavish dates, the ultra-tense rose ceremonies and the idiocy of seeing a bunch of desperate people looking for love on TV. We don't really expect it to end with a 50-year marriage. Do we? Probably not, in most cases, and the odds aren't very good anyway.

And, really, should we even kid ourselves that the folks on these shows are truly looking for love? If they were, they wouldn't do it on national television. Chances are good that a lot of them are just looking for their 15 minutes of fame. After their season ends, many go on to have other careers in the entertainment industry -- which is probably what they had in mind all along.

Where does that leave us? We have a vested interest in the outcomes, too. We spend eight or 10 episodes watching these people go through their pseudo-mating rituals, only to be tossed to the side of the curb like tear-stained Kleenex. Even though we might not expect them to live happily ever after, we expect ... something!

Since NOT watching isn't an option for many of us -- we need that reality-dating fix -- we propose a little change of attitude. Rather than building a relationship with the people on the show, how about focusing on the show itself? Think of it as a casual relationship, one that's just for fun, nothing serious. Just keep your expectations low and go out for drinks with the show for 10 episodes. And for the love of God, don't use the "L" word.

Oh, and between seasons, give the show a little space. You'll both be all the better for it.

Tags: jake pavelka, the bachelor, the bachelorette, vienna girardi

Comments

(12)

Thursday 24 June

By Liz

Vote down Vote up Report this

Jale picked the wrong one for a happy marriage, should have picked the one who truly loved him,

By MAGOOS

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

A thoughtful article so near the truth. Most of the contestants on this show are looking for the big break and are willing to undergo any form of humiliation to get it. Sad thing is, most are lacking talent for anything other than publicity seeking. This program needs to go; it has gone beyond the realms of credibility.

By Penelope

Don't agree...I watch for a happy ending. This is why I don't watch the Bachelor anymore (too much drama, tears, women acting needy and desperate). I watch the Bachelorette because, except for season 2, the girls seem to make better choices, even if they aren't meant to be forever (Meredith was LAME)

By fran

Why do these people think they have to bed down with a guy or girl in order to find love anyway? It's the most rediculous thing I can think of.

By Zoey

i have actually heard that Jake was the loser in this relationship. when taking the poll i thought it would be asking if Vienna would take Jake back. After whatching her on entertainment tonight, she talked about how unromantic and boring he was. How he wouldn't even kiss her and just basically acted like he was staying with her because he chose her and was stuck with her. Maybe i don't know the whole story, but it sounds like Jake doesn't deserve a girl like Vienna.

By Nico Toscani

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

In a word: NO!

By Linda

I used to like Jake. I now think he wants to be an actor and is simply looking for celebrity status. There's no other reason he would do DWTS and why he moved to L.A. from Dallas.

By sdfidsfkjs

o.u.r w.e.b.s.i.t.e :[w w w . d e a r s a l e s . c o m]

(b..r..a..n..d.)s.h.o.e.s.(3 4 u.s.d),,

==J. a .m .e )) s h o e s

< j o r d a n> (1-24) s h o e s

< j o r d a n> 2010 s h o e s

c.l.o.t.h.i.n.g,,j.e.a.n,,h.a.n.d.b.a.g(3 5 u.s.d),,

==c .o. a .c .h )) h a n d b a g

(f.r.e.e)s.h.i.p.p.i.n.g

[w w w . d e a r s a l e s . c o m]
[w w w . d e a r s a l e s . c o m]

By Simply enter your name and e-mail address, and you'll receive an email confirming your comment and issuing you a

wants to be an actor and is simply looking for celebrity status. There's no other reason he would do DWTS and why he moved to L.A. from

=== c h e a p m a k e t .[c o m] ===

159 [u-s-d] [r-o-l-e-x] [o-m-e-g-a] [g-u-c-c-i] [e-d] [g-u-c-c-i] [w-a-t-c-h]

[b-e-s-t] [g-i-f-t] [f-o-r] [y-o-u-r] [p-e-o-p-l-e]

=== c h e a p m a k e t .[c o m] ===

By LITLTX

I FELT LIKE JAKE MADE A MISTAKE PICKING VANESSA IN THE FIRST PLACE. HE'S RIGHT ABOUT SEEING VANESSA IN THE AUDIENCE AND HOW IT LOWERED HIS POPULARITY IN MY EYES. BUT LET'S FACE IT. JAKE IS A TERRIBLE DANCER AND OBVIOUSLY A TERRIBLE FIANCE, TOO!

Friday 25 June

By gobluespartyon

I think it's hard to fine love on TV and I think people want to get there 15 minutes of fame as some have said. I like that idea just maybe go out on a date and if you fine a girlfriend or boyfriend then great ask them to marry at the final rose just my opinion.

By Susan

More power to Vienna!!!! Jake really has acted as a fake all along. The tears in the Bachlorette, his emotional actions during his Bachlor time, his obvious I'm a celebrity attitude since his bachelor. He never intended to marry Vienna it was all publicity and boy is he eating it up. Not much of a man in my book

Page 1 of 1