December 20, 1965: a day that will live in infamy. Not because a war began on this day, or an important person died, but rather the birth of a TV show type that now has America whipped into a frenzy. This date was the premier of a television show that became part of America's pop culture: The Dating Game.
For those needing a brush-up on the format, The Dating Game gave a woman a chance to ask three men cheeky questions and based on their answers (she was only able to hear and not see them), chose one to go on a date. This campy show was fun and provided harmless entertainment: everything was done with a wink and a nod, not taking itself too seriously. The format and premise of the show was simply a novel way to get on TV (good for the aspiring actor or actress) and maybe end up on a date.
Times have certainly changed. Fast forward 40 years and you'll see TV's gone from a relatively harmless game show to today's more slickly-produced reality shows, with the stakes escalating exponentially. Today's reality show contestants aren't merely seeking 15 minutes of fame and the chance at a date, they're looking for the love of their lives. And instead of competing against two other contestants, it's now more than two dozen.
Everyone loves a good love story, and when creating the reality show The Bachelor/Bachelorette, the producers must have thought they had a winning formula: to see a love story unfold is from beginning to end, and filming the process, including the most intimate of moments. You get to see the first hello, the first date, first kiss, first declaration of love, and finally, the moment everyone waits for, the proposal of marriage on bended knee.
In reality (no pun intended), the story is a lot less pure than that, when you have 25 women competing against one other for the aforementioned kiss, love talk, and marriage proposal. It's the yin to the love yang: the cat fights, and the manipulation, and the bitchiness, all done while trussed up in designer gowns and living in a palatial mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
Of course, Americans ate it up: picking and rooting for favorite contestants, analyzing every detail of the budding romances, and seeing, week after week, contestants being systematically eliminated, when the Bachelor offers roses to the women he wants to stay, while the rest get the boot. Eliminated contestants are each filmed in the obligatory "weeping in the limousine" scene as they drive away from the palatial mansion, the broken dream, crying in despair, "But we had a connection! We were perfect for each other! I could totally spend the rest of my life with him!"
Then, as the limo drives continues, despair then turns to anger: "I can't believe he didn't eliminate (insert name of the omnipresent bitchy girl here)! He doesn't know what a mistake he made. He's going to regret eliminating me--I was the best thing that ever happened to him!"
While this show is billed as a drama ("it's the most dramatic rose ceremony EVER!!!!), to me it's always been a comedy. Thirteen seasons of The Bachelor and four seasons of The Bachelorette have yielded exactly one marriage: not exactly great odds. One couple is reportedly still together, Bachelor and bass fishing champ--no, I'm not making this up--Byron and his ladee love, Mary. However, their future may now be less rosy since Mary was arrested about a year ago for battery against man-love Byron.
The latest scandale is centered on Jason Mesnick, the latest Bachelor incarnation. Deciding between his two final contestants was the brash brunette (and former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader) Melissa and the more demure, blonde Molly. In the most dramatic rose ceremony EVER, Jason dissed Molly, cried like a baby, then turned on the smiles two minutes later and proposed to Melissa.
Six weeks after aforementioned proposal, all is not well with Jason, who broke up with Melissa on national TV, and then, two minutes later, cozied up to formerly dissed Molly and asked for a second chance. Just last week Jason and Molly appeared together on TV and guess what: they're in love. Forever. And this time they mean it!
The entire idea of finding true love on a reality game show is ludicrous. One marriage out of 17 attempts (I'm not counting Jason and Molly as a success just yet) puts them on par with Survivor's "Boston Rob" and "Ambah"--and that wasn't even a show about dating.
All over America, people have been wringing their hands about Jason, villainizing him for his behavior. If there is a villain to the story, it is the producers. After seeing dismal ratings and outrage when The Bachelor/Bachelorette didn't come up with the money shot (the proposal, the bended knee, the promise of forever), you've got to figure they exerted none-too-subtle pressure on Jason to give them what they want and the viewers need. I appreciate his honesty, and his decision: to pursue a relationship--off camera, this time--with the girl he was ultimately attracted to. Good luck, you crazy kids!
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