Let’s just be honest and say that everything was not okay with this season’s The Bachelor. Throughout the season, Venezuelan soccer player Juan Pablo missed the net when it came to connecting with contestants and viewers. And after the final episode aired, well, he may as well have just called forfeit, because the internet had him on the fast track to being titled the worst Bachelor ever. While a title that has the words “worst ever” in it is sure to conjure up images of loneliness, he has plenty of company in the bad Bachelor category. Bachelors like no proposal Brad Womack, from 2007 and flip flopper Jason Mesnick, from 2009 have all been voted to be sent home by disenchanted audiences.
The Faux Pas that had Viewers yelling Foul
The seas started to get rocky after that infamous consensual ocean romp between Juan Pablo and Clare. Not everyone was team Clare at that time, but the tide seemed to change in her favor after that uncomfortable post -romp conversation. Sharleen Joynt summed it up best by saying it was “buyer’s remorse” for Juan Pablo, but many viewers thought he treated Clare like she had written a bad check. That lack of sensitivity played out scene after scene until the final rose and then again during the live “After the Final Rose” show.
A few things that audiences didn’t think were OKAY:
- · Reminding Andi that there were multiple overnight dates.
- · The “Glad I didn’t pick her” comments. (Going out on a limb here, but honesty may not be the best policy when the cameras are rolling).
- · Those emotionless last date conversations with Nikki and Clare.
Viewers Make a Commitment; They Want the Bachelor to Do it Too
People are vested in this show. They have The Bachelor viewing parties, make taco dip, pour margaritas, reserve the family TV on Monday nights, and compare notes with their friends on Tuesdays. They watch this show from start to finish hoping for love and looking for that happy ending that many of them wish they had had found in their own lives. So when Juan Pablo came out during the After the Final Rose show and proclaimed that everything was private, viewers felt cheated. Private?! Honestly? After being committed for weeks on end, this is how viewers were treated? Obviously Juan Pablo didn’t get it. He had Nikki, who just said she loved him and who many viewers supported, at his side, but when asked about future plans, he reacted with a furrowed brow and reiterated that it was all private. Did he love here? Did he even like her a lot? It was anyone’s guess.
