THE GOLDEN BACHELOR / THE REAL WORLD
A NEW REALITY
By now, most people have heard about the Bachelor franchise after first premiering in 2002. While many fans, including myself, grew tired of the show and its repetitive format and storylines, a new concept has recently brought in new and old fans of the show: The Golden Bachelor. The show follows 72 year old Gerry on his journey to find love after his high school sweetheart and late wife passed away in 2017. He is a father and grandfather from Indiana, essentially a stereotypical wholesome midwestern man. This is the type of lead the franchise typically casts, just usually significantly younger.
The women range from ages 60-75, which varies immensely from the cast typically being in their 20s and 30s. With age and more life under their belts, the stories feel more real and fans have truly connected with them. Many of the women have children and grandchildren and are either divorced or widowed. It is extremely refreshing to watch in comparison to the typical young contestants on the show who are mostly attempting to gain fame and become influencers. The women are typically very calculated in order to stay on the show longer and gain more followers. However, this group of women has been extremely respectful and supportive of each other and what they all have been through. They all have so much more life experience and have already established careers and families, making the show more mature but still fun
The hometown episodes were very different from the typical episodes, as Gerry met the women’s kids and grandkids as opposed to their parents. This is potentially a better representation of the women, as they are the families that they created as opposed to were born into. The grandkids were very cute to watch and brought honesty and fun to the show.
The show has proven to be successful by the ratings as well. It clearly brings a fresh perspective to a classic show and resonates with viewers. During the Women Tell All episode, Kris Jenner made a cameo saying how much she enjoys the show. This fresh perspective of real and mature stories has really resonated with fans. It also inspires older generations to put themselves out there more and that it isn’t too late.
It’s interesting to see the comparison to the first episodes of the Real World where reality TV was a new concept at the time and people had to truly connect with the people on their screens in order to become fans. The Golden Bachelor is a new take on a popular and long-running show. While one show is a part of an already established franchise and the other was completely new, both still offer a new perspective.
While 30 years ago when the Real World first aired, younger people may not have had the same power that they do today. While in the past, people may have thought of young people as naive, but today youth is highly valued. Many industries including the beauty industry profit immensely off of selling a goal of looking youthful. In the entertainment industry, many actresses book less jobs once they reach a certain age. The Golden Bachelor fights ageism stereotypes and proves that life is not over after 50. This message is important and reflects the time. People stay healthy and active into older ages and consequently live longer. While one might have previously thought their life was over once getting older, now people understand there is still time and opportunity to live a fulfilling life.
Similar to the Real World, the Golden Bachelor takes contestants out of their comfort zones and makes them all live together without previously meeting. This lends itself to friendships to be formed and conflict to arise. This is something that people particularly gravitate to when watching reality TV. While the conflicts may seem unimportant, some people may relate to them and help them understand someone else’s side in their real life. Additionally, seeing positive female friendships on the Golden Bachelor has proven to be more entertaining and enjoyable than the typical catfights and drama.
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