Reality shows have become a lot of Americans’ guilty pleasure and an escape from the problems of everyday life. But how real are they? We know that not everything in reality shows happens the way we see it on TV, but it’s hard to tell exactly how much of it is made up. The Bachelor is one of those shows where it’s hard to tell what is real and what’s not. It’s one of the most popular reality shows on TV, but because of that the producers have to keep up the ratings and give people what they want to see.
And what they want is not always reality. Producers will do whatever the need to for the ratings—even if that means twisting reality and disrespecting the contestants on the show. Here is everything former contestants have admitted to happening during their time on The Bachelor.
10 The Show Turns You Into A Made Up Character
Chris Bukowski, who has made the most appearances out of all of the other contestants, says the show made him look like a horrible person and someone he didn’t recognize. Chris told The Cut, "You can be on that show and not say a word, and they can do whatever they want to you. I mean, they took me and made every kind of character out of me, and I signed up for it." He said this hurt his relationships with his family and derailed his life goals on top of twisting his identity into something else.
9 The Contestants Are In Complete Isolation When They Aren’t On Camera
A few contestants have admitted that they were in complete isolation away from the outside world when they were in the mansion. The creators of the show do this to manipulate the contestants’ mental state and add to the “crazy behavior” on the show. The producers make everything about the show and would make sure the contestants didn’t really talk about anything else. Melissa Rycroft from season 13 said, "If we started veering off talking about our jobs, there was always a camera in your face and a producer behind that camera going, ‘Oh, but wait, do you think that Jason would like your job?’"
8 The Producers Track Menstrual Cycles So The Show Can Be More Emotional And Dramatic
Former contestant, Amy Kaufman, wrote a book called Bachelor Nation: Inside The World Of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure that explains everything she experienced on the show. One of the most shocking things in the book is that producers actually track girls’ menstrual cycles so they’re more emotional on camera. "So a girl's now crying, mid-interview, about nothing, or being reactionary to things that are super-small," former producer, Ben Hatta, reportedly said. "It helped the producers because now you've got someone who is emotional—and all you want is emotion."
7 Editors Use A Technique Called "Frankenbiting" To Change The Narrative
In Amy Kaufman’s book, she also mentions that editors use the technique “frankenbiting” to create and change story lines. They take all of the sound recorded and compile them into the most dramatic narratives they can come up with. "There's no allegiance to what happened to reality," according to an editor employed for three seasons. "I don't care what happens," he said. "It's like I'm handed a big bucket of LEGOs and think, 'What do I want to build today?'"
6 Most Of The Producers Don’t Have Respect For The Contestants
On top of tracking menstrual cycles and “frankenbiting,” Amy Kaufman revealed in her book how little respect the show’s producers have for the contestants. A lot of the producers would belittle the contestants and call them offensive names. Ex-producer, Michael Carroll, told Amy Kaufman, "You'd pre-categorize (contestants) and have some shorthand as to who they were. Mom. Southern Belle. The cheerleader. The (expletive). We all called them ridiculous names. The fat one, the hot one, the crier." The executive producers would even bribe the crew members and offer them $100 to evoke drama, such as getting contestants to cry on camera.
5 Contestants Can’t Eat On Camera So They Talk More
Contestants have claimed that producers feed them before they start filming so they’ll talk more and eat less. Former contestant, Jaclyn Swartz, told Refinery29, "The food on dates is usually good, but the catch is that you aren't supposed to eat it! No one wants to watch people stuffing their face on a date. If you're eating, you aren't talking. The producers will bring room service to your room, or a plate of food to where you're getting ready in the house."
4 The Contestants Complete Psych Tests So The Producers Know What They’re Afraid Of
Psychological testing is part of the application process for most reality shows, but this reality show uses the test against the contestants. The producers find out what they’re afraid of from the test and find any opportunities that would make them face their fears. The producers scare the contestants to get the most amount of drama. "They have you fill out a multiple choice psych test, to find out everything you're afraid of," Jesse Csincsak, season 4 winner of The Bachelorette, told Cosmopolitan. "Oh, you're scared of heights? You're going bungee jumping."
3 The Show Only Supplies Alcohol
Even though the contestants live in a fancy mansion during The Bachelor, they have to do everything themselves. The only things that are different from their own houses are sharing bunk beds with other girls and not having any connection to the outside world. Leslie Hughes told the Daily Beast, "We have to do our own cooking, our own laundry... We do everything you would do when you're at home, except be able to go outside of your home.” The show does supply alcohol though. The reason? So the contestants will be more sensitive and talkative.
2 The Rose Ceremonies Take All Night To Film
The rose ceremonies barely take a few minutes to watch, but those few minutes took hours to film. Former contestant, Leslie Hughes, told the Daily Beast that it took from 7 at night to 8 in the morning—13 hours to film a few minutes. Show director, Ken Fuchs, explained to The Hollywood Reporter why it takes so long, "There's a lot of women that the bachelor needs to meet. Forget about doing a TV show, if you were in some situation where you were going to meet 25 women and at the end of the night select a handful to go home, you want to sort of get a sense of who's who and what's what, so that takes time. It just takes time. It's a long, long night."
1 The Contestants Are Pressured To Get Engaged
On a show that’s all about choosing the perfect person to marry, there’s really no choice except for someone to get engaged. Even if the bachelor isn’t truly in love, he still has to give a ring to someone. Jesse Csincsak told Amy Kaufman for her book, "There is no 'What if I don't propose' option. It's just 'Here's the ring. Go give it to her.' When you're twenty-five and you're just a baby and you're in a foreign place and are still hungover from the day before, they're in your head. They make you do what they want you to do."
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