So I’m going to start this blog post off with a confession. I was obsessed with the most recent season of “The Bachelorette.” I typically hate those types of shows, but I was sick for a few days this past summer and was browsing through my DVR and saw that my mom had accidentally set it to record every new episode. So I figured I would watch one or two just to pass the time. Then I got addicted, and I even got my 21 year-old brother to look forward to watching it on Monday nights with me.
When we were talking about hegemony in class, I thought about this show. The hegemonic idea of this show suggests that any ordinary woman can find true love among a group of randomly chosen men. I definitely take the counterhegemonic viewpoint. In my opinion, this show is entirely fabricated by the producers, whether or not the participants and viewers realize. The daters are put in exotic locales and given once-in-a-lifetime dates. This one “ordinary woman” is usually a finalist from a former season of “The Bachelor,” and these 25 men are always attractive, employed, and catered to a specific bachelorette’s taste (for example, most of the men from this past season were from the south, and Jillian, the Bachelorette, stated that she loved southern gentlemen). The producers also provide the contestants with far more alcohol than real food, further instigating drama and entertaining “reality.”
This show is also a great example of how the show’s creators can commodify the contestants on the “reality” show. Editors edit certain clips together to give different men different personalities. There’s Kiptyn, the perfect man; Alex, the aggressive former frat-boy; Wes, the oh-so-average country musician who is only on the show to gain fame and who everyone loves to hate; Tanner P., the guy with the foot fetish; and the list goes on and on. Viewers aren’t just watching the show to watch Jillian fall in love; they’re watching for the entertainment value of these different characters and the drama that they cause or create.
Here’s a clip about Tanner P.’s foot fetish, so those of you who didn’t watch the show can see how exaggerated these personas become. Enjoy. Discuss!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csJF-e1Y61E
No comments:
Post a Comment