How a Curious Peek at The Bachelorette Turned Into Irresistible Indulgence Against My Will

I’m not the biggest fan of reality television. There’s just something about watching real people do absolutely insane things for the sake of money and a few month’s worth of fame that isn’t for me. The closest I’ve ever come is watching Desperate Housewives with my mom growing up. However, while the genre isn’t something I’d necessarily seek out when searching for something to watch, I’ll still glance over if someone else puts it on.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife was flipping through Hulu shows and discovered that the latest season of The Bachelorette, Season 21, was nearing its end. She could look up realtime reactions of those also watching it alongside her, so why wouldn’t she tune in? Let me tell you, I tried—I really tried—to focus on whatever I had going on in front of me while Jenn Tran shattered the hearts of bachelor after bachelor in the other room.

With every cringy moment, strange confession of love, and cheesy commentary that followed overly dramatic moments, I inched closer and closer to the couch.

What Makes This Cringe So Entertaining?

How does anyone answer that question? The cringe from watching someone be so vulnerable and knowing that millions are watching them is just the human condition. If you’re a human with feelings, you likely know what it’s like to have your heart broken and feel embarrassed. Alternatively, if you think everyone on the show is just an actor who couldn’t get a job doing literally anything else, the sentiment is still the same. It just feels weird to see people try so hard and fail while simultaneously being watched by the entire world.

Now that the season is over, we all know that Jenn chose Devin only so that he could break off the engagement via phone call shortly after the cameras cut. I can’t tell you the last time I was as excited for an episode of anything to drop on streaming services as I was for the Finale Recap after hearing the initial rumors about the breakup. It was then I realized I was officially a victim of reality television.

It’s Fun to Watch What’s Fun

Television is entertainment, whether it’s a dramatic HBO production or a cheesy reality show on E! I hadn’t even considered the human condition to be an entire genre of television masqueraded by quick-cut edits and oddly placed microphones until I started having genuine opinions about Devin Strader. My wife and I are even considering tuning into the next season of Dancing With the Stars (yet another reality television show) because Jenn was announced to be a contestant.

All it took was a few episodes of people pouring out their hearts to one another, and suddenly, I was on our site and any others on the internet looking for a morsel of anything going on in Bachelor Nation. Maybe I’ll tune into the next season of Big Brother, or Love is Blind when they air and admit to myself how much I secretly love it.