Am I the Only One That Finds ‘The Bachelor’ Nation Cult-Like?
I have been saying it for years, and I will continue to say it for many years to come: The Bachelor, and any spin-off related to it, is not the best way for somebody to find their one true love. For the most part, couples who have left the show together or engaged have eventually split. I think that speaks to the show’s ability to spit out successful couples.
The process throughout the contestant’s time on The Bachelor does not work out too well if most couples ultimately split. This, in itself, is very strange to me, considering it is a dating show, and the whole purpose is to unite total strangers and turn them into life partners. However, what is even stranger to me is the fact that once a couple from the same season splits, they go off and date other Bachelor Nation contestants from other seasons. They all date each other, and I think it is super weird. Contestants and leading roles are constantly getting into new relationships with each other. There is a Bachelor bubble that cannot be popped.
Bachelor Nation Only Dates Within Their Bubble
I am an avid reality television watcher, but I have never seen a clique as bad as Bachelor Nation. It almost seems like they refuse to date and mingle outside their Bachelor/Bachelorette world. Once a past contestant or leading role has announced a new relationship, it is almost always with someone affiliated with the show, whether it is another person from their season or a completely separate season. That fact is so strange to me. I hardly ever hear of anyone from these shows in a new relationship with somebody outside The Bachelor realm. It is almost cult-like — as if once you agree to join the show, you are sucked in for life. You can never escape, and your dating options immediately become limited to other people in Bachelor Nation.
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick were in a romantic relationship. Jason competed in Becca Kufrin‘s season of The Bachelorette, and Kaitlyn was a contestant on Chris Soule‘s season. Chris Bukowski, a contestant from Emily Maynard‘s season, is currently in a relationship with Anna Redman, who was on Matt James’ season. The funny thing about Chris and Anna’s relationship is that, in addition to both competing on separate seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, they both joined Bachelor in Paradise, but in separate seasons. Kaitlyn Bristowe then got into another relationship with another Bachelor Nation man: Zac Clark, who is Tayshia Adams’ ex. Tayshia was The Bachelorette during Season 16. Blake Horstmann, who competed in Becca’s season as well, hooked up with Kristina Schulman and Caelynn Miller-Keyes. This situation got very heated when all three of them were cast for Bachelor in Paradise Season 9. Basically, they all date each other at one point or another. And it baffles me that they do not branch out of Bachelor Nation.
Related
Other Reality Stars Are Not As Cliquey as ‘The Bachelor’ Stars
As I stated before, I watch a lot of reality television. I know that within the Netflix world, there are many reality stars who are close, and sometimes they end up dating or hooking up. Look at some stars on hit shows like Too Hot to Handle and Perfect Match. They are from the same bubble and eventually become romantic with each other, like Francesca Farago and Dom Gabriel, Georgia Hassarati and Harry Jowsey, Elys Hutchinson and Harry Jowsey, and Melinda Berry and Peter Vigilante. All of these people are from the same shows and different seasons, but they have all eventually crossed paths and dated. Although I am aware that this type of situation is practically inevitable, the difference is that these Netflix stars have also been in tons of relationships with people outside the Netflix world. But Bachelor Nation does not do that. People from The Bachelor only ever date within their bubble.
Everyone from The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise who dates each other and has never explored other options outside of Bachelor Nation is so weird to me. I view it as almost cult-like because they never seem to break away from each other and branch out.
The Bachelor is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
