If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
ABC's The Bachelor can't be saved from its "archaic form" unless it adapts to audience tastes, says former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay
At the LA Times's Festival of Books, Rachel Lindsay from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette pointed out the elements that make ABC's dating show, well, dated
Popverse's top stories of the day
- Former comics and pop culture distribution monopoly Diamond might be liquidated after it delays bankruptcy paperwork
- MEMBERS ONLY: Popverse Picks: My favorite horror movie franchises (besides Scream)
- WATCH NOW: Relive the action: VIZ Media's Ninjas, Samurai & Roosters panel from ECCC '25 is available to watch now
ABC's reality romance The Bachelor is older than most college students at this point, and quite a lot has changed in American society since the dating show first hit our televisions all the way back in 2002. Heterosexual couples are getting married later than previous generations did, for one thing, while gay people finally have the right to marry nationwide; dating apps have permanently changed the way that people find love, yadda yadda yadda. And yet, the basic elements of The Bachelor franchise have remained the same... and that might be a problem.
Attorney Rachel Lindsay, who was the lead on season 13 of The Bachelorette after appearing as a contestant on season 21 of The Bachelor, thinks that the show is due for some change. Speaking on a panel at the LA Times's Festival of Books, Lindsay explained how the show can move beyond its "archaic" model to something closer to audience tastes today.
"It's an archaic form of television and it's had a great run," Lindsay began. "And I hate to say that I don't think it can be changed, because there are people I do love who are behind the camera, but I think they need to be aware of the times and the way that people find love, and the way that they don't find love. Nobody believes in this perfect person, who really came on this show because they're here for the right reason, and they're going to meet this love of their life... But I just don't think that format works. I think people love the messiness of it. People want to feel like they relate to it... That's why Love Island works, that's why Big Brother with a 24 hour camera works, people want to see the messiness of it and don't want to feel like their love is curated, because that's just not real life."
Earlier in the same panel, Lindsay had discussed the unique feeling of disorientation that being on The Bachelor fosters due to the isolation that contestants have from the outside world, and their support networks. She and Emily Nussbaum, a staff writer from The New Yorker, brought up how reality show contestants have functionally zero worker's protections on set, because there is no reality TV union.
With that in mind, under these conditions, it's a miracle that some people even manage to find love on The Bachelor.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
About Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Dates
-
Location
Los Angeles
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.