EDIT - Me waking up.

As I understand it, the premise of these shows is that one profound narcissist is put on a pedestal as a prize while a crowd of pathetic saps (many of whom are also profound narcissists) competes for their affection. So, from the start, it's implied that the one person is in some meaningful way more important or desirable than the crowd of pathetic saps and by extension enjoys some implied right to select the most desirable pathetic sap. The crowd of saps assents to this, thereby tacitly accepting that they are properly placed among the beggars and not the choosers. The Bachelor/ette's worth is established and accepted, while theirs is in question.

Great foundation to a relationship of co-equal partners!

The whole setup seems antithetical to basic human dignity, self-respect and respect for the dignity of others. In any other context of modern life, a competition like this would attract no self-respecting person. If a woman circa 2021 tried to arrange some competition between two prospective suitors to win her, we would have no problem saying that woman sucks and that both men should walk away...but it works for a game show, I guess.

Were I in a crowd of young men vying for the attention of one woman, I would...leave. The kind of woman that would want me to go through that sort of bizarre ordeal to get with her is not the kind woman I want to be with, because that is a bizarre and humiliating ritual that only made some sense when the woman in question had huge...tracts of land. Her participation proves she does not respect me or any of the other men, so I do not respect her and I do not respect them for participating. Staying would be hell, she is insane, and I'm out.

Were I single and designated as the "prize" in a crowd of physically attractive women with low self-esteem vying for my affection, I would probably abuse that privilege greatly before going somewhere else to find women with more self respect. (I'm not proud of that, I'm just aware of my flaws.) See...I have pretty healthy self-esteem and I have no idea why those women would be there. I would find their obsequiousness repulsive and I wouldn't be able to respect them because I could not imagine how they could justify staying in the situation I would never tolerate. What they say with what they do is: "this pack of losers is where I belong. Please lend me some dignity because without a man to define me, I'm nothing."

No thanks, sport.

In short: everyone participating is providing evidence suggesting no sensible person should want to be in a relationship with them - and my assumption is that any self-respecting woman would feel the same if genders were reversed.

Watching either show is a bit like - not exactly like, a bit like - watching Bum Fights videos or a long playlists of videos that needs to be muted because you keep hearing "WORLDSTAR" in the foreground. You're deriving pleasure from tragedy, humiliation and general ugliness. Celebrating the worst the world has to offer and mankind in its most unworthy state. And it's not like appreciating a work of fiction or a depiction of historical reality, you're cultivating mankind at its bestial worst.

Watching The Bachelor doesn't make you a monster per se...but I do see its viewers how I might see Romans getting a kick out of executions in the Colosseum. You are not yet damned, but Jesus certainly expected better from you.

But perhaps I'm missing something. Change my view.