The Bachelor: Quite literally, competing for male approval

The Bachelor. 25 women vying for the affection of one man. How could a single show possibly captivate Ariel Levy’s concept of “raunch culture,” the objectification of women, and the problems of what some refer to as “new wave” feminism better than this?

The show’s 14^th season is appropriately called “On the Wings of Love,” as 23-year-old pilot Jake Pavelka is the current heartthrob.

Season 14 opens, as per usual, with introductions of the 25 women that will be competing for Jake’s heart, and hopefully, an engagement ring. Introductions generally revolve around three basic pieces of information: name, age, and occupation. Any time a contestant appears on screen, a tag with all of these identifications appears (eg: Megan, 21 Bartender).

Many of the women have fairly generic and ambiguous occupations, such as “entrepreneur” (Alexa) or “account manager” (Ashleigh). While these sound professional, the lack of clarity is cause for some suspicion of how legitimate these jobs actually are.

Then, there are those women who have stereotypically feminine occupation, for example, “corporate flight attendant” (Kathryn) or “dance teacher” (Stephanie). These are respectable jobs, but they might not be what the average woman would want her daughter to aspire to be. They don’t require a woman to seize her rights that the women before her fought for and get an education.

Another group of women work in industries that thrive on telling women that they aren’t good enough. There is a “cosmetics sales manager” (Jessie). “Buy this mascara because your lashes need to look longer!” There is a hair stylist (Ella). “Buy this shampoo because your hair should be shinier!” And there is a wardrobe consultant (Corrie). “Wear this dress because it makes your waist look smaller!”

Unsurprisingly, as this is a television show, and while the viewership is undoubtedly predominantly female, it wouldn’t hurt if the average male flipping through the channels would stop for a little ogling, there are those women who show their bodies off for a living. There is an “NBA dancer” (Kimberly), a “fit model” (Emily), and a “swimsuit model” (Gia).

As the introductions carry on, two women really stand out. They hold jobs that were once only held by men and still today are considered masculine. There is a “pilot” (Sheila) and a “Captain in the Air National Guard” (Elizabeth from DC). Both women are well-spoken and appear to be extremely bright and interesting. It is hard not to think, “Oh, a pilot! How perfect for Jake! They should really hit it off.” And of course, everyone in this patriotic country is bound do have immense respect for a woman in the Air National Guard. The prospect of having two women who have succeeded in a predominantly male occupation on the Bachelor was exciting…

…but extremely short-lived. Both Sheila and Elizabeth from DC were eliminated shortly after meeting Jake on the first day, at the first rose ceremony. Perhaps ABC was afraid what would happen when a natural-looking, strong, intelligent woman interacted with a bangin’ supermodel with not much going on upstairs.

The first cocktail party, when all of the women meet Jake, is quite a spectacle. Everyone gets dressed up: the bachelor in a suit and tie, the contestants in their evening gowns. Each woman exits the limousine one at a time, giving Jake just enough time to look them up and down, exchange a hug, and listen to them say something that generally lacks any sort of eloquence. First impressions are everything. For this reason, the women clearly spend hours preparing. Heels, tanned legs, short hemlines, low-cut bodices, heavily-lined eyes, and perfectly styled hair are the norm. A few hours later, after allegedly “meeting” all 25 women, the bachelor gives out 15 roses. The 10 women who do not receive roses thank Jake for the wonderful opportunity he has given them and politely bow out. Apparently they picked the wrong dress.

In Levy’s book, “Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the rise of Raunch Culture,” she often refers to today’s woman’s desire to be “one of the guys.” This can be in any arena, from accepting or even enjoying porn to appreciating a sporting event on television. At the first cocktail party, Elizabeth from Nebraska, a “nanny”, breaks out a football and proceeds to have a catch with Jake. This eventually turns into a touch football game between all the women (still in their evening gowns, and some even still in their heels) and Jake. Of course, Jake is beside himself – such athletic, sporty women! But for some reason, I doubt that there will ever be a scene on The Bachelor where the women are in shorts, baggy t-shirts, and sneakers playing touch football and rolling around in the grass. That’s just not feminine.

Controversy strikes this season early when Rozlyn, “model/makeup artist,” is called in for a private meeting with host Chris Harrison. Rozlyn is accused of engaging in some type of relationship with someone on the production staff and sent home. While this is most likely a rule of the show, which she may or may not have been aware of, it is slightly ironic that Rozlyn is punished for engaging in a relationship with another man while Jake is engaging in relationships with 14 other girls. It’s just not classy for a woman to do such a thing. Rozlyn should be giving Jake all of her time and attention, while he flirts and gets cozy with numerous other women.

"Women in our society are forced daily to compete for male approval, enslaved by ludicrous beauty standards that we ourselves are conditioned to take seriously and to accept!" (pg. 87).

The Bachelor could not support Levy’s statement more. At the most basic level, these women are literally competing for male approval on a daily basis. Everything they do is for Jake’s approval. Some of the comments women make about their desire to win Jake over are nauseating.

“He looks like he could be Ethan’s daddy,” said Ella of Jake, after one or two dates. Perhaps she should be at home, focusing on her son, rather than fighting with 24 other women over a man that she doesn’t know at all. Is a husband that important? Important enough to sacrifice spending time with her son in some of his most crucial years?

“Jake could be my knight in shining armor,” said Tenley, who had her heart broken by her first husband. This statement implies that she needs a man to come save her; that she is not strong enough to stand alone.

These strong desires lead the women to interrupt each other’s “alone time” with Jake, talk behind backs, and even go so far as to tell Jake how they feel about other women, in particular, Vienna. Vienna is a Paris Hilton look-alike that completely backs up Levy’s statement that “Paris Hilton isn’t some disgraced exile of our society. On the contrary, she is our mascot” (pg. 28). Whether or not the women are friends or enemies, however, the competition for Jake’s approval is H-E-A-T-E-D.

If their behavior doesn’t show how desperately these women are to win Jake over, then their appearances should. Not a single scene is shot where every woman isn’t completely manicured. From cocktail parties and rose ceremonies, from one-on-one and group dates, the effort that the women put forth to please is apparent. And unfortunate. If the end result of The Bachelor is supposed to be a happy engagement, then Jake should be able to truly get to know these girls. Part of getting to know someone is taking down your guard and showing them who you truly are. With all of the cattiness and cover-up, it is impossible for Jake to truly get to know these women. Perhaps that is why, although there have been 13 seasons of The Bachelor, not a single one has ended in a happy, enduring marriage.

Today’s society is oppressing women. It is destroying their confidence, forcing them to think that they have to adhere to a certain stereotype and act a certain way to be successful. There is no place where this is more evident than on The Bachelor, where success is defined by winning a man to support you.