Hey Steve,
2 questions for your column:
1) I read somewhere years ago, can’t remember where (maybe an interview with the producers?) that the ratings for the bachelor were going down season to season and nobody was talking about the bachelor in the water cooler or tabloids anymore pretty much until Jake Pavelka’s season, and that it was until his season that people started watching again. Definitely the tabloids had a lot to do with that comeback (with all Vienna’s past that leaked, her naked pics, previous relationship and her behavior) and I think your website helped with the ratings too because most people didn’t believe you were right that he was going to choose Vienna. So here’s my theory: Nick is smart, wants a show biz career, and wants ratings (like every other lead of course), so he is probably taking a page of Jake Pavelka’s playbook and keeping Corinne for ratings. He and the producers knew she would be television gold and keep people talking on Tuesdays at the water cooler. However he knew that choosing her as the final 1, like Pavelka did, would be too evident that he wasn’t there for love. Your thoughts? I think that talk was after Andy Baldwin’s season. They were coming of 3 seasons of Travis, Prince Lorenzo, and then Andy, and I think things were dying. Well lookie who’s season was next? Brad Womack 1.0, where he chose neither. Think that got people talking about the show again? Sure did. It definitely re-energized the show and got people talking again, not to mention made it a feature story in the tabloids every week.
I think we all know that Corinne is around for TV purposes and there was never any chance Nick was ever gonna choose her.
2) sports question: not sure you follow basketball but if you do, what’s wrong with the Knicks? I mean, they seem to suck this season and they sucked last year and I guess the previous year too. The game against the Cavs on Saturday: the first 2 quarters they were embarrassing. They recovered in the last 2 quarters to end at a decent losing score but not the Patriots comeback for sure.
Anything you think they should do?
Comment: Phil Jackson has been a god awful GM. No two ways about it. Great coach, arguably the best of all-time, but has no idea what he’s doing as a GM and how to put together a team. Too many pieces that don’t fit together. They need more of a front office guy, a guy who’s established himself in the GM position before, to be their GM. Not a big name with Knicks ties from the past, who was a great coach, to somehow learn to be a GM on the job. The jobs are completely different. They went for the splashy name and the big hire with ties to the franchise’s last title, because they haven’t won a title in over 40 years, but it’s failed miserably.
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Steve,
Are you aware that this person Rob22 always comments to the reader’s questions in the comment section with his/her advice and is now advertising his blog in his comments? You may not care. He tries to sound like you and to me is trying to use your site to launch his own. Again, likely not a big deal to you, but just wanted you to know what he’s doing.
Love your site.
Comment: No, didn’t know that. Thanks for letting me know. It’ll be stopped. Because allowing one means you’ll have to allow them all, and that’s something I don’t need on my site. By the time you read this Wednesday, my webmaster will have deleted that out.
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Hi Steve,
I have a couple of thoughts I have that I wanted to share with you and I have one question. I’m going to break it down into section because it helps me out better when my thoughts are organized. Sorry for the length of it.
1) My thoughts on Lauren and Ben are that they are going to break up. I mean why go on a trip for your birthday with your mom and sister? Also, it seems like to me that she is posting lots of pics with her engagement ring not showing on purpose. And I’m well aware that she just posted an Instagram pic of her and Ben, but the caption read, “we ain’t perfect, but we are trying” or something like that. This is just screaming that they are at least having issues. I think that Ben and Lauren started having problems, so maybe Lauren suggested that she goes on her birthday trip with just her sister and mom to give them both space to see how they feel about the relationship.
Also, no offense to Ben, but I think he needs a girl who he can lead. Lauren just seems like she can take care of herself and doesn’t really need Ben. Lauren reminds me a lot of my friend, she is beautiful, smart, out going, and friendly. However, my friend is very independent. She moved out of her home when she was 18, and a lot of relationships never really worked because she didn’t really need a man because she could take care of herself and could hold herself together. That is what I think Lauren and Ben won’t last. Lauren is too emotionally intelligent for Ben. I think in all honesty Lauren wants to be the next bachelorette, which brings me to my next section. Can’t say I disagree with any of that.
2) I really don’t see Rachel or Raven being the next Bachelorette. Rachel seems too nice to be the bachelorette and Raven seems too, “I’m just on here to be famous”. Raven in my opinion, seems like someone who should be on Paradise. Also, Rachel seems like she may be kind of boring to watch, but maybe my views may change after she gets more time on air. I feel like Lauren would be the better bachelorette. She has a huge fan base and would be heartbroken over Ben. I predict in these next few weeks Ben and Lauren will announce their break up and Lauren will be announced as the bachelorette. I know they start to film soon, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Lauren and Ben release a statement by the end of the month they broke up and then she gets asked to be The Bachelorette. I know it sounds silly, and I felt odd typing this out, but I can kind of see it happening. I mean, like you say, that breakup announcement would definitely need to happen in the next 30 days for it to be Lauren. Is it impossible? No. I guess we can’t rule anything out at this point. We just don’t know what they’re thinking.
3) I really feel that if Nick wanted to get married for real then he should take the money he earns and hire a professional match maker. I know Nick doesn’t really want to find a wife soon and wants to sleep with as many girls as he can, but maybe he isn’t aware of how many good women who are out there near his age. Nick, if you’re reading this, please hire a match maker and stay off TV. Yeah Nick. Listen to the woman.
4) Now on to my question. Why are they putting so many virgins on the show? I mean it seems like they want to have at least one virgin or two. I don’t really see how having virgins make for good TV. I think it’s because on a show that exudes sexuality and has so many sexual overtures on it, throwing a monkey wrench into the thing gives it a good talking point. Makes for good TV because a virgin becomes a character. And some of these people become defined by that. How many times has Ashley I’s virginity been brought up post show? And Becca’s? Plenty. The “virgin” is just as much a character in this franchise every season as the crier, the drunk, the not-here-for-the-right-reasons girl, and so on and so on. But has a virgin ever been chosen in the end? I rest my case.
Obviously some women get more air time than others, but Nick kept Whitney and she hasn’t spoken all season so far. So for the contestants that don’t get much air time, do they get time with the lead but it is not aired?
Comment: Yes. Every person on a date gets 1-on-1 time with the lead. But if you’re not a major character and you are not part of the ending storyline, good chance a lot of your stuff will get cut. Earlier in the season when there’s 10-12 people on group dates, they all got time with him at the after party. But the show isn’t going to show every single one. There’s just not enough time, and the ones they don’t show, just weren’t relevant to either the overall scope of the season, or that particular episode.
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Hi!
I apologize if you have answered this before! It seems that the girls take it personally when they aren’t chosen for a one-on-one date. They wonder why Nick doesn’t want to spend time getting to know them. They also get upset that a two-on-one means that there is something missing, and they are being put on the chopping block. Does Nick, or any bachelor/bachelorette, actually have a say in who is picked for those dates? I always assumed it was producer determined.
Thanks!!
Comment: They’re essentially told to say that. Unless you are completely clueless to how the show works, complaining about not getting a 1-on-1 is kind of dumb. We know they only have “x” amount of 1-on-1 dates to be had. And if you haven’t gotten one by episode 6, assume you aren’t wining.
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Steve,
Do you think that Vanessa telling Nick she thought Danielle L. is fake had to do with why he put Danielle L. on the 2 on 1? Even if he didn’t necessarily think Danielle L. was fake. Do you think he just did this to appease Vanessa because he wanted to pick her?
Comment: It’s certainly possible. Then to hear Nick in interviews yesterday say that after Wisconsin, things kinda changed in their relationship I found rather curious. We never saw much interaction between them post 1-on-1 Chris Lane date, other than her stealing him away first at the WI rose ceremony cocktail party even though she was safe with a rose. Something tells me she did that because she wanted to get out in front of things being said about her, which was started by Taylor and Vanessa. So kinda odd to see Nick specifically tell us the viewers they had a great date in WI, then Monday say to her that he felt that something was off since Wisconsin. Translation: Vanessa didn’t like you, warned me about you, and now my mind was changed. That’s the way I see it at least.
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How long after the contestants are booted til they go home? Like Whitney for instance. It seemed like the middle of the day when he let her go. Does she immediately go to the airport or does she have more time wherever they are?
Also, how can these women take this so seriously when Nick is wearing shorts three sizes too small that look like a kindergartner finger painted them?!
Comment: All depends on what time during the day it happens. Whitney was probably taken back to a separate hotel, stayed the night there, then was on a flight the next day back home. Or if it’s possible, she could’ve been on a flight home that night.
I don’t get the chubbies and never will.
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Hello Steve-
Thanks for doing what you do. I am one of those people that likes to read the end of the book first, so I really appreciate your work.
I do have a rhetorical question – How much do you think ABC is paying hacks like Inquisitr to question your predictions? Some people never learn. ?
Thanks again!
Comment: God no. The Inquisitr isn’t a legitimate mainstream media site. You ever seen their stories? All taken from other sites. They do the same thing every season to try and drive traffic by questioning the spoilers. I need to start saving their links every year, because it’s almost the same thing every season word for word, just with different names. The ultimate click baiting website.
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Which do you find most annoying about this season: Nick’s mushmouth, his unintelligible mumbling, the ladies’ vocal fry (the lowest register of speech where the words struggle to come out and make a popping sound), or the prevalent bad grammar?
Comment: Everyone, take a seat. I have something to say. Believe it or not, I’m going to compliment Nick right now. I think he’s the most well spoken “Bachelor” we’ve had – post show. He knows exactly what to say when asked questions now. Granted, he’s perfected it since it’s his fourth time around and I would hope he would know how to handle the media now, but by far our best “Bachelor” in terms of how he handles the media. On the show? Different story. As I’ve said, he’s not the worst, but he’s not the best. There are times he does look disinterested this season. Whether that’s because he just wants to get to the end quicker, or he just is beaten down by the whole process of the thing, I don’t know. He does mumble, probably always will mumble, and doesn’t look like it’s changing. It’s who he is.
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Hi Steve,
I am loving the podcast! Keep up the good work.
Here is my question. Has there ever been a lead that comes out after the season has aired and “calls out” someone from their season for their bad behavior that they didn’t see until they watched the show. For example, I would love to see Nick on the WTA say something to Corinne. That he watched the show and realized how awful she was and that he was disgusted by her calling Taylor a dumb bitch. Has this ever happened?
Comment: Not that I can remember. In fact, it seems like most go the complete opposite way and try and defend someone who may have been portrayed as the villain or whatever. Nick is doing it right now with Corrine.
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Hey Steve!
I’ve been really borderline on cancelling DVRing this #$%& show because I’m brought back to the Ben F season which was the worst I EVER watched – I started only a few seasons before him. I quit then, but then found your site and began watching again. So help me out again if you can…. On the group date ABC did a horrible job telling the story? What happened to make all the girls mad? Or did they just stage them – making them sit in different spots on the beach until Nick “came for them” for their one on one time? What was so horrible about volleyball?? After the day portion, the girls seemed as cozy as ever together. It seemed like they weren’t mad at Corn or Jasmine, the 2 girls who suck all the energy out of the room, but mad at Nick? Maybe you have some more detail on what exactly went down…I don’t know why they showed it the way they did. It was a competition between the two teams. Winning team got extra time with him that night. Losing team went back to hotel. But Nick decided the losing team (Jasmine, Vanessa, Danielle) should stay and so all six go to go to the after party. Your guess is as good as mine, but I think it had to do with probably wanting more time with Vanessa.
I finally realize why Nick has no problem keeping Corn – because the minute he senses that a girl who has “real” feelings for him (i.e. the Stockholm syndrome is working it’s magic on their psyche), and he’s not that into them, but he cares for them, he sends them packing. He can only fake feelings with fakers??
What I can thank ABC for is the Jasmine “choke you out” conversation. That was one of the most hilarious hide under the couch, or chug your wine moments in Bachelor history. Oh Jasmine… can’t wait to see you in Paradise!
Dana Weiss is funny on the podcast, much better this time, glad I listened while doing chores. Go 40 year old moms crew!!
Thanks!
Comment: Yes. Dana is the champion for all 40 year old moms out there. Go support her and her site.
