Everyone knows Monday is the worst day of the week. But for some people, there’s something that makes this day a little bit more tolerable – “The Bachelor.” For 27 seasons now, “The Bachelor” has aired Monday nights on ABC and gives many people something to look forward to at the end of the day. A new season, starring American-born Venezuelan bachelor, Juan Pablo Galavis, just started three weeks ago. Although he did not win Desiree Hartsock’s heart (when he was a contestant on “The Bachelorette”), Juan Pablo won America’s love and has been given the opportunity to become the bachelor.
Kayla Schwarz, junior, says she actually looks forward to Mondays and isn’t even upset the weekend has passed. The show gives her motivation to get through the first day of the week because that evening she can “reward herself with relaxing at home watching ‘The Bachelor.'” When asked what happens if she has night class during the show and how it interrupts her routine, Schwarz laughed and said, “You obviously don’t schedule night class on Monday – one of the great things about college is you schedule classes around things.”
Schwarz discussed how, during high school or when seasons would air in the summer intercession, it would be easier to get a large group of girls together to watch the show they all love. As a college student, she likes to have friends over if they can, but is still adamant about watching the show whether she has company or not.
Madison Levine, junior, loves watching “The Bachelor” at home with her family. She says the show connects her and her family after a long day and provides them with entertainment and just a little bit of humor.
“My family and I would watch the show together and my dad would always say all the words Chris the host said right on queue,” Levine said. “It was so entertaining for us all.”
It is all about the routine this show gives to its dedicated fans, but of course the contestants’ obliviousness to reality is what keeps viewers watching. Such an unnatural environment, 25 women (or 27 on this season), is bound to explode with drama, tears and broken hearts.
Katherine Boukidis, sophomore, also has a routine with her roommates every Monday night when they watch “The Bachelor.” She noted that sometimes, when things don’t go 100 percent according to plan, it creates anxiety in the dorm.
“Last weekend, we turned to the channel ‘The Bachelor’ is supposed to be on at 6:50 for the 7:00 p.m. start time to make sure everything was working and it wasn’t,” Boukidis said. “We didn’t get signal and ABC was the only channel that wasn’t working in the Sanctuary dorm. We called all our friends to see if it was working for them, and we were calling everyone we knew to ask what their TV provider was. It created such havoc in our dorm.”
Boukidis said she and her roommates ended up watching “The Bachelor” online, but it wasn’t the same as watching it live on television. Boukidis, who made her roommates watch “The Bachelor” with her once and got them hooked, now has a set routine with them. “Now we look forward to it every Monday. We usually always buy ice cream or cookies for the show,” Boukidis said.
Although people have their set plans and people to sit down with to enjoy The Bachelor, talk about “The Bachelor” goes beyond the walls of the DePaul dorms and apartments. Several watchers agree that it is the social media, specifically on Twitter, that makes their viewing more upbeat. Many old contestants from previous shows tweet live while they are watching this season. Tweets range from reactions to the girls who didn’t get roses to the type of clothing the host is wearing.
‘The tweets are downright hilarious,” Schwarz said. Old contestants have insight on what really goes on and how the show should work because they were once on it, so their tweets are witty, which make for an overly entertaining read. Reading tweets about “The Bachelor” not only gives you something to laugh at, but also gives you someone to laugh along with. You feel as though you are a part of something bigger, and you are. You are part of “The Bachelor” nation, which is often referred to on social media to describe those who follow the Bachelor.
The show differs from others because it hooks intelligent college women into not only watching the reality show, but onto a Monday-night routine. It gives friends a reason and an excuse to get together on a weekday – and since it’s a routine, they have to. As long as “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” keep airing, it seems as though many girls’ Monday nights are going to be full.
“I always watch ‘The Bachelor’ with my friends and can always count on getting together with my group on Monday nights at 7 p.m.” Alexa Pierropolous, sophomore, said.
“Everyone knows we are getting together that night to watch our show. It never ceases to fail.”