The Bachelor Season 20---Ben H's search for love

[Catherine M]

Yes we've made it to season TWENTY of the Bachelor.

Yikes.

Begins in 4 weeks so ABC released the girls names:

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor/news/updates/151207-bachelor-season-20-contestants-revealed

Most of them came on to promote their brand (I'm looking at you Becca) so they can increase their twitter/instagram followers so they can promote crappy stuff online to the masses or compete to be the next bachelorette. I think maybe two are there to date Ben.


And Chris Harrison has released his 6 to watch:

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/bachelor-chris-harrison-6-women-165944387.html

Reality Steve has already come out with his spoilers. Will be interesting to see if (1) he's right and (2) how Ben's edit goes.

 

[halffull]

I hope there's at least one or two decent picks for him. I like Ben so I hope he doesn't turn out to be someone different than I think he is .....

 

[luna_skater]

FOUR girls named Lauren?!

 

[Rob]

Tiara, 26, chicken enthusiast, Redmond, WA

 

[skatesindreams]

Tiara, 26, chicken enthusiast, Redmond, WA

I don't want to imagine what this means!

 

[Rob]

Producer Pick

 

[shan]

I might have to watch the trainwreck season premiere. What's the drinking game for the Bachelor? Anytime someone mentions a "connection" or "not being there to make friends"?

 

[Rob]

Yes, and add:
Right Reasons
Journey
Crying in a confessional

 

[Catherine M]

Just a friendly bump that Ben's search for true love forever starts tonight. Plus the live aftershow is back, sans annoying Mrs. Jason Biggs as Chris Harrison's cohost.

I'm going to give this new crop of ladies a look see tonight, just cause I always love the chatter online with the bad fashion, hair, entrances, etc.

 

[personwhoishere]

Can't wait! Bachelor/ette are such guilty pleasures of mine, and I've just had a friend move into my apartment who also loves the show!
Hopefully we'll get better travel porn than we did for Kaitlyn's season, although Ireland was absolutely stunning I'd like a little more variety.

 

[Catherine M]

Just to get us in the mood for tonight, my favorite bachelor/ette blogger, Dana Weiss aka Possessinista has a great recap of the lovely ladies up on her site:

http://www.possessionista.com/2015/12/the-bachelor-season-20-bachelorette-first-impressions.html

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Ben seems like such a nice, normal guy that I feel like I should stop watching now before he ruins his image.

 

[Catherine M]

Best part of Tuesday mornings for me is reading some of the Bachelor recaps. Kristen Baldwin of Yahoo does my favorite:

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/39-the-bachelor-39-season-premiere-recap-1336019874684982.html

I don't know what to think of Ben yet. I tend to like my leads with a little more personality but lets face it, its all about the crazies that find themselves "in love" with a guy dating 20+ other women after spending 10 minutes with him that makes this show so good. And from the preview it looks like MULTIPLE girls are going to be "in love" with ole Ben. Good times!

 

[Rob]

Add to the drinking game:
You didn't look me in the eye once.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

More drinking game: a sip if you hear "I love you", a chug if "I know my wife is here" is uttered.

 

[PeterG]

So the producer manipulation was pretty bad for Ben to be made to put both twins through. And the producer manipulation was horrible when they made Ben put through the stranger who insisted in prodding around in his mouth. (Gross.) But when they made him put through Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction reference) for not keeping eye contact with her the entire night (when there's 24...26??) other women there as well... Sorry, I can take a bit of fake programming...even a medium amount of fake TV...but this is too much for me. I'll return when The Bachelorette airs this summer and I can be more easily distracted/swayed by a busload of beefcake!

 

[Catherine M]

As you watch tonight, keep in mind that ABC wants the next Bachelorette to be non-white:

http://zap2it.com/2016/01/next-bachelorette-diverse-abc-summer-2016/


And in other bachelor/ette news:

1. Ali is pregnant:

http://celebritybabies.people.com/2...y-pregnant-expecting-first-child-kevin-manno/

2. Jade & Tanner's wedding date is rumored to be in June; just in time for an airing on Bachelor in Paradise season 3!

 

[Rob]

Oh my, Olivia's face when the first 1 on 1 date card came. With her mouth wide open, she looked stark raving nuts. Then when it wasn't her, yikes such a glare. She's definitely up for drama!

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

Amanda is a little odd of a story, 2 babies and seriously looking for a new daddy on tv?

 

[Catherine M]

When watching Olivia last night all I could think of is how is she going to find her next TV reporting job after the crazy she showed?!? Granted she's not as crazy as ole Lace but still any TV station GM with access to google won't be hiring her anytime soon. Unless she isn't interested in reporting anymore.

I think Fleiss is right, this season is going to set a record for the most girls "in love" with the lead. That should make for fun upcoming episodes.

And it looks like the Jade/Tanner wedding will be soon, maybe to be aired at the end of this season or as the Bachelorette begins. Kinda rushed, IMHO but when ABC comes with a check with lots of zeros in it, I guess you make adjustments. Plus they just bought 4 acres of land in Kansas that needs to be paid for.

 

[Rob]

What is with the constant wide mouth frog look? Weird. She's not getting a good edit for show biz!

Lace needs to lay off the wine.

Weird that Lauren #10 didn't leave before the rose ceremony. It made Amber such an afterthought. Amber knows the deal, why doesn't she go "steal" Ben. Because she's running for Bachelorette instead?

 

[Catherine M]

Agree that Olivia's edit is AWFUL for her showbiz career. And from the preview that was shown last week, its only going to get worse so good luck to her trying to spin it into something positive.

When you sell your soul to Fleiss, you have to be aware that very few souls come out of it with any type of positivity. I think the following can say being on the bachelor/ette was a good thing:

1. The Lamptons, Chris and Peyton who now have a pretty big presence on HGTV.
2. The Rosenbaums, JP and Ashley; they used their wedding money to pay off her sizable school loans and now have the cutest bachelor kid and a new life down in south Florida
3. The soon to be Tolberts, Jade & Tanner; couple that is very well liked by the powers that be and so now they get that rare ABC wedding
4. Trista & Ryan, just cause they were the "first" power couple to come out of the franchise
5. Jesse Palmer, even though he only gave his final 1 a plane ticket, he used his Bachelor time to secure his ESPN gig and now 10 years later he is still doing his thing with college football

That's pretty much it. The other 800 or so souls just went back to their normal lives or live on the edges of "fame", selling useless products on instagram!

 

[Rob]

I'd add Melissa Rycroft, who might have married the same guy in the end, but probably wouldn't have had 2 stints on DWTS (with a mirror ball trophy), various hosting gigs/reality appearances, and a recurring special contributor slot on GMA without getting dumped on national television.

 

[Catherine M]

I skipped last week to watch skating online and haven't bothered to watch the episode. Guess I'll tune in tonight to see what's going on with Ben and his lovely ladies.

Oh, Jade and Tanner got married last night:

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity...-roper-and-tanner-tolbert-are-married-w162391

Cause the wedding will be shown as part of the 20th Anniversary special on Sunday, February 14th, LOTS of alums were there. Hopefully Jade & Tanner got to invite their family and friends too!

 

[Catherine M]

Just an FYI, Kristen Baldwin of Yahoo is counting down to the special with the 20 best moments.

Up first, Jake & Vienna's breakup which I personally would have had higher!

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/top-20-bachelor-moments-vienna-jake-221434086.html

 

[Rob]

Olivia must crazy her way out of B-town soon.

 

[Catherine M]

I got caught up in Mardi Gras so the last two episodes of Ben's search for true love forever was mainly watched with one eye. I think at this point I really don't have a feeling about this season except for a big ole meh. Sorry to see Olivia and her ego go. And Leah, great job this last episode on your Bachelor in Paradise audition! Farmer Chris has made it known that you are his fav so good luck on the reject circuit. You too mute Jen and Lauren H.

Anyway, on Sunday night ABC is trotting out all our favs for their 20th anniversary special. And Jade & Tanner's wedding. I can see why they did the TV wedding as everything gets paid for by ABC. And who cares if a bunch of people you never met are on the guest list!

People mag has the "exclusive" on the wedding:

http://www.people.com/article/bachelor-paradise-jade-roper-tanner-tolbert-wedding

 

[Rob]

I have been away for two weeks in Jamaica so I am planning to have a crapfest and catch up tonight.

And this is hilarious:

http://www.bustle.com/articles/1349...achelor-memes-that-will-make-your-whole-night

 

[Rob]

Farmer Chris is probably mad that he didn't know about the swimming with pigs excursion in the Bahamas.

 

[I Luv Bulldogs]

I love pigs! I totally want to go swimming with them . . . . minus the 'ettes hysterics.

Sad to see Olivia go. Yes they showed her too much, and she was overly confident and delusional, but I don't watch this show for the "love story." Bring on the crazies and the drama.

I'm not really liking any of the girls that are left except for Caila. How can you not like her when after one date Ben refers to her as a "sex panther?" How embarrassing! Although, I feel that her days are numbered as she threw up major red flags during her one-on-one in the last episode.

I predict Lauren B and JoJo make final two. Ben has seemed smitten with Lauren B since episode one. I'm not sure why. She seems fake to me, not the prettiest of the girls there, and her one-on-one was filled with endless "like."

As for the previews, I think that when they showed Ben ready to propose and he's all teary making a phone call, he was calling his mom . . . . . nice try producers.