Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure by Amy Kaufman

I haven’t always been a fan of The Bachelor.  I used to think it was crummy television, but after I moved in with girls that love the show I found myself watching too.  Now I’m knee-deep in roses, fantasy suits, and Neil Lane diamonds (okay, I wish on that last one, but you know what I mean).  The thing is-I don’t think I like it for the right reasons, which is why I couldn’t wait to read Amy Kaufman’s behind-the-scenes look at the franchise.  Read more to see if I gave Bachelor Nation a final rose and why I still watch The Bachelor! ​

Confession: I’m a people watcher.  I’ve always been more interested in watching how people interact with each other than I have been to actually interact with them (#introvert).  The Bachelor is the perfect opportunity for me to do just that. I’m here for the social experiment. I like to see how people present themselves, or at least how production presents them.  I try to see past the storyline to see what is really going on in the contestants’ lives. That’s why I was so excited to read Bachelor Nation, and Amy Kaufman doesn’t disappoint. Her research, interviews, and inside experience gave me the behind-the-scenes look I was craving.  

Kaufman used to be a part of the press that covered all things Bachelor related until ABC didn’t like some of the opinions she was sharing.  Unable to move away from the phenomenon, Kaufman decided to explore why this franchise has been around for 15 years and, despite some particularly rocky roads recently, why it is in no danger of going away.  She interviews past contestants to see what life is really like at the Bachelor Mansion, the pressures producers put on them, and why their motivations for going on the show may not be as pure as they portray them.

There was so much to learn from Kaufman’s book.  Why do we buy in to the fairy-tale romance season after season? What does our fascination with the contestants and the journey they go on mean? Has reality tv changed the way we interact with each other and the world around us?

Kaufman eposes exactly how the producers get the content we so desperately crave.  She shows us what effect the show has on contestants’ lives. She even interviews celebrity fans to see what we are all just so interested in seeing who gets that final rose and how.

If you follow even one of the contestants on social media, you’ll love this book.  It’s for all of us in Bachelor Nation who want to look behind the curtain and aren’t afraid of what we’ll find.

TL/DR: Reality tv gets its own dose of reality in Kaufman’s book.
Rating: 5/5 stars