July 8, 2013 by Erin

One Bachelor with Fries, Please

Well, friends, today is Monday. I gather most people do not enjoy Mondays, but I rather look forward to them. And not only because I like my job and my coworkers—though I do, immensely. I look forward to Mondays because of what happens at 8:00 p.m/7 Central. Yes, dear readers, almost every Monday night for the last year and a half, I have joined 6 millionish others to watch ABC’s The Bachelor/Bachelorette. (Shout out to fellow-warrior Kelcie for sucking me in.)

Now, had I written that statement a year ago, this is the part where I’d be anticipating all sorts of shocked, outraged comments. But my secret has been out for a while, and I’ve found out that most of you don’t care. Still, I do feel an overly-defensive need to explain myself in some way, lest you think the shelves full of classic novels and the old-timey blog design are a sham.

As with most things in life, I’ve thought through this way too much. Prayed about it even. I’ve tried to decipher exactly what it is I love about it, so I could write a half-decent blog post detailing why those two hours on Monday nights really are time well-spent. And while there are nuances to the show I find fascinating (the inherent cultural commentaries, the fact that the point is marriage and not a hook-up, etc.), I’ve mostly come to accept the fact that The Bachelor/ette is my McDonald’s.

If you don’t understand that reference, stop right now and watch this Jim Gaffigan sketch. Seriously. It’ll be the best ten minutes of your day.

Not long ago I wouldn’t have let myself have a McDonald’s (not consciously, anyway). Everything had to be purposeful or redemptive in some way. But, I don’t know, something happened around when I turned 25, and things just mellowed for me. So, no, I probably won’t be gaining anything by watching Desiree go out with five different guys tonight—but I will be enjoying myself.

One or two items do need to be addressed. A few people I’ve talked to have brought up the show’s morality. I get it: previews are all drama and hot tubs, and there’s that darn fantasy suite. I won’t pretend The Bachelor/ette gives a shining example, but in reality (see what I did there? Ha. Ha.) it’s the same moral code that governs nearly every other television show or movie. For the record, in only one of the four seasons I’ve watched has it even been implied that the couples had sex. And though the concept of one man/woman dating multiple people at once is strange at best, the idea of it being wrong is actually a cultural construct and not a biblical principle (as is dating in general).

Morality aside, I do understand my following The Bachelor/ette is quite shallow. And to that, I say again, it’s just McDonald’s. Is a steady diet of it ok? Nope. But as a once-a-week indulgence with some good friends? I say yes. To be honest, I’d about worn myself out trying to be deep all the time. I think I needed a little shallow in my life.

I suppose what I really mean to say is this: I want my life to be full of meaning and purpose. I also believe that even small things can be significant, and I can see redemption at work in an ice cream cone. But I do think there’s room for a little fluff in even the most examined life. A little McDonald’s, if you will. Otherwise, we’re in danger of becoming, well, you know … what Jim Gaffigan says.

So the question is, have you had your break today?

#Blog Wars 2013