There is only one show I really enjoy watching, and I watch it weekly with my wife: The Bachelor (including The Bachelorette and Bachelor in a Paradise).  I like it because in a silly and romantic way, I hope for the contestants to find the love that the show promises, and I like watching it like a televised sociology experiment.  Crazy things could happen in those circumstances to even the most normal people, so it is fascinating.

There is another reason I like watching The Bachelor franchise.  The social commentary.  I read a bunch of the blogs who do recaps, and I now also listen to some podcasts.  I feel like I share the sense of humor with the people who comment about the show.  The interest everyone has is genuine, but there’s a little irony in how it’s reported and talked about, as if nobody really wants to admit they love it all, but if they go overboard in their analysis or coverage of it, it will make it ok – so it’s all a little campy I guess. Maybe this is how “treckies” started out.

There are 3 podcasts I can recommend to anyone who wants to enjoy The Bachelor related shows to the fullest (listen after you watch the episode, and you will find yourself saying, “I know!” and “exactly, what was he/she thinking?!!”)  It’s oddly fun.

Here To Make Friends:  By two writers at Huffington Post, and with a new guest every week.  This podcast claims to explore things from a feminist perspective – that’s actually what drew me to it at first because I have a gender studies background.  I was disappointed by this angle because at times they sound more like two first year university students who have taken one women’s studies class and don’t understand the full body of feminist scholarship well enough to do what they claim to do.  You know what I’m talking about.  I think they have gotten better than they were at first, so now I enjoy it.  Episodes are 30-40 min long usually.  Check it out here 

The Bachelor Podcast; Accept These Bros: by a group of 4 or 5 friends who either choose to watch or watch because their significant other watches.  This is actually surprisingly insightful and more forgiving than the above podcast.  They don’t really rag on anyone too much, and are pretty forgiving of the contestants. I like these guys, and enjoy their different perspectives.  They treat it a bit like guys often treat sports – for example there was a draft of the guy contestants last season of The Bachelorette.  Usually it is a bit longer than 1 hour.  Check it out here 

The Bachelor Pod: by 2 married couples talking about the show.  I have only listened to one episode, but it was fun to listen to, even if they got off topic more than once.  They all contribute in a meaningful way and add their own perspective that also gets more personal than the other podcasts about things like who is attractive and what kind of person they think a contestant is.  A bit more crass than the others I have listened to, but that crassness also comes with some honest commentary that you would like to hear sometimes.  Episodes are longer than 1 hour here, too.  Check it out here

So there you go!  I not only admit to the world that I watch a reality tv show and love it, but I take it one step further and suggest to you what podcasts to listen to in order to enhance your own watching experience.  I guess it’s everyone’s lucky day!