The season finale of the Bachelorette starring Jojo Fletcher reeled in a massive 9.5 million viewers. This being said, the hit television show has a very poor record on producing lasting couples-the record being one.

     Out of the nineteen bachelors and bachelorettes ABC has worked with, only one has married a contestant. Twelve are (still) engaged, and many aren’t even together by the time the show begins to aire. So what makes this show so popular?

     “I like watching the show because it’s really funny,” Junior Taylor Abadir said. “I don’t agree with what the bachelor labels as love, but I do feel that some contestants are able to find love through the show.”

     It seems to depend on the contestant- some take their “journey to find love” very seriously, and other do not. The show also provides their contestants with a whimsical “fantasyland,” as they fly off to exotic locations and go on the perfect dates, leaving their relationships dry and hopeless in the real world.

     Junior Hannah Sidhom feels that the show is not beneficial in any way, shape, or form, and quite frankly a waste of time and very pathetic.

     “First, it’s staged,” Sidhom said. “So what’s the fun in watching it if you know it’s not real?”

      Many contestants seek the opportunity for a spot on the show for reasons that aren’t too pure. There is an opportunity to become a mini-celebrity, and it doesn’t matter whether their flaws are enhanced and viewed by millions. Contestants may gain wide support or hate, but either way they are becoming well known and often well-paid in sponsorships and appearances. So why not?

     “Most importantly, no real love can come from having to choose between 24 girls or guys in front of an audience made up of millions of people, that just doesn’t happen,” Sidhom said.

     The bachelor/bachelorette dates almost every single contestant in hopes of finding the one, often times falling in love with more than one person. He/she is left with a very difficult decision, often unknowing whether he/she is making the right one. Is this really love?

     Sophomores Jessi Bowbeer and Jenna Dilbeck enjoy watching the show for its humor as well.  

     “It’s entertaining with dumb drama,” Bowbeer said.

     True enough, the show portrays all of its contestants’ flaws to a world of viewers, filming every embarrassing move they make. It’s unfortunate, but makes for an entertaining show. As morally corrupt as this show may be, it still has produced love and attracted the attention of many. ‘Merica folks.