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

It is difficult to assess the usefulness of this book for potential readers because they exist along a very wide spectrum. Some watch the series and enjoy it. Some freeze-frame the season tease, looking for identifying marks on ankles and wrists so that they can determine who is still receiving roses as the series draws to its conclusion. The latter are likely to pore over social media sites, spend hours studying (and posting on) message boards and reserving Monday evenings for watch parties. For the latter the book may not offer much in the way of new information; for the former it might be a revelation.In sports, there are some who simply watch games, others who can name tertiary prospects in the minor leagues and identify the number of years left before free agency for dozens and dozens of players. The difference with baseball, e.g., is that contract information, vital statistics, etc. are all in the public record, so that a more searching analysis is possible. For the author of BACHELOR NATION it all comes down to what can be discerned in a highly chaotic and highly subjective ‘public record’ and how many people are willing to talk to her. If my math is correct, she spoke with 61 people and probably a number more who wished to maintain anonymity. With 34 seasons in play (at the time of writing) there are many, many more who were unavailable.Bottom line: she was reasonably assiduous and also delved into the professional literature on love and relationships as well as the published material on the series (= a 9 pp. bibliography). We are, of course, talking journalism here, not scholarship. The book contains a good deal of interesting gossip. We learn about Mike Fleiss’s habits with weed and potential romantic entanglements with one of his executives, along with the prices of his homes. We find out who pays for the women’s gowns and under what circumstances, learn about the actual location of the Bachelor mansion and the manner in which the set is dressed for the shows. There are long discussions of the editing process and the manner in which contestants are manipulated (sometimes cruelly). We get an up-close-and-personal account of the activities of the producers and meet some of them personally. We learn that Chris Harrison’s initial interview for the host gig was a bust. The material on Instagram advertising revenue (the motivation for some contestants to appear) was fascinating (to me, though perhaps this is commonplace information for younger viewers).Along with the technical information there is speculation on why the show works and why people watch it. Fleiss’s answer is straightforward: everybody’s been dumped and everybody’s fallen in love (or tried to); hence the show is eminently ‘relatable’. He sounds like a freshman theme in a comp class at a third-tier college. Eternal questions are posed: how can you fall in love that fast? How much pressure is put on the bachelor to propose? Why is the fail rate so high? Etc.The one thing that is not considered at any length is that the show is a form of (highly commercial, middlebrow) art. Dryden says that we install larger-than-life statues in public squares so that they look real from the street below. In other words, art turns on exaggeration and very ‘unrealistic’ things are done to create the sense of ‘realism’. We explore a life in a novel that requires 6 hours of reading; there is very little room for the dead space which characterizes our actual lives. An Edna Ferber novel might take a few more hours but could cover multiple generations of ‘experience’. The fact that the Bachelor/Bachelorette covers a search for love in several months worth of series (and then offers forms of ‘follow up’ in their spinoff shows) makes the process look downright leisurely.The more interesting question is why do viewers study ‘Reality Steve’ Carbone’s spoilers before viewing the show? He was interviewed and he opines that the spoilers don’t really spoil; they simply offer a different way of looking at the show. Once you know the basic plot arcs you can concentrate on the shaping of the show by the producers and editors. I agree with this and would note that we know the end of King Lear and The Great Gatsby before we read them. How does that work in highly-commercial, middlebrow work? And how would we compare the plot arcs from series to series to spinoff to spinoff with other seriocomic shows containing an ensemble cast? The very notion of ‘cast’, commonly used by Chris Harrison, e.g., is suggestive. I’ll spare my readers an academic lecture, but point out that while some of the book is nearly unreadable (the sections concerning the author’s life and attitudes) other sections are informative and suggestive.Three and a half stars.

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book considering I haven't actually read a book since.....maybe college (over a decade ago). Also, because I follow Reality Steve, I already knew a lot of the secrets of the show, but it was still nice to hear it from another perspective. Plus, there were plenty of things I didn't know (like Trista slept with Alex, they paid Desiree's rent while on the Bachelor, some producers sleep in the room next to the fantasy suite, and more).I enjoyed Amy's writing, maybe because I can relate to her. I'm in the same stage in my life as she is. I loved her mix of seriousness and humor. I also loved that she reminded me of some of the greatness from the 90s (i.e. Splash spa).I also liked the "Why I Watch" pages from celebrities because it's nice to know others perspective. At the end of the book, when Amy was discussing why she watches, I actually stopped to think about why I watch. I watched for a couple years from season 1, then stopped completely until about 3 years ago. Now I'm hooked and I don't even know why.I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the show and you want to know how it's made. I would not recommend it if you want to continue to believe in the fantasy - cuz yes, I still know people who think it's real.P.S. Am I the only one who had to Google "LuMee Cases"? I'm either too old or too uncool. 😐

Full Disclosure:: I'm known among my friends and colleagues as a Bachelor Fanatic. People text me with news about the show. During the season, I organize a weekly lunch group at work to discuss the most recent episode. Except this last season. Arie? Hard pass. Couldn't stand him on Emily Maynard's season. I had no interest in watching him faking a desire to settle down. I was sad to miss out on a season and the sense of community that comes from watching and following social media during an episode.This book filled that void. It was like Amy Kaufman read my mind: from my conflicted feelings about being a proud feminist who loves this schmaltzy show to the weekly viewing parties---except I only dream of having the parties while she actually does. A great read with enough juicy tidbits and behind the scenes information for dedicated fans.Just a curious bystander, wondering why people like this show (like my poor suffering husband)? Amy Kaufman examines the connection between the princess and happily ever after myths with the rose ceremony and women's desire to find their prince. The book is also interspersed with essays from celebrity Bachelor fans, including Donnie Walhberg, my favorite NKOTB, who shares my sentiment when he says "I don't even call it a guilty pleasure, I just call it a pleasure."Much like this book, which was a pleasure to read. A fun book that mixes pop culture with feminist critique that I recommend you add to your reading list.

A lot of what is written in the book is known and probably more interviews with contestants would have added things I don’t know. The book is well written by a talented writer

I was hoping for a good insight to the Bachelor programme as I am a UK based fan of the show. I would suggest that only a small percentage of the book is 'inside information' as most of the Bachelor alumni refused to speak to the author. Some of the information is gleaned from books writtenby former Bachelorettes, Courtney and Andi.There are several chapters entitled , 'Why I'm a Fan' written by US TV personalities. 30% of the book is taken up with acknowledgements and referencing. I paid £9.99 for a Kindle version of the book and it whiled away a few hours but I didnt really learn much about the programme. What I did learn, which has justified the cost of the book, is that there is a mockumentary, spoof, 'behind the scenes' TV show called Unreal which I am currently watching. It's blowing the lid on the Bachelor and its production in a dark, humourous but probably truthful manner.

I purchased this book wanting to get the inside scoop on the Bachelor. As a long time fan, I was dying to know what really happens behind the scenes. But what I got was so much more than this. Not only is it filled with juicy details on the show's production team, application process, and creative editing, but it helped answer the question I ask all the time: why do I still hate watch this show every season it's on. This book is witty, thought-provoking, and a must read for all Bachelor fans or really anyone interested in reality television. The author definitely wrote it for the right reasons.

This book delves into the realities of bachelor nation shows. I find the shows more enjoyable now that I understand why the cast members are acting the way they are. A good, entertaining read.

Just got my book in the mail. Didn't realize it came from the UK. I live in Canada. I think next time they should let you know where it's getting shipped from. Other than that, the book is great so far! If you're a true bachelor fan you will LOVE this book and the inside scoop :)