‘The Bachelor’ franchise has announced that it will feature an over-65s senior citizens spin-off. At this time, there have been 24 seasons of ‘The Bachelor’ not including spin-offs like the ‘Bachelorette’, ‘Bachelor Pad’ and ‘Bachelor in Paradise’. Consumers have been complaining that the franchise formula has been getting moribund.
Recently, the studio executives behind ‘The Bachelor’ have put out a casting call for senior citizens in their golden years and are looking for romance. It is hoped that the more experienced contestants would be able to cut away at the insincerity and juvenile nonsense that the franchise has been known for. The studio executives are betting that the contestants would be more mature and thus not resort to desperate cat-fighting.
The producers are also hoping that the senior citizen variant would create the optics that sexual attraction does not shrivel up towards the autumn years of one’s life. This would also shed some light on the complexities of senior romance, which is an area which has not received much attention in today’s media.
Read the full article on The Guardian: Are we ready for a senior citizens dating show?
Analysis:
Would the US reality television executives be able to capture the nuances of romance in the later stages of one’s life? Senior romance would probably consider that everyone has experienced heartbreak in a significant way. Perhaps, they are divorced or have lost their spouses to disease? Additionally, these seniors are also likely to have adult children. These complexities are worth delving into since it is such unexplored territory.
Moreover, the television producers could really stand to gain by pandering to the older demographics. While most of the younger generation are now consuming media via streaming platforms, senior citizens are the main segment of the population that are still watching television. A senior citizens version of ‘The Bachelor’ done right would be able to cater with this demographic, and earn the producers lots of credit.
Questions for further personal evaluation:
- Why do you think reality TV series are so popular? Do you enjoy watching them?
- Do you think that one’s romantic life should be filmed and made available for public consumption via TV or other media? Why or why not?
Useful vocabulary:
- ‘moribund’: in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigour
- ‘autumn years’: the later years of one’s life, especially after one has finished their career