In its best moments, watching the show is  like talking with a stranger who’s surprisingly honest and forthcoming. The show’s refreshing projected skepticism and detachment from imposing convictions of honesty on its audiences are its best attributes and serve for a trust that is a rarity in today’s media. 

I am a new member of Bachelor Nation — and I have no shame. Every week, usually on Tuesday evenings, my friends and I gather to view the week's episode of “The Bachelor.” We set up a projector, light a few candles and pile into one bed as Joey Graziadei appears before us, projected onto a disoriented, partially unironed bedsheet.