My Obsession with the Bachelorette

As a mother of two daughters (24 and 14) I often have to curb my comments, sarcasm, opinions, and overall behavior when they are around.  I try to say and do the appropriate, motherly things in front of them. This is often stressful as I am sure you can imagine. One event that I do not apologize for is the annual awarding of roses and parade of hotties known as the "Bachelor."  I am obsessed with this reality (yes, it is)  television series. There are numerous reasons I LOVE this show.  Here are a few---
1. I get to witness a young lady's (might have been me in a different lifetime) romantic missteps and joyful encounters all in one summer's season. She starts with 25 men and gradually whittles the list down to just 1. I didn't date 25 men in my entire dating career. With only short snaps of dialogue and brief meetings at cocktail parties, she has to decide who is in or who is out. That is pretty impressive right there.
2. The chosen bachelorette has someone style her hair, apply make up, and select her very nice clothing. She never has to stand in front of a closet and wonder just how many time has she actually worn the black capris hanging there? She gets the Cinderella treatment every date, every cocktail party. I am forced to ask a 14-year-old or my non-metro husband if I should wear a certain necklace or pair of shoes. I have to curl my own graying dry hair. What does a 30 something need with a stylist? They should work pro bono for women 50 and over.
3. Drama. The viewers have an intimate look at the men vying for her attention and ultimately, her heart. Granted, we usually watch them sit around in hotel rooms, but I feel like I really get to know whether the guy is a keeper. During this current season, Andi did not offer a rose to Brian. I screamed at her, I mean the television.  How could she not see he was the best guy for her? That rose was his! It took a long time to calm down that night.
4. The show's producers scout out some amazing locales. Granted once there, they do the same things over and over like taking helicopter rides, swimming in the ocean surrounding a private island, riding horses, interacting with underprivileged youth, sitting by food (never touched), and drinking wine, but to do this same thing in the Dominican Republic or Luxembourg is pretty cool. It is like watching PBS or Discovery.
5. Because the Bachelorette isn't allowed to disclose who she has feelings for, the ending is always a nail biter. I always have in mind who I think the young lady should pick. The man who will make her dreams come true. I have to watch until the very end to see if she and I are on the same wave length. Often times we are. The final rose is given during an exotic, windswept moment with waves crashing in the background. The bachelorette finally gets to share her feelings. After seeing one another on perhaps five individual dates and a handful of group dates, the process is complete. Put the roses away until next year.
6. Finally, my daughters, sister, and niece watch the show also. We gossip about it, question it, make fun of it, and look forward to it. When I talk to my sister, we talk about the show first and then our families! Yes, it is a cheesy television premise, yes, there really isn't the deep connection I like to think I have with my own husband, but every Monday night during the summer, my daughters and I watch the bachelorette navigate a very complicated, EMOTIONAL journey. God forbid the rose would go to the wrong guy.