ABSTRACT
266On the NBC reality series, The Bachelor, 25 women compete for the love and affection of one desirable bachelor. Although the interactions the Bachelor has with the contestants at the beginning of the show are carefully staged, their interactions become more intimate as he narrows his focus to just a few of the women. In fact, the Bachelor typically shares physical intimacy with multiple women on the show and each season ends with participants expressing feelings of true love. When the Bachelor makes a final decision about which relationship he'll continue off-screen, the last two women shed tears of heartache or joy. Ultimately, the Bachelor and the winner are separated for several months while the show airs so that the final outcome of the show isn't ruined when people see them together. Being forced into a long-distance relationship so soon after the relationship began typically spells disaster for the couple. After sixteen seasons, none of the couples have stayed together for long after the end of the show, which reveals how challenging it can be to maintain intimacy in a close relationship.
