ABSTRACT
Six weeks prior to these confessions, Trista and Ryan were complete strangers. But thanks to ABC’s 2003 reality romance, The Bachelorette, this couple formed and even made the ultimate commitment to marry. It is not uncommon to see scenes like this on television. Bachen and Illouz (1996) even opined that romance may be an obsessive theme in our culture. The Bachelorette capitalized on this American interest in romance with a seven-episode series showcasing 25 men vying for the affection of bachelorette Trista Rehn. Ryan emerged as the winner of a fiancée.
