Nice To Meet You, Now Take Off Your Clothes: The Worst Dates Ever

[Rhondinella]

Just like its companion thread in the Bachelor forum, let's keep the scope of this limited to discussion of dates on the Bachelorette alone, none of the other Bachelor franchises.

[JenE4]

I would presume that this would be one of the worst group dates to be on, yet it's always fun to watch from home: Any group date in which the Bachelorette has a meltdown over one particular contestant--and the rest of the dudes are left standing around not sure what to do. Bonus points for when the Bachelorette then turns on the innocent bystanders! Particulars that come to mind are Emily going all "West Virgina backwoods hood rat" (or whatever she said) over Kalon calling the precious Ricki "baggage"--and then she was pissed at everyone else for not, like, challenging him to a duel or something to defend her honor. Andi also was mad at Eric (RIP) for calling her an "actress" and, after handling it relatively well with Eric himself, then broke down in tears and started telling all of the other guys how hard this is and if they don't think she's here for the Right Reasons, then there's the door! Similarly, on a DIFFERENT group date after one guy got drunk and canonballed into the pool, Andi had another meltdown yelling at the other guys that if THEY'RE not here for the Right Reasons, then there's the door.

 

Worst Bachelorette 1:1 date that I can think of is also Andi (Ok. my memory is not going back very far!) on that train ride from hell with whatshisface--who had NOTHING to say the ENTIRE day other than the sob story of both of his siblings dying from drug overdoses--and Andi still gave him a rose!

 

Best worst 2:1 was "Guard and Protect her heart" Casey revealing his tattoo to Ali and then Ali helecoptering away with the other dude, leaving Casey to freeze to death alone in the frozen tundra.

[FireFoxy]

Best date: Meredith during Lanny's HT visit where his mom told her she expected nothing less than a submissive wife for her son. Her WTF face was epic.

 

Hilarious date: DeAnna melting down because Graham wouldn't pay attention to her during the BBQ at the guy's pad and his confusion over her attitude. 

 

Best Bachelorettes: The ones who are sincere about wanting to find love and go on to live a relative quiet life after the show. Also, the ones who are super chill and fun. Meredith, Jillian, Ashley and Des.

 

Worst B'ettes: The total famewhores who go on the show for their 15 minutes. DeAnna, Ali, Emily and Andi. Yuck!

[nexxie]

This season's boxing and sumo wrestling "dates" were ridiculous! Tony wouldn't get a rose from me but he was right about these idiotic events.

[MakeMeLaugh]

Pretty sure the fake sex ed class to preteen actors (still children even if their parents approved their participation) who ask the bachelors, complete strangers to them, what a wet dream is, and the Bachelorette laughing hysterically at how uncomfortable the bachelors are at being shown as low level perverts, is going to be hard to top for worst date ever in my book.

[Kimmature]

This is only my second season watching the Bachelorette, but Andi's lie detector date was abysmally stupid, and uncomfortable for everyone involved. Stupid because lie detectors don't prove anything (and since Andi was still playing the 'lawyer' card, you'd think she'd know that), and mean because of the way that the producers played it. Andi giving any credence at all to the guys' answers (and sometimes agonizing over them) strained belief, and poor Dylan will probably never live down the non hand washing answer. 

 

I wasn't a fan at all of the boxing date- it's irresponsible to put people of differing experience levels and weights into the ring together.  Given what we know about concussions now, I was a bit gobsmacked that Jared's head injury was just brushed off.  I think that the Sumo wrestling date could have been absolutely awesome if they'd just had the guys go in the ring with the actual professionals (who know how not to hurt people), and without the prurient 'look who's balls are hanging out' emphasis.  Sumo wrestling is at least pretty interesting because it's such an intensive subculture, but it's not a joke.  I found Tony to be more annoying than watchable, but he did get my attention by walking out on the stupidity.

 

And I am sick of the 'trauma' dates.  If nothing else, they reinforce the fact that the contestants are as dumb as bricks- it's hard not to know now that when you're filling out your questionnaires to be on the show, if you write down that you're afraid of something, the producers are going to put you right in the middle of it.  And they don't prove anything- didn't Andi have a rock-climbing/rappelling kind of date last year where she went rock climbing or rappelling or something, and ended up clinging to her date saying "I know that you'll keep me safe", instead of sucking up to the people who tied her harnesses/set the lines?   (I might be confusing that with a Bachelor date that she was on).   And being in a stressful situation with someone doesn't always build trust, or love, it's just TV stupidity.

 

I don't blame the Bachelorettes for the dates- it seems to be pretty rare that they really have a choice about their dates, and now the producers just seem to want to humiliate people.  The ratings seem to be up this season, so I doubt if we'll see better dates any time soon. 

[backformore]

The sex ed date was the worst ever.   Very poor judgement to have this on the show. 

It was just creepy, in so many ways - not the least of which was Kaitlyn laughing at the whole thing. 

[Bobcatkitten]

There are always stupid, sexist dates on both series. Nothing new this year and I think it's unfair to blame Kaitlyn for dates that the shows plans.

In the past Andi had her men strip for her; Desiree had dodgeball; Emily's bachelors competed in the Highlands games in kilts; Ali had oil wrestling; Ashley also had a fight date in which a man was injured.

[ByTor]

Since this thread is about dates I suppose I'll ask the question here.  The bachelor(ette) always discusses in a TH "the date I have planned."  I always assumed the producers set up the dates.  Does anybody know if that is the case?  Or maybe is the bachelor(ette) given a choice of possible dates that (s)he has to decide from, so it technically is the "date I have planned"?  Also, does the bachelor(ette) decide who goes on group dates vs one on one, or is this completely producer decided?

[Bugs Meany]

The producers plan the dates, although they do seem to create a few that the Bachelor/Bachelorette can say are his/her idea (e.g. Kaitlyn and the horrific battle rap date, Juan Pablo's soccer date, a million others). They also choose who goes on the date, whether 1-on-1 or group. This is necessary to some extent; otherwise the same few contestants would go on all the dates.

[shok]

The producers plan the dates, although they do seem to create a few that the Bachelor/Bachelorette can say are his/her idea (e.g. Kaitlyn and the horrific battle rap date, Juan Pablo's soccer date, a million others). They also choose who goes on the date, whether 1-on-1 or group. This is necessary to some extent; otherwise the same few contestants would go on all the dates.

 

The Bach/ettes decide who to take on their one-on-ones. They know they're making a tv show so are well aware of the need to take different girls/guys, for the first few weeks anyway, but later on it's not unusual for one of them to get a second date before s/he has 'dated' all of the rest.

[Bugs Meany]

The Bach/ettes decide who to take on their one-on-ones. They know they're making a tv show so are well aware of the need to take different girls/guys, for the first few weeks anyway, but later on it's not unusual for one of them to get a second date before s/he has 'dated' all of the rest.

 

That's not true at all. The producers don't leave big decisions like that up to the Bachelor/ette. Looking back at the past several seasons of both shows, the winner of the first impression rose has never got the first 1-on-1 date, or even the second! The earliest has been the third. Just this season, the FIR (Shawn B.) didn't go on a 1-on-1 date until week 5. Jason Mesnick's FIR never did!

 

I can find a source for this but I'm sure others here can back me up.

[backformore]

I agree, Bugs!  Especially keeping in mind that the contestants are interviewed about fears.  If the producers set up a date involving heights, swimming, snakes, bugs -  got to get someone with a corresponding fear. 

How many times have we seen "leap of faith"  dates, along with explanations of how relationships are like bungee jumping or similar activities?

[Mabinogia]

I wonder, at this point, how many contestants lie about their fears. I know I would. I'd love an adventure type date, if I want to go skydiving, or bungee jumping or helicopter/airplane/hot air balloon, you better believe I'm going to give production every sound bite they need to establish my fear and then play the part of having it conquered by true love. Actually, I really want to do the swimming with sharks thing so I would be shouting from the rooftops that I am terrified of sharks.

 

I do think that production caters dates to their bachelor(ette). Like, if Britt had gotten the job I don't think there would be as many wrestling/fighting type dates. I think those are catered to Kaitlyn's "one of the boys" image. Britt would be getting more relationshipy/romantic type dates because she's more the Disney Princess type. So while Kaitlyn didn't necessarily choose these dates, I do think they were chosen specific to her character. And so far her character seems to enjoy watching men compete for her in often the most humiliating way possible. I'm waiting for the dick measuring date cause that's pretty much what this season has come down to.

[ByTor]

And so far her character seems to enjoy watching men compete for her in often the most humiliating way possible.

This is what bothers me more than anything about her.  She even said in the rap challenge about a chance for the guys to embarrass themselves.  I personally don't find that amusing.

[shok]

I can find a source for this but I'm sure others here can back me up.

 

A source better than one of the actual Bachelorettes?

 

A lot of people on this and various other forums give the producers entirely too much credit.

[Bugs Meany]

A source better than one of the actual Bachelorettes?

 

You didn't mention one. There were eleven 1-on-1 and group dates before Kaitlyn had a 1-on-1 with Shawn, her FIR-winner. That could not have been her choice.

[Mabinogia]

It could be if she knows she likes Shawn. She could be saving him for the best one on one, assuring him in their time together that he's a top choice but she's got to give the other guys attention so it's not so obvious. And seriously, there have been 11 one on ones already? I feel like the show just started. yikes! I don't think I could even name 11 of the guys.

[Bugs Meany]

It could be if she knows she likes Shawn. She could be saving him for the best one on one, assuring him in their time together that he's a top choice but she's got to give the other guys attention so it's not so obvious.

 

That's quite a stretch. I doubt she was saving Shawn for the super-romantic San Antonio river kayaking date on Week 5.

 

Says RS:

 

Reader: WHY would Sean waste a one-on-one date with a girl he has little or no attraction to [Leslie H., who was sent home on the date]??… Do the producers just draw a name out of a hat or force whoever they want on him? Just struck me as completely odd. Of course we see only tidbits of prior conversations, so maybe he wanted to truly test the waters with her.

RS: Yes, producers assign who goes on what date. The lead may say on TV that they chose so-and-so for the date, but they don’t.

 

 

Scoff at the source, but the producers won't admit to rigging everything, and the leads won't admit to having no power on their own seasons.

[Fable]

I can find a source for this but I'm sure others here can back me up.

 

A source better than one of the actual Bachelorettes?

 

I recall reading an interview with Jason Mesnick where he said he let the producers know who his top picks were, and then from there they handled the dates and, in some cases, the order of eliminations.  I'm not going to look for a link, because I'm almost positive it was with Reality Steve, and his site has not been very kind to my computer in the past.

Edited June 29, 2015 by Fable

[C76]

^Jason and Molly also have a podcast called This Is Reality with Jason and Molly Mesnick. I've only listened to a snippet, but their show seems like a reliable source for information on the show. 

 

Topic? I thought this week's 1-on-1 with Cupcake was pretty awful. 

Edited July 2, 2015 by C76