In this recurring column, we tackle some of today’s biggest… or at least most interesting… or at least vaguely interesting to us… questions. This week, we ask…
… did last night’s edition of BACHELOR PAD go too far? For a long time now, reality television has been morphing into something that isn’t so much entertaining as it is a publicly-broadcasted form of Schadenfreude. We watch the REAL HOUSEWIVES of wherever and enjoy watching them hurl insults (and the occasional table) at one another. And if we feel any guilt at all about enjoying their exploits, we can take comfort in the fact that nobody is making them behave like trailer trash.
Last night’s BACHELOR PAD, however, crossed a line. Because while one can argue that the men and women who signed up to compete for love and cash knew, to a certain degree, what they would be in for, we as an audience didn’t necessarily expect the level of cruelty the producers foisted upon the contestants last night.
In a competition obviously designed to ratchet up the drama by playing on everyone’s insecurities, the men and women were asked to fill out a survey asking such questions as “who is the least trustworthy person in the house?” or “Which of the women has had the worst boob job?”
This, of course, led to a “game” in which everyone was gathered together and required to guess how the majority of the group had responded. Imagine being a woman who is voted most likely to always be a bridesmaid, never a bride? (On the plus side, you can take at least a tad of comfort in the fact that those voting have sought out their 15 minutes of fame by seeking “love” on a reality show and being repeatedly rejected.)
In the end, the producers — and maybe the audience — got exactly what they wanted: lots of footage in which the women were reduced to tears. And while at least one woman wept while curled up in a bathtub, some viewers were left feeling as if they need a shower in order to wash off the rather thick coating of slime left by the episode. 
