People can bash The Bachelor franchise all they want for its corny nature or lack of credibility, but the show's host Chris Harrison defends it to the ground and even believes it has sincerely impacted men today.
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"Maybe," Harrison said during an interview with GQ magazine, "we've created a better man."
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have always boasted romantic dates filled with candles, discussing emotions, flowers, and fairy tale-like adventures. Although often criticized for being over-the-top and unrealistic, Harrison suggested that at the very least, the reality dating competition has given men insight into what women want and what they most likely deserve.
"I don't know if we can take full credit, but I do think we have helped evolve the modern man, to teach him how a woman wants to be treated," Harrison explained.
"I think we have helped men and women kind of get to know each other and break down that wall where we never used to communicate. Things that needed to be said and no one ever really wanted to talk about. Guys want to talk about feelings, too, sometimes. Guys want to be reassured, too -- even the manliest of men."
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Harrison told GQ that The Bachelor has had its share of influences on American culture such as how to have a real, honest conversation with your significant other.
According to the magazine, couples watch the show together and mimic the behavior they see on-screen in their own relationships.
"It's a passive-aggressive way to really talk about your own feelings of, like, 'I really don't like what he's doing' or 'I really like the way he does that.' That's what this show does," Harrison asserted. "It literally just gives everyone a chance to sit around and talk."
The Bachelor is currently airing its nineteenth season starring "Prince Farming" Chris Soules. The edition just premiered January 5 on ABC.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski