DIANA REPUBLIC

I had other plans for today’s post, but after last nights final episode of The Bachelor, I had to post a protest.

In the most selfish and ill-conceived rose ceremony in Bachelor history, Jason Mesnick proposed to Melissa. This is the same guy we were all sorry for last season when he got down on bended knee only to have Deanna Pappas reject him. Now I wish she had given him a little kick when he was down there causing him to topple over and really be humiliated.  That is pretty much what he did to Melissa. In the post-finale show he broke off the engagement and asked Molly, the other finalist to forgive his mistake.

Now I know many people (my husband included) find it almost cheating when the Bachelor doesn’t propose in the final show. They give the “engagement” ring as a promise ring, don’ t present a ring or choose neither woman and run a la Brad Womack. But given the track record of this pimping fiasco maybe that is not such a bad thing. Jason could have restrained from trying to be such a knight in shining armor. He could have done something not so dramatic and in turn, not so devastating, particularly given his own history with the show. As much as eveyone railed on him at the time, Brad Womack is looking hero-ish right about now. He at least lead no one on.

I also feel compelled to comment on Jason’s Super Dad status. Involving his son in this whole process might have seemed like a necessary evil, but I can’t help but think that there were other ways to see how these women were with children. Involving your three year old son in a marriage proposal that you weren’t going to follow through with was short sighted. I don’t have children, but my parents divorced when I was young and I spent many years with revolving girlfriends and boyfriends. It is sad and confusing to have adults come and go in your life that way. His title of Super Dad is hereby revoked (by virtue of the authority that I just granted myself).

I get that Jason figured out a little too late that the passion he felt for Molly was more compelling that whatever he felt for Melissa. I also get that he would have done no favors to anyone by going through the motions for any length of time. But none of that makes me dislike him any less. And really, did all of this have to be done on camera? Couldn’t the disintegration of this relationship play out in People Magazine the way all the others have. I don’t know if the lack of a studio audience really shielded Melissa in any way. She was, you know, on television.

In closing, let me say that I may be done with the Bachelor for good now. At least I should be, but, pathetically, I enjoy watching a bunch of champagne soaked mean girls being held hostage for my entertainment and, romantically, I keep waiting for a happy ending.