Here to Make Friends: Ritual, Reality, and Community in The Bachelor Franchise

Abstract

"Here to Make Friends" is a nuanced look into the world of The Bachelor franchise through anthropological lens. The symbols present within and around the shows are analyzed with a Geertzian perspective inspired by his interpretative understanding of culture. This thesis asks its readers how they engage with three concepts connected to The Bachelor’s world—the rituals of watching, the reality challenged, and the community spinning change into their entertainment. Looking through its history and tracing necessary context, we will see how these acts developed into a ritual. Production techniques of these shows will be dissected to ask if reality is a dichotomy. Social media is used as a new ethnographic field when analyzing the communities formed around the franchise.

By questioning our understanding of these anthropological concepts, "Here to Make Friends" will explain how The Bachelor franchise has evolved from a guilty pleasure into an American pop culture staple.