The (Un?)Luckiest Man in the World: 'The Bachelor' Premieres

He is 31 years old and a management consultant. He graduated from Harvard and has an MBA from Stanford. He was born in Virginia and loves to ski and swim. He counts The Economist, Forbes,The New Yorker, and The Onion among his favorite magazines. His favorite TV show is The Simpsons. The three words he would use to describe himself are “charming,” “hilarious,” and “intelligent.”

His name is Alex and he’s the star of the most public search for love since Rick Rockwell and Darva Conger’s untimely trip down the aisle. His quest is featured on ABC’s latest reality TV venture, The Bachelor.

ABC conducted a nationwide search for one of the nation’s most attractive and eligible Bachelors, followed by an equally extensive search for twenty-five single women. Through a combination of dates, parties, and gatherings these twenty-five women will be narrowed down to the one person with whom the Bachelor feels he is the most compatible. Twenty-five women will be reduced to fifteen, then to eight, followed by the final four as one by one they are eliminated. Along the way, he will be introduced to the friends and families of the women, spend time with them in romantic locales, and face the toughest dating moment in history – bringing them home to meet the parents. Who will touch the Bachelor’s heart and who will badly fumble? Let’s take a look at the top contenders…

My favorite is Kathryn. In her bio, Kathryn sounds down-to-earth, personable, and completely realistic in her expectations of relationships. In her own words, “I am ready to find the man of my dreams, my soulmate, my ultimate best friend. Marriage is only natural after the connection.” Don’t ask me what it was, but something inside me went, “Oh, wow,” after I read that. Additionally, like the eponymous cast member, she has a commitment to fitness with her daily kickboxing/aerobics/weight training regimes. Toss in her self-sponsored six months of study in Italy and this woman is stealing my heart. Putting these two next to each other they even look like they would make a good couple. Their children would be gorgeous.

It was the honesty of Rachel that made me put her in the final four. When asked why she was ready to get married, she simply responded, “I’m not.” Now, call me crazy, tell me I’m on crack, slap me up the head and call me Shirley, but she is so grounded and knows exactly what she needs and wants out of life. She recognizes the fact that a marriage is not what is needed in her life at this moment. Of course, I could be reading far too much into this. Her bio is painfully short but the honesty of her answer might be enough to put her up here.

If the Bachelor is into accomplishments, perhaps he should take a look at Cathy. This woman is a powerhouse of organization and prioritization. She was able to balance a spot on the diving team at Ball State while participating in the honors program and graduating magna cum laude. There’s brains and brawn, which coincides with the Bachelor’s background as well, but there’s also something else – a person who strives to succeed. Currently a doctoral student of physical therapy, she doesn’t appear to be ready to get married considering she was scared off once when her ex brought up the great ring ceremony. Will a fear of commitment keep the Bachelor away from her?

Amanda brings her own style to the table as she asserts her right to be who she wants to be and to live for herself and “not up to the expectations of others.” There’s something about Amanda that exudes confidence. Something that screams, “Take me for what I am and if you don’t like it, oh well, this is what you get.” Based on her bio, she comes across as someone who lives for the experience, the high that comes from the thrill of the moment, and for the sharing of that experience with someone else.

Finally, there is Tina. She is working towards her MBA degree, something already attained by the Bachelor. However, what might give her an edge over the other women are her close ties to her family – another quality that she shares with the Bachelor. This may turn into a case where something intangible such as a relationship with a person’s family may carry greater weight. If it comes down to Tina and one or two other women, Tina’s close relationship may be something that the Bachelor can use to make a determination.

Of course, these are my picks for potential final four members, however, keep your eyes out on Christina (left) and Daniela (right). There might be some competition from them as well.

Now, with every reality series, there are those that sadly won’t make the cut or those that make you wonder, “Um… why?” Here are a few dark horse candidates who may make it past the first round but may not be destined for greatness.

Angelique has her looks going for her but her bio speaks to something a bit more shallow. I’m not sure what to make of a woman who considers living in Los Angeles for five years as her greatest accomplishment. Additionally, she must consider 27 (the age of yours truly) to be old and over the hill in terms of marriage (or engagement for that matter). Personally, I am hoping that her bio is pointedly vague and that there is truly something more behind her than what we’ve been allowed to see.

Another woman who may fall victim early is Amber. Although her bio speaks of spirituality, love for humankind, and understanding for others, she doesn’t seem to fit in the world of the Bachelor. She comes across as a bit too young and immature (considering she cites shopping as a hobby) for the quasi-seriousness presented to us with the Bachelor.

Nothing personal, but there is something about Denise that is really turning me off. Maybe it’s the hair. Maybe it’s the fact that her head is long like an eggplant. Maybe it’s that purple outfit that’s not sitting right on her tanlines. I dunno. It’s really making me scratch my head.

Experience has taught me to avoid people who have just come to realize who they are and accept themselves. For that matter, Shannon (left) and Lisa (right) just freak me out to no end. Hey, I am all for self-exploration and self-realization. Anything that helps you learn more about yourself and what makes you tick. But then once those people come to that realization, they have to tell everyone about it and try to get them to go down the same trip they took. Okay, maybe I’m wrong, but that’s just my experience. At the same time (again from my own experience), those who have just had the wonderful self-realization/acceptance things are overly concerned about not living up to what they just realized. Maybe I’m wrong (and if I am I will be the first to admit it), but there’s something that just says its not going to work. The Bachelor seems like a very well put together man. He’s going to want a well put together woman.

Will the Bachelor find love? With it be Kathryn or Tina? Christina or Cathy? Will Amber or Shannon prove me wrong? The Bachelor starts TONIGHT, Monday, 9/8 Central, on ABC.

C. Brian Devinney resides in New York City where he works as a human resources consultant. When he's not reporting on reality television, Brian can be found rooting on his New York Yankees and Rangers, playing chess in Central Park, or sitting sixth row center in a Broadway theatre.

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