Graphic by Elizabeth Han
From a final rose ceremony and proposal to couples being separated on an island surrounded by attractive singles to test their true connection, reality shows like “The Bachelor” and “Temptation Island” have mastered the art of keeping viewers emotionally invested. But this season, the spotlight isn’t just on the drama—it’s on the men at the center of it.
The 29th season of “The Bachelor” premiered in late January and wrapped up with a surprising turn that left fans both frustrated and confused.
The bachelor, Grant Ellis, faced a tough decision as he narrowed it down to the final two contestants: Litia Garr and Juliana Pasquarosa. In the end, Grant proposed to Juliana—despite having made emotional declarations to Litia. Freshman journalism student Anita Goodwin expressed how she felt this season’s bachelor was manipulative and deceitful, particularly for giving Litia false hope.
“I feel like Grant played into the classic, ‘deceiving man who tells you that he loves you and is gonna pick you and then doesn’t’ (stereotype),” Goodwin said.
At the end of the season, when all the contestants reflected on what happened, Litia revealed that Grant gave her a journal to write her feelings down so they could read it together at the end of their journey. Many fans, like Goodwin, felt like he gave her misleading promises.
“I was watching (the show) and I was so pissed off because I cannot imagine getting a journal and being told, ‘write how you feel about me’… and then picking someone else,” Goodwin said. “I was (shocked) … Honestly, thank God he chose Juliana because Litia is far too good.”
Many fans took to social media to express their disappointment, calling out his false promises and questioning the authenticity of his final choice.
“(Grant) liked being on camera. You could just kind of tell,” Goodwin said. “It felt like he was playing a character, and he was not super genuine.”
While many “Bachelor” fans harbor negative sentiments towards Grant and his choices, viewers of the show “Temptation Island,”were also particularly outspoken about the men on this show and their role in the drama this past season which aired in March.
“Temptation Island” features four couples who are at a crossroad in their relationship. To put their relationship to the test, they are split up and sent to separate islands––one for the men and one for the women––where they live alongside attractive singles. Over several weeks, they’re tempted by the possibility of new connections and sexual temptations, testing the strength of their current relationships and deciding whether to leave together, alone, or with someone new.
Autumn Haney, a junior corporate communications major, explained that the controversial moments with the men on the show kept her binge watching the season.
“It was kind of addicting how much rage bait it was,” Haney said. “I kind of liked hearing how insane these men sounded and how much of a victim complex they had.”
While the women remained loyal to their partners, the majority of the men gave in to temptation. On the men’s island, everything from threesomes to forming deep emotional connections with the single women unfolded, sparking intense debate among viewers. Many shared a common hatred toward most of the men, especially Grant Larsen, who was often labeled narcissistic and continued to fuel social media discussion with controversy after the show.
“I hate Grant so much,” Haney said. “He was just so narcissistic and did not take an ounce of accountability for his actions.”
During the bonfire ceremonies, most of the women discovered their boyfriends had been unfaithful. Though the women were loyal throughout the show, the men were shown clips of their partner simply expressing their frustration or venting to other women and single men—something that sparked anger among the guys despite their own far worse behavior.
“Their women were venting to other men, which I mean, maybe you shouldn’t talk s— about your partner to someone, but they were just trying to do what they could in that situation while their men were completely crossing all physical boundaries,” Haney said.
In the end, both “The Bachelor” and “Temptation Island” have once again proven that the true drama of reality television often lies in the men who put themselves in unethical situations. Their selfish, manipulative behaviors and lack of accountability for their actions enraged viewers.
Both shows highlighted a powerful display of female empowerment as the women navigated the emotional turmoil of the men’s actions, shifting the narrative toward exposing the toxic behavior and questionable character of the men involved in the shows.
“I really liked seeing how the girls came together as friends,” Haney said. “Even though they were going through such drastic situations, I really liked seeing the girlhood.”