ABC Finally Embracing Diversity

Here at the Apologists, we generally don’t have many nice things to say about ABC or the producers of the Bachelorette, what with how they’ve been portraying Bentley and all. But we have to applaud them for one thing – their willingness to embrace diversity. No, not racial or ethnic diversity (all the contestants on the show are WASPs after all), but rather intergalactic diversity. Take Ames for instance. We like Ames. He’s clearly from another planet. Every time we seem him, it warms our hearts that the producers care so much about their other-worldly viewers to include an extraterrestrial on the show (though it is not fair to pit him up against Bentley). Sure, Ames is an alien but why should that keep him from finding love? Plus, if winning Ashley’s heart isn’t in the cards, Ames still has several options open to him including commanding the alliance Starfleet, becoming an Emmy-award-winning crooner, or having father/son outings with Zeus.

Is it possible that Bentley is actually a good guy?

We apologists have always been staunch defenders of Bentley. Normally, that means we rationalize his “bad” behavior and tell you why he’s not actually as bad as he seems on The Bachelorette. To all our readers, we only have one thing to say. We’re sorry, we screwed up.

Not only is Bentley not a bad guy, but it turns out that he is actually a pretty good guy. Now normally, we at the Apologists like to create our own content. But in this case, we are pulling a Huff Po and gathering together some statements about Bentley from around the web. Check them out:

Jeff Medolla (the Mask)

I don’t think Bentley is a total asshole…I just think he liked the camera and was doing whatever…Bentley, he was just kind of like, “Hey, you know what? I think I’m going to leave…”There’s no doubt in my mind that he missed his daughter, but I think it sounds cool or something to maybe say, “Yeah, I’m using my daughter thing, but it’s really not the case….”I have a feeling that I’ll be in touch with Bentley.

West Lee (That one dude)

I really liked Bentley … he seemed genuine. He talked about his daughter all the time, so I really thought that his missing her … and then to see all this stuff on the show was a bit of a surprise. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle, but at least in my experience of Bentley, he was a good guy. I like him.

Suzette (the ex)

“He’s a really good father, he’s really involved. They’ve got a really great relationship. He adores her. I’d say he’s a really good father,” she explained. As for their marriage, Suzette told Billy and Kit, “It didn’t work out, he’s got a lot of great qualities, it just wasn’t right with us.”

Anonymous (Fellow Bachelorette contestant)

Courtesy of a fellow blogger:  Today I got an e-mail from a Bachelorette insider (whose true identity I can neither confirm or deny, though they did sound very much “in the know”) to tell me that he’s been getting a kick out of my recaps so far this season.  He also made an argument that Bentley is actually a fairly decent dude – “funny, chill, definitely competitive, but not the asshole the show’s making him out to be.  They’re murdering the guy in editing!”

It’s important to remember that these varied characters have every incentive to take shots at him, but neither The Mask, That one dude, nor The Ex, nor the Anonymous Contestant were willing to throw Bentley under the bus. When all is said and done, Bentley critics will no doubt cross over to our side, and when they do, we will extend to them an olive branch (or at least a lock of Bentley’s luscious hair).

The Allure of Aloof

After re-watching the first several episodes of the Bachelorette, two things seem pretty clear. First, Bentley is by far the most aloof of the 25 contestants. Time and time again, he holds back, appearing to relish in his reservation. Second, Ashley is attracted to his aloofness. The more he holds back, the more she seems to dig him.

What is the allure of the aloof? Well, most simply it differentiates Bentley from the other contestants. Not only does it keep him from coming off like a desperate schmuck (see cheesy Solar Ryan in almost every episode), but it also cultivates in him a quiet sense of confidence. While all the other guys are aggressively pursuing Ashley, trying to make the most of their 3 minutes of one-on-one time with her, Bentley casually holds back. Ashley ends up approaching him! While all the other guys feel the need to vomit out their biggest accomplishments (“I started a solar company,”) or their most tragic experiences (“my dad was an alcoholic”), presumably to impress Ashley or evoke her sympathies, Bentley nonchalantly mentions the one thing that is most likely to be a deal-breaker (and maintain his distance from her): that he’s a divorced father. By essentially doing the opposite of what the others do and what the show expects, Bentley stands out from the pack and emerges as the most authentic and genuine guy on the show (note the same “realness” gets him in a pickle during the ITM interviews).

Aloofness signals that a guy is complex; he’s likely to be a challenge. In short, he’s interesting. Like any other smart girl, Ashley simply has a hard time resisting.