Editors
note:
Producers from “The Bachelor,” an ABC television show, were at the Charcoal
Grill at Hales Corners Thursday to audition women for a future edition of the
show. Kenosha News reporter Liza Berger decided to find out for herself just
what the process was like.
BY
LIZA BERGER
KENOSHA
NEWS
Yes, I admit it. I auditioned for the television
show “The Bachelor” Thursday night. For those who know or watched the show, the
words “shameless,” “pathetic,” and “desperate” might come to mind.
All those adjectives could be true, but it was also
really fun.
The audition was held between 4 and 8 p.m. at the
Charcoal Grill in Hales Corners near Milwaukee. I arrived about 6:30 p.m.,
feeling a big curious, a bit devilish. After all, I thought, who would audition
for such a show, just to get her heart broken on network TV for all to see, or
worse, to be proposed to by someone she hardly knows?
As embarrassed as I felt, I was not alone in my
endeavor More than 150 young women stood in line for more than an hour
frantically filling out applications, touching up their lipstick, waiting with
frightened looks in their eyes, secretly hoping they would be picked from among
thousands to have a chance to meet the man of their dreams on network
television.
Here’s how, generally speaking, “The Bachelor” show
works: A bachelor starts out with 25 girls. After many dates, he narrows it
down to one and that is the girl he proposed to. I was auditioning Thursday to
be one of the lucky ladies on a future show.
As soon as I got to the restaurant I saw that it
takes more that luck. I had some stiff competition. Tall, immaculately
manicured girls wearing leather jackets with perfect complexions and seductive
smiles waited nervously until they got the chance to sit down before the camera
and explain why they should be on the show.
My hair was slightly disheveled, I could have used
some make-up. I was also wearing a totally un-Bachelorette-like sweater. That
is, it is geared more for cold, winter nights than steamy ones.
As it turned out, a lot of young women went to the
auditions for the same reasons as I did: to check it out. Some people, also
like me, did not tell their friends they were going, perhaps to avoid ridicule.
One young teacher who works in Milwaukee, dragged her friend, who works in
advertising in Brookfield, to the audition.
If getting up in front a camera to explain why we were there was not hard enough, we also had to fill out an application with questions such as these: Are you ready to get married? Would you be willing to relocate if you get picked? Why have you not met the man of your dreams?
Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for
arrive – our two-minute interview with a producer behind the video camera. I
was, to the scorn of those people behind me, one of the last ones to get a
chance on-air.
I thought I was so prepared.
“So, why are you here?” the interviewer asked.
“Well, I, so, you see… to get married?” I stammered.
“What kind of guy are you looking for?”
“Someone who’s compatible with me.”
“Do you think you could marry Aaron (The bachelor
star of the last episode)
“Sure. He seems cool.
Not the best answers by any means but good enough to
receive a rose.
I’ll take one of those from a stranger any day.