Is Chris' the Drunkest 'Bachelor' Season Yet?

Being on The Bachelor is like going to summer camp, if summer camp only had one counselor (Chris Harrison), an open bar instead of a dining hall, and instead of lining up to jump off the dock, you line up to try to make out with Farmer Chris. It is well documented that in the Bachelor house, there is no internet, no TV, no phone calls, no reading. But there is plenty — plenty — of booze. So, if you're bored, and all you have in front of you for the next two days is tanning by the pool and going on one-eighth of a date, it's understandable that you'd have a few mimosas if given the opportunity. But just how much alcohol is present on The Bachelor?

The problem seems to be, that really the only thing to do on The Bachelor, other than talk about the boyfriend you're all sharing, is drink mimosas. And the women on Chris' season seem to be drinking more mimosas than ever, in my very scientific calculations. After last week's eliminations, the house's resident lush, Jordan — who multiple women said had been drunk for every day of filming — spoke to TMZ about the cause behind her drunken Bachelor antics (attempted twerking and makeout missions). TMZ reported that Jordan blamed her extreme drunkenness at her final cocktail party was "fueled by non-stop drinks provided by [ Bachelor ] producers." She says that though she expressed concern about alcohol during the casting process, "producers manipulated contestants by constantly refreshing their glasses."

Jordan's story kind of falls apart when she she says that the show should get "a booze babysitter for future contestants" because Jordan is a 24-year-old woman, and it's not exactly the show's responsibility to keep her from drinking. But it is a little curious just how encouraging of hitting the bar they are...

How Important is Drinking to The Bachelor?

No one is forcing anyone to drink on the show, that much is clear from all of the contestants not twerking or going on a midnight pomegranate picking session. Even Meredith Phillips, the former Bachelorette who opened up about her struggle with alcoholism during and after the show in 2013, told Good Morning America that while alcohol is readily available, she doesn't blame The Bachelorette for her addiction: "It was my choice to drink it and how much I consumed."

Leslie Hughes, a former contestant from Sean's season told The Daily Beast in 2013 that booze is readily available on The Bachelor set and "how [producers] get you to be more talkative, more sensitive.” But, she also makes it clear that she was turning down glasses of champagne that procured themselves at noon.

So, Why All the Drinking, Then?

I think the main reason for all the drinking is obvious: first night jitters and boredom. The thing about Chris' season in comparison to the rest, is that after three episodes, the drunkeness still hasn't subsided. Whether that's editing, this group of contestants, or the women that Chris is choosing to stay is up for deliberation. For example, in Sean's season, Lindsay showed up drunk in a wedding dress after one too many drinks in the arrival limo, but when Sean kept her on the first night, she seemed to get her act together from there on out.

Chris' Season: A Drunken Assessment

But this season, many of the women who seemed to overindulge on the first night, seemed to do the same in later nights. Whether that's different from other seasons or not, there has certainly been an emphasis on booze-fueled storylines for Chris' season. At the first Rose Ceremony, he stopped the proceedings to have a bro chat with Chris Harrison because he's planned on choosing Tara, but Tara could barely stand; he chose her anyway.

Jordan, later kicked off, brought two mini-bottles of whiskey for her limo introduction; frontrunner Whitney smuggled in a bottle of bourbon to gift to Chris last week; Jillian and Megan broke into Chris' house and rammed their heads against the wall in his motorcycle helmet in what was clearly an altered state; and Ashley S...well, actually, Ashley S. doesn't really seem like she can be explained by alcohol.

There's definitely something up with Chris' season, but only time will tell if it's just one too many cocktails.

Image: Rick Rowell/ABC