The Bachelor and its spinoffs may be entertaining, but they’re not necessarily known for being that progressive. They often portray the worst in gender stereotypes — assuming women will all fight over a man, pitting them against one another, letting the man have his pick of the litter — and people of color hardly ever get further than the Sweet Sixteen. Meanwhile, Logo’s Finding Prince Charming is cited as the gay version of The Bachelor, but there are some pretty big differences in the two shows. Only two episodes have aired so far, and yet I’m already seeing how supportive the Finding Prince Charming contestants are, compared to many of the women on the various Bachelor seasons.
Don’t get me wrong — there is still drama on FPC. If there weren’t, would fans even bother to watch? No. The contestants squabble and fight, but it’s mostly over their lack of time with Robert, the Prince Charming that’s leading the show. But, aside from a few clashes of personality, for the most part, the contestants aren't quick to tear each other down. That's a pretty big contrast to some other reality dating shows.
Some women and men who appear on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, respectively, do go on to become great friends. If you follow any of them on Instagram or Snapchat (of which I do both), it’s very easy to see that certain contestants become lifelong pals. Sharleen Joynt is best pals with Andi Dorfman; Jade Roper-Tolbert and Carly Waddell are BFF; Desiree Hartsock and Renée Oteri hang all the time; and the list goes on.
Hardcore Bachelor Nation viewers know these relationships happen because they love the show, but casual viewers wouldn’t. Why? These relationships are almost never seen on the show. It's fair to say that the people on Bachelor In Paradise are more friendship-focused, but that's because they're not all "competing" for one man. And they also already know each other. It's a completely different vibe.
The women on The Bachelor are nearly always portrayed in a state of tension with each other. This one got a rose, this one said this about another. They are often always fighting, largely, I would imagine, due to the editing that producers need to make the show "interesting." If everyone were getting along on The Bachelor, it might not be deemed as "dramatic." And, it's not something limited just to the women of Bachelor Nation. Just look at how the Chad fights were portrayed on The Bachelorette. Chad was a contestant who actually left pretty early on in the competition, but he was given extensive air time and even a back-to-back episode slot focused on his fights with his fellow contestants.
When the men get dates on Finding Prince Charming, many of the other cast members express how happy they are for the man in question. When Jasen got a date with Robert in Episode 2, Justin remarked that Jasen really deserved to get to know Robert more, and he wanted them to connect. I’ve never heard a Bachelor contestant say that on camera. Have they? Maybe, but it’s never made it to air that I can recall.
Finding Prince Charming is doing away with the stereotypes of the “b*tchy” gay man in favor of real life personalities. People make friends. People support each other. Not everyone is out to get the man next to him, especially to fight over a romantic interest. Womanhood is much the same way — my friends and I are not fighting over men and screaming at each other — but a supportive community of women is not what we see on television and in the movies. Women are exhaustingly pit against each other at every turn, and it’s in this regard that Finding Prince Charming stands out in the sea of other drama-filled reality dating shows.
Images: Logo; Giphy (2)
