helped and participated in the creation of this senior thesis. First and foremost, I dedicate

this thesis to my family for encouraging me to undertake this project and challenge

myself, and for helping me push through even at the most stressful of times. They have

given me endless love and support my entire life and have never stopped believing in me,

and I am eternally thankful to them.

I also want to thank my advisor, Professor Bill Stanwood, for his countless hours

Honors Program of Boston College for affording me the opportunity to engage in such a

challenging yet fulfilling project. It has been a tremendous learning experience and one

which I am incredibly thankful for.

Abstract............................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1

Background of the Problem ................................................................................................ 2

Research Question ............................................................................................................ 10

Method .............................................................................................................................. 29

Results............................................................................................................................... 32

Discussion......................................................................................................................... 70

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 79

Appendices........................................................................................................................ 81

References......................................................................................................................... 85

television shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to determine if gender stereotypes

are reinforced within these shows. This study found a lack of stereotype reinforcement in

that non-stereotypical behavior patterns were most prevalent among both males and

females in the “contestant” role. However, stereotype reinforcement was confirmed in

that women were more likely to be younger and thinner than men, gender-stereotypical

behaviors were more prevalent than not among individuals in the bachelor/ette role, and a

female positioned in the more traditionally “male” role of the bachelorette still remained

more stereotypically “feminine”. Also notable was the reinforcement of patriarchic

heterosexuality by a male-initiated marriage proposal in the so-called “feminist” The

Bachelorette. Overall, gender stereotypes were portrayed as normal and desirable, and

female stereotypes continued to persist over male.

mainstays of prime-time programming (Butsch, 2006), with its popularity having grown

rapidly over the past ten years. Reality shows are thought to be more true-to-life than

their scripted counterparts, as they follow the lives of non-actors and display what is

believed to be authentic emotion. Not all reality television, however, displays real life

television trend back in 1992 (Roth, 2000). Still on the air 15 years later and in its 18

season, The Real World shows how successful the plot device of casting seven strangers

of diverse backgrounds and placing them in a beautiful house to live together for six

months can be (The Real World, 2007). The show combined elements of soap opera

becoming obsolete due to a widening generation gap and other cultural indicators, he

sought to document those changes through the lens of one American family. According to

Ruoff, Gilbert’s goal was to develop a portrait of a family that captured “the breakdown

of fixed distinctions between public and private, reality and spectacle, serial narrative and

nonfiction, documentary and fiction, and film and television” (as cited in Landrum &

Carmichael, 2002, p. 66). At the time, An American Family was considered a failure

of storytelling can today be appreciated as opening the doors to a new genre – reality

television (Landrum & Carmichael, 2002).

contributed the now common device of reliance on editing to deliver a story with a

certain viewpoint. For example, the filmmakers portrayed Pat Loud as the “good wife”

and Bill Loud as the “bad husband” as the story of their impending divorce panned out,

“carefully constructing their ‘characters’ through deliberate editing choices” (Landrum &

hit Survivor in 2000 was born out of ‘ordinary’ people in ‘extraordinary’ situations –

Survivor marooned sixteen castaways on a deserted island while competing in physical

challenges to win $1 million (Hill & Quin, 2002). In essence, the editors become the so-

called “writers” of the show, “construct[ing] a narrative from the raw material that both

compresses time and highlights the inter-relationships between members of the ‘cast’” (p.

55). Yet these shows are interpreted as “real” for several reasons. First, series such as Big

else is highly contrived (Hill & Quin, 2002). The “game show” element of these shows

provide make uncertainty a key part of the viewing experience, which leads to the second

reason for their perceived reality: these programs exude an element of “liveness.” They

offer the same attractions as live television to viewers, promising participation,

unpredictability and spontaneity, and allow audiences to believe that anything could

happen, despite the fact that they are carefully edited (Hill & Quin, 2002).

provides an outlet for ordinary Americans to fantasize about “gaining status through

automatic fame” (p. 54). Thus, a combination of low production costs and high viewer

interest has resulted in the omnipresence of reality television programming seen on the

airwaves today.

Gender Stereotypes

of world-wide programming (Butsch, 2006, p. 226). In addition to affecting American

television, it has largely impacted British television and has spread to several countries in

Asia, Europe and Africa (Butsch, 2006). Its global impact is further evidenced by the fact

that Survivor and Big Brother landed among the top ten shows in five out of fifty-five

countries surveyed in 2000 (James, 2001). The viewer impact of reality television reaches

across all demographics, as Professor Annette Hill found that “a broad spectrum across

age, sex, and class watch these shows,” not the “uneducated working-class couch potato

Bachelorette, the third installment of the franchise (following The Bachelor II), which

premiered January 8, 2003, reversed roles and put Bachelor runner-up and 29-year-old

Trista Rehn in the driver’s seat, as she searched for love among a group of 25 men

(“Bachelorette episode listing”, n.d.). Consequently, the series showed even greater

popularity than the Bachelor, premiering first in its time slot with 17.6 million viewers,

and stood as the number one television program on Wednesday night in the demographic

2003b), and the season finale brought in a series-high 20.4 million viewers (“TV

Schedules”, 2003). Overall, the series ranked as the 14

2002-2003 season (“Favorite Programs”, 2003). The remarkable popularity of these two

series have resonated with modern viewers, and there is no doubting the influence The

Bachelor and The Bachelorette hold on television audiences, including the manner in

which gender relations are represented.

show element is subject to cause many viewers to deem the series more realistic than

typical scripted television and even more likely to believe the behaviors they teach..

Furthermore, the two series’ identical premises yet reversed gender roles provide

excellent grounds for marking and comparing occurrences of gender-stereotypical

behavior. This is most obvious with regard to The Bachelor’s reliance on a common

female stereotype – that of the woman whose ultimate goal is to meet her Prince

false impression of the dating experience and false hope to meet their mate in a similar

way.

roles in television as a whole, and more specifically within the genre of reality television.

This includes studies addressing depiction and support for traditional gender roles on

reality TV, research showing reality TV promotes alternative gender roles as deviant,

literature depicting the commodification of female sexuality in reality television, and

Gender Stereotypes and Television

the 1960s and 1970s. Overall, numerous content analyses reveal that television depicts

Serbin, 1974; Stout & Mouritsen, 1988).

represented on television. In a 1975 study, McNeil found that from a 1973 sample of

prime-time programming, 68% of characters were male while only 32% were female.

Greenburg (1980) found an average of 71% male and 29% female for three seasons of

prime-time programming in the mid 1970s. Davis (1990) determined the percentage of

female characters had increased to 35% by 1987. Dominick (1979), in a study spanning

25 years (from 1953-1977), revealed that the low number of females in starring roles

is an important predictor of employment for women on television. Kahlenberg (1995) and

Signorielli (1982, 1989) found that married women were less likely to hold employment

outside of the home compared to their single or divorced female counterparts, although

this was not a factor for men, and Elasmar et al. (1999) found twice as many unmarried

females as married females to be in professional white collar positions or entertainment

occupations in the 1992-1993 prime-time season.

1975; Kalisch & Kalisch, 1984; Vande Berg & Streckfuss, 1992), and were likely to hold

subservient or low-responsibility positions (DeFluer, 1964; Dominick & Rauch, 1972;

Gerbner, 1972; Seggar & Wheeler, 1973; Streicher, 1974; Tedesco, 1974). More recent

research has found that the sphere of work is consistently dominated by male characters,

and that although women’s occupational opportunities have expanded, more women than

men cannot be categorized by occupation (Downs, 1981; Signorielli, 1989; Signorielli &

Bacue, 1999; Signorielli & Kahlenberg, 2001; Vande Berg & Streckfuss, 1992). For

traditional, stereotypical behaviors and personal characteristics. Males are depicted as

more dominant (Lemon, 1977) and more independent, assertive, aggressive and powerful

than females (Tedesco, 1974; Thompson & Zerbinos, 1995). Conversely, females are

depicted as more emotional, sensitive and frail, more likely to cry (Downs, 1981), and

more likely to initiate acts of affection (Busby, 1975; Greenberg, 1980; Glascock, 2001;

Sternglanz & Serbin, 1974; Thompson & Zerbinos, 1995). Turow (1974) and Greenberg

Similarly, men are most likely to solve their own problems without help from others and

rarely helped others with problems (Downs, 1981; McArthur & Eisen, 1976).

Conversely, Downs (1981) found that women most frequently dealt with the problems of

others and required help to solve their own, demonstrating both a sense of nurturing as

well as a dependence on others. Finally, Glascock (2001) found female characters to

exhibit significantly more negative verbal aggression than male characters; however, this

seeming empowerment can also be viewed as attributing the female stereotypes cattiness

with more emphasis being placed on it than the male’s appearance. Early studies of the

1970s and 1980s report that television women have been portrayed as younger than men,

and most likely to be under the age of 50 (Downing, 1974; Harris & Voorhees, 1981;

Signorielli, 1989) and later studies confirm this fact as well (Elasmar, Hasegawa & Brain,

1999; Glascock, 2001). Further, female characters remain more provocatively dressed

and more likely to have blond or red hair than male characters (Davis, 1990; Glascock,

Thus, blonde hair is associated with attractiveness and success, demonstrating the

consistency of the television woman’s appearance to reflect “traditional cultural

definitions of beauty and femininity” (Davis, 1990, p. 330).

Effects of Gender Stereotyped Television

also been conducted on the effects of stereotyped television on viewers, especially

children. Several studies have found that television can influence children’s attitudes

Lipinski & Calvert (1985) concluded that the research did in fact demonstrate a link

between television viewing and sex-stereotyped attitudes. Ross, Anderson and Wisocki

(1982) discovered a positive relationship between sex role attitudes and television

viewing among adults, and in a meta-analysis of nineteen studies, Herrett-Skjellum &

Allen (1996) found that as television viewing increased, the acceptance of gender

stereotypes, especially of women, increased as well.

numerous criticisms for its portrayal of stereotypical gender roles. These articles discuss

the depiction of gender stereotypes within the reality genre.

Depiction and support for traditional gender roles on Reality TV

Consistent with the large body of research on sex stereotypes on television,

several scholars have reported the depiction and reinforcement of traditional gender roles

within various reality television shows (DeRose, Fürsich, & Haskins, 2003; Fairclough,

emphasizing the stereotype, according to Fairclough, that “women should be natural

homemakers by virtue of their gender” (p. 345). Further, any reference to women’s

careers and the workplace is very limited and often portrayed as a troublesome

interference in the lives of their families. Fairclough relates one episode where one

woman’s career is used as an assault on working mothers, appearing to corroborate the

outdated belief that women “cannot have it all” (p. 345). Overall, Fairclough (2004)

the domestic sphere, all it does is reinforce the outdated stereotype that a woman’s place

should be in the home.

submissiveness and domesticity as ideal, such as in the series Joe Millionaire, The

Bachelor, and Paradise Hotel (Graham-Bertolini, 2004; Harris, 2004; Yep & Camacho,

2004). Graham-Bertolini argues that Joe Millionaire glamorizes traditional notions of

what behaviors are considered appropriate for women by rewarding them for such

(p. 343). Furthermore, Joe Millionaire gives the women identity only in relation to Evan,

and represents them as virtually powerless, depending on the butler for nearly everything;

this serves to emphasize their dependence and passivity, as well as making clear,

according to Graham-Bertolini (2004), that “ultimately the women are relying on Evan to

rescue them from their own insignificant fates” (p. 342).

dreams amongst a group of 25 female contestants competing for his affections, Yep and

Camacho (2004) found patriarchal gender roles continually reinforced by female

participants who declared how they would make the perfect wife for Bob because they

liked to mother, cook for him, and would be his servant.

unselfish and desiring the financial prize for others by rewarding those who do. For

example, the female winners of three different shows all had intended from the start to

Swap, the premise positions women against each other from the outset, and cattiness is

expressed by the “pushy” wives who “attack each other’s lifestyles and furiously defend

their own” (Fairclough, 2004, p. 345). Similarly, when trying to plot and play the game,

the women on Paradise Hotel were often typecast by fellow contestants as “bitches,

flirts, sluts and nags,” exposing the oft-cited double standard that “reinscribes women

within heterosexual patriarchy,” and were often played off of one another to increase

(p. 339). Many “plot devices” of the show allowed for women to expose body parts, such

as pajama parties, mingling in hot tubs and amusement park water rides. Similar to

Survivor, camera shots often focused on the women’s breasts, buttocks, and legs as they

entered hot tubs or removed clothing, thus presenting them as ‘objects of the male gaze’

or in other words, commodifying their sexuality for male consumers (p. 339). In contrast,

bachelor Bob Guiney’s body was hardly scrutinized. DeRose et al. (2003) similarly found

that on Blind Date, the producer-written supertext reserves any commentary on physical

loan for boob job” (DeRose et al., 2003, p. 179). However, the supertext never makes any

comments regarding male sexual body parts, and the male body often goes uncriticized,

whether “chiseled” or “chubby” (DeRose et al., 2003, p.178).

into focus as sexually available, attractive beings. While some may see the program as

“freeing” female sexuality from the “responsibility and respectability of marriage”

contestants as “flirts” and “sluts”, and the premise of “swapping partners in a hotel…for

money” subjects women to be interpreted as prostitutes (Harris, 2004, p. 356). Overall,

female sexuality in Paradise Hotel is commodified for male consumption as well, and

rather than empower women, serves to sexually subordinate them to men through the use

of double standards.

Several reality dating shows emphasize a fairy-tale connection to romance,

this ideology as natural and normal (Yep & Camacho, 2004, p. 339-340). The female

participants are portrayed as obsessed with marriage and strengthen patriarchic gender

roles, as several confess that they will make the best wife based on their abilities to

“mother” “cook” and “be a servant” (Yep & Camacho, 2004, p. 339).

Joe Millionaire is even more linked to fairy tale romance, as it similarly claims to

offer a “fairy tale ending” to one lucky woman. Like The Bachelor, there is plenty of

reminiscent of Cinderella’s arrival at the ball” (Graham-Bertolini, 2004, p. 342), and the

women swoon at the possibility of marrying their prince/millionaire, Evan. In its fairy

tale construction, the show also normalizes, according to Graham-Bertolini (2004), what

stereotypical behaviors are acceptable for females beyond desiring marriage, and that in

fact make women worthy of marriage: sexual purity, submissiveness and domesticity.

Contestant Zora is shown in one episode stroking her horse’s nose while on a horseback-

riding date with Evan to emphasize her fairy-tale virtue; animated bird chirps are even

security as well. Thus, both The Bachelor and Joe Millionaire use fairy-tale associations

to idealize and normalize patriarchic notions of heterosexual courtship.

This study will examine two television programs, season one of The Bachelor,

premiering March 25, 2002 on ABC, and season one of The Bachelorette, premiering

January 8, 2003 on ABC, and will determine ways in which stereotyped gender roles are

Bachelor and a female chooses from among male competitors in The Bachelorette.

Season one was selected for both series in attempts to ensure as much equality among

series as possible. For both six-episode series, half of the episodes (weeks three, five and

six) were analyzed due to time constraints. Episode one was solely analyzed for

demographic information, as the majority of the episode introduces the viewer to the

bachelor/ette and contestants. Episode two was eliminated from analysis arbitrarily when

choosing between two and three, and episode four was eliminated due to the fact that

choose a young, blonde and thin woman, while the bachelorette is more likely to choose a

muscular man, with hair color and age making no significant difference.

Next, several gender-stereotypical behaviors for each gender were coded. For

females, these include Emotionality – crying, becoming visibly upset or discussing

feelings; Affection – likely to initiate acts of affection; Romance/Desiring Cinderella

fairytale – romantic actions/comments, desiring marriage and living “happily ever after”;

believing in oneself; Non-Aggression – actions demonstrating passivity and submission;

and Impressed with Appearances – general preoccupation with physical appearances,

including materialism, personal appearance and appearances of opposite sex.

Gender stereotypical behaviors for males were also coded for, most of which were

polar opposites of the aforementioned female stereotypes. These male stereotypes include

Aggression – physical or verbal forcefulness or hostility; Independence – solving

problems on one’s own, not relying on others for help; Unemotionality – lack of showing

color, body type). Next, using a checklist, the coder made frequency counts of each of the

above behaviors exhibited by, in The Bachelor, the male bachelor and each of the female

contestants, and in The Bachelorette, the female bachelorette and each of the male

contestants, as well as utilized rich description to describe each moment a stereotypical

behavior occurred. In addition, the coder recorded any opposite-gender stereotypes (i.e.

female stereotypes among men, male stereotypes among women), noting times when

each episode, eliminated contestants were recorded. Overall, This study utilized an

emergent design, allowing the flexibility to add or change codes during the research

process.

Overall, this study will make four sets of comparisons: 1) The male contestants of

The Bachelorette will be compared to the female contestants of The Bachelor to

determine whether traditional male and female stereotypes persist when both males and

females are in the contestant (passive) role. 2) Alex the bachelor will be compared to

throughout and despite role reversal, with both men and women exhibiting the same

degree of stereotypic behavior in the “power” role as the “contestant” role, and that

putting a women in the powerful “bachelor” role will not erase female stereotypes and

equalize gender roles, just as positioning men in the submissive contestant role will not

succeed in erasing male stereotypes.

interesting patterns. Overall, it was found that women were more likely to be younger and

thinner than men, but no real differences were found for hair color.

Age

to age 31, and all but one (31 year old Jill) were younger than 31 year old bachelor Alex

Michel. In contrast, the male contestants of The Bachelorette had an older and much

in comparison to the men, but they are younger than the men in general as well. This

supports the hypothesis that not only do the series portray younger women than men and

within a much shorter age span; also, reinforces the stereotype that desirable women are

younger than the man they desire, while desirable men can be of any age in relation to the

woman.

Hair Color

(44%), the same number of blondes for both genders (32%), and a slight difference of

black-haired females (16%) to black-haired males (20%). There were two red heads

among the female group, and no red heads among the males.

Body Type

male categories were muscular, average, and heavier, while female categories included

thin, average, and heavy. While 60% of males were average, a mere 4% (one male) was

age, were younger than bachelor Alex (age 31).

the women Alex eliminated, 7 (70%) were in the older age bracket between the ages of

27 and 31, and only 3 (30%) were in the younger bracket, aged 22-26. In the first round,

Alex effectively eliminated the three oldest women (Jill, 31 and Daniela and Denise, 30)

and three out of four who were 29 (Lisa, Rachel & Amber). In terms of hair color, half of

(10%) and one was a red head (10%). Finally, 80% of eliminated female contestants were

thin and 20% were average.

22-26), brunette (40%) and a vast majority were thin (80%). About the same number of

brunettes were kept in the competition as eliminated (6 to 5) but while only 3 blondes

were eliminated, 5 were kept. The largest degree of change occurred with regard to body

type; while 8 thin women were eliminated, 13 were kept, and both of the average-sized

the remaining women - Kim, Shannon, Trista & Amanda - 75% were young (ages 23 and

24) and only Trista was of an older age, 28 (25%); this contrasts with younger girls

accounting for 44% of the original 25. 75% of these remaining women were also blonde

(3 out of 4) with Shannon being the lone brunette, a much higher percentage than the

percentage of blondes to other hair colors in the original 25 contestants (32%). Finally,

75% of these women were also thin, close to the original 84% of thin women making up

girls only accounted for 8% of the original 25. Overall, the women whom Alex chose as

his final four were younger and blonder than the original group of 25.

Trista and Amanda. Shannon was eliminated, and in the season finale, Amanda was

chosen over Trista. Thus, although Alex’s final two were both of different age brackets

and different body types, they were both blonde. In the end, Alex chose the younger

woman, Amanda, over Trista, making him eight years her senior. All in all, Amanda was

were her own age (12%), and in contrast to the bachelor, the oldest contestant vying for

15 in the competition. Of the men Trista eliminated, 6 (60%) were between the ages of 30

and 42, and only 4 (40%) were 24-30. In the first round, Trista effectively eliminated the

five oldest men (Eric, 33; Greg. H, 34; Chris, 35; Wayne, 37; & Matt, 42), and two thirds

premise revolves around women vying for the love of one man and living happily ever

after. Thus, it seemed fairly logical for the female contestants to have a higher count (16)

than Alex (5). Several of the women likened their experience to a fairytale, including

Amanda, who “felt like we were in a fairytale or something” when she kissed Alex on the

ice on their date to New York (The Bachelor, Episode 5, 2002), and Shannon, who

exclaimed on her date with Alex in episode 3, “I am Pretty Woman, I am Cinderella

tonight, I am Snow White tonight” (The Bachelor, Episode 3, 2002). Alex described this

like with your son, but I really don’t think (pause) either of us is in love per se, yet,” and

after being eliminated, she confessed “It’s not that I 1000% wanted to be engaged today,

I was very anti-engagement the whole way through” (The Bachelor, Episode 6, 2002).

Alex, however, never demonstrated any such desire. Thus, the gender roles were

somewhat reversed for Trista and Alex; while Trista had a fear of commitment and

predilection for putting up ‘emotional walls’, which was brought up many times

and marry her. Overall, the women were over 3 times more romantic and desiring a

fairytale ending (16 to 2) than Alex was (5 to 0).

ending was much different in The Bachelorette. Although both the men and Alex were

more romantic than not, the stereotype was twice as frequent among the men vying for

Trista’s heart (30) than it was for the female bachelorette herself (14). Most notably,

Ryan revealed to Trista that he used to think he needed a lot of time to get to know

(Episode 3). Trista also made several comments alluding to her desire for marriage and

romance, such as telling Ryan that she had dreamt about the day she would have a ring on

her finger since she was a little girl, and saying how Charlie “would make an excellent

husband for me because he’s got everything I’ve always looked for... He’s affectionate,

within context of the fact that the male contestants of the series were specifically

interested in finding true love and a wife in Trista. However, it is still surprising that

Trista expressed a desire for marriage and a fairytale ending less often than the men she

was courting. Even more surprising was the fact that Trista expressed a lack of desire for

this fairytale ending once, while the men never did at all. This occurred in the finale,

when Trista brought her two final choices, Charlie and Ryan, home to meet her family.

After the two men had left, Trista told her family that in contrast to Ryan’s desire to jump

into marriage, she wanted a long engagement to really get to know the other person and

on men. This was very much true in terms of the female contestants’ dependence in the

series, which occurred at total of 14 times – they were completely dependent upon the

male of the show, Alex, who decided which of them would get chosen for individual

dates, where they would go on their dates together, and most importantly, who would be

sent home and who would stay and possibly become the woman he would propose to. For

example, all of the women would cheer in excitement when they would receive a special

Shannon’s case, even how to dress (casual). The date’s description was often vague,

leaving the women even more dependent on Alex. In contrast, Alex showed dependence

only 5 times, such as in episode 5 when he became physically sick and Trista came and

stayed with him, and in the season finale when he asked his family for help regarding his

final decision (The Bachelor, 2002).

Although the women showed more dependence than Alex, they consequently also

shored more independence, with a total of 4 counts in comparison with Alex’s 3. For

moving closer to her or working out some sort of location compromise.

four times as independent as Trista (4 to 1). Trista’s only act of independence occurred in

episode 3 in response to a comment from Charlie that he didn’t feel comfortable with her

being intimate with other guys. Rather than try to appease Charlie, Trista thought

Charlie’s comment was “a way for him to control a situation that he had no control over”

Episode 3, 2003). However, this was Trista’s only act of independence, while the men

expressed theirs in several ways, such as Charlie’s attempt at asserting control by telling

Trista not to be intimate with other guys, and Russ’s claim in episode 5 that even if he

was offered a rose by Trista, he might not accept it (he was subsequently eliminated).

In terms of dependence, traditional gender roles were retained; Trista expressed

more dependence (8 counts) than her male contestants (6). Although Trista was

supposedly in the “power” role as the bachelorette, she succumbed to several female

not the other way around. Cameras even followed Charlie and Ryan in the season finale

as they each visited a jeweler to pick out an engagement ring for Trista. Whether this was

Trista’s personal decision or one made by the producers will never be known, but it is

clear that the series did not start out with this idea in mind for a few reasons; first, the

series’ tagline transformed from “will she propose” in episode 1, to “will he propose” in

the last episode, and secondly, Trista was depicted in the first episode as a totally

Bachelorette, Episode 1, 2003). Thus, although The Bachelorette may have begun with

the very untraditional concept of a female bachelorette proposing, this was not carried

through to the end, and patriarchy won out as Ryan proposed to Trista in the season

finale. Finally, the only acts of dependence exhibited by the men were their dependence

on Trista’s decision of who would get a rose at the end of each episode, such as Ryan’s

comment in the finale that he was “vulnerable to Trista, my heart is out there on the line

and in her hands” (The Bachelorette, Episode 6, 2003). Overall, though both the men and

extremely sexually open and assertive, and accounted for 83.3% of all instances of

female sexual assertion, far more than any of the other women in the house; it was

ultimately she whom Alex chose. For example, Amanda revealed to Alex in episode 3 on

their first individual date that she liked to keep things “adventurous” with a collection of

sexy outfits ranging from Wonder Woman to a cowboy outfit that included “a little thong

and chaps” (The Bachelor, Episode 3, 2002); in episode 5 she was excited by the prospect

their individual rooms and stay in a suite together that night, Amanda made a motion to

leap up from the table, and said “Let’s go!” (Episode 5). Alex was also quite sexually

assertive; he kissed Amanda in the limo on the way back to the hotel in that same

episode, and told the driver to hurry up; when they entered the hotel bedroom, he closed

the doors behind them, and was shown ordering a “sex in the sheets” dessert for himself

and Amanda. Alex was sexually assertive with other women besides Amanda – also in

episode 5, Alex tried numerous times to kiss Shannon on the ski slopes and she

about a beautiful princess named Shannon who kisses a frog (Alex) and turns him into a

prince; Shannon slyly responded, “Did the frog not know that Shannon doesn’t kiss on

the first date?” (The Bachelor, Episode 3, 2002). In episode 5, when Alex suggested that

he and Shannon “push the limits” of their relationship and try to pretend they were not on

their third date, Shannon told him, “Some of the questions that you ask, I’m not gonna

answer, and some of things you wanna do… just not gonna happen” (The Bachelor,

became visibly angry and upset when Alex presented her with the card to forgo their

individual rooms and stay overnight together in the couples’ suite, claiming it “ruined

dinner, almost ruined the day” (The Bachelor, Episode 5, 2002). Interestingly enough,

Shannon was eliminated in that episode. Alex’s sole act of sexual modesty did not

involve a lack of desire, as it did for Shannon, but purposeful restraint; in episode 3, he

said that kissing Amanda “makes the temptation to sleep with her even greater,” but that

at this point in the competition, “it’s not a good idea for her, for me…it’s too soon. I

were pulling me aside, into the bathroom…” (The Bachelorette, Episode 3, 2003). In

episode 5, when Trista read Ryan the famous card to forgo their individual rooms, Ryan

responded with instant excitement. The normally quiet and laid-back guy exclaimed

“Let’s go! Check please!” and told their limo driver, “If you could drive a little faster that

would be great, I’ll pay for the ticket!” As he kissed Trista in the limo, he continued:

“We’re taking the phone off the hook. I’m locking the deadbolt…they won’t be able to

assertion, when she kissed Ryan in the hot tub in episode 5 and invited both Charlie and

Ryan back to her room after they met her parents in the season finale.

In typical fashion, sexual modesty was also 4 times more prevalent among Trista

than it was among the male contestants (4 to 1). When Russ told Trista in episode 3 that

he had never kissed anyone on a flight before their private helicopter ride, Trista

responded with “what makes you think you’re getting a kiss?” (The Bachelorette,

Episode 3, 2003) and after he expressed unhappiness at the fact that they didn’t really

females; however, the female contestants of The Bachelor displayed more acts of

confidence than the bachelor himself. Alex displayed confidence only twice, and both

times in the season finale; for example in the beginning of the episode, Alex stated that

he “[felt] really good” about the two women he’d chosen for his final two (The Bachelor,

Episode 6, 2002). The females, on the other hand, displayed confidence more than twice

things you wanna do… just not gonna happen,” in response to his suggestion that she

“push the limits” of their relationship (The Bachelor, Episode 5, 2002). Also, in the

season finale, Trista looked visibly confident in the limousine on the way to the final rose

ceremony, and said “I think that he will choose me, just because of the conversations

we’ve had and the things that he’s mentioned to me” (The Bachelor, Episode 6, 2002).

In a similar twist, lack of confidence was four times more prevalent among Alex

than it was among the females vying for his heart (8 to 2). For someone in the ‘power’

demands one last unscheduled date with both of the women” (The Bachelor, Episode 6,

2002). Even after this extra time together, Alex worried that the woman he chose might

reject him:

example brings some truth to the stereotype of high male competition, so much so that

they create competition in situations where it is not necessary.

A lack of competitiveness was not exhibited any time by either Alex or the

women. Thus, although both exhibited more competitiveness than non-competitiveness,

the women were much more competitive than Alex.

contestants of The Bachelorette than among Trista, as the men showed competitiveness

participating in, and all wanted badly to win it. Mike most directly connected the

competition in the race with the competition to win Trista; when Mike won, he

exclaimed, “I’m glad I won, I’m a competitive person. Whenever there’s a sporting event

I like to come out on top, but I’ve got to fight these other 4 guys tonight for this final

position” (The Bachelorette, Episode 3, 2003).

Although the men were more competitive than Trista, they were also ironically

parents, they asked him if he would mind if Trista made more money than him, and he

commented that it wouldn’t bother him at all because marriage is a mutual partnership.

Thus, the men were both more competitive and more non-competitive than Trista, but

were 6 times more competitive than not.

or lack of each stereotype was stereotypic of the opposite gender, two stereotypes did not

individual date. When she opened it, the logo for Harry Winston, the famous jeweler, was

etched inside, and immediately the women all began to scream “Jewelry? Harry

Winston!? Ahh!” (The Bachelor, Episode 3, 2002), obviously impressed by the famous

name and prospect of expensive jewelry. In addition, Shannon’s individual date was

specifically set up as a sort of mini Cinderella story, with the idea of transforming her

into a ‘princess’; she was taken to a fancy dress store in Beverly Hills, allowed to choose

with him to the music of a personal violinist. The date was seemingly created on the

presumption that women are impressed by money and expensive clothes and jewelry, and

Shannon complied with this assumption; as Alex gave her a tour of their hotel suite,

Shannon looked around in amazement and exclaimed, “This will work Alex, I’ll take it!”

(The Bachelor, Episode 3, 2002). Later in the evening, Alex presented Shannon with a

diamond necklace and earrings, and she responded with, “Oh my gosh.. I could get used

to this Alex!”; when showing off her jewelry to the camera, she pretended to be out of

contestants while only three involved preoccupation with materialism or personal

appearance. For example, 80% of all comments on male physical appearance are about

Charlie, whom Trista repeatedly claims she is most attracted to. She mentions several

times how she’d been attracted to him from the first day he stepped out of the limo, and

made comments such as “Charlie looked great, he always does, I always get butterflies

when I see him” (The Bachelorette, Episode 5, 2003), and “he’s got it, he’s got the look”

Bachelorette, as Trista & Charlie’s individual date in episode 3 mirrored Alex &

Shannon’s. However, despite the fact that the roles were reversed and a female was now

in the ‘power’ position, the fixation on female appearance remained, as Trista’s physical

appearance was glamorized at Saks 5

A celebrity hairstylist carefully worked on Trista’s hair and makeup, all the while making

comments such as “we’re gonna make you pretty and beautiful for a great romantic

Valuing Female Appearance/Sexuality (M)

The Bachelor: This male stereotype is similar to being impressed with

appearances, but is solely focused on feminine appearance and sexuality specifically.

While the women of The Bachelor were only impressed with Alex’s appearance twice,

Alex valued the women’s appearances and sexuality an astounding nine times as much

(18). For example, Alex in episode 3 commented on his high appreciation of Amanda’s

revealed his obsession with Kim’s appearance: “She’s got these pale blue eyes, fine

golden hair and I just realize, I would kill to date a woman like this” (The Bachelor,

Episode 3, 2002); consequently, Kim was given a rose that night. Alex also often referred

to the women as beautiful first when listing traits he liked about them, and basically

revealed that the way Amanda looked in the season finale – in her “beautiful blue dress,

she had this beautiful smile” - confirmed that his decision to choose her was correct, and

that “something about seeing her made every doubt go away” (The Bachelor, Episode 6,

3, 2003). Later, after Trista is glamorized for their dinner date that evening, Charlie stated

that he was excited to see both sides of Trista, the “natural” side at the water park, and

“the side after she’s been all dolled up,” but noted that “she looked amazing after that

was done” (The Bachelorette, Episode 3, 2003). Charlie even got down on one knee in

mock proposal when he saw her, exclaiming “you look amazing…do you think I can do it

now or do I have to wait?” (The Bachelorette, Episode 3, 2003). Trista laughed and told

significantly fewer instances of valuing feminine appearance in The Bachelorette than

The Bachelor, they took similar form.

Comparisons Among Series

Alex (Bachelor) v. Trista (Bachelorette)

In terms of comparing stereotypic behaviors between the individuals in the

“power” role, interesting patterns emerged. Trista held higher counts for 5 out of 8, or

62.5% of, traditionally female stereotypic behaviors (not including “impressed with

sexually assertive than Trista. However, he also held higher counts for 2 stereotypes

(25%) associated with women, lacking aggression twice as much and lacking confidence

eight times more than Trista. Trista and Alex tied for two male stereotypes, aggression

and lack of initiating affection, as well as one female stereotype, lack of competitiveness.

Overall, 8 stereotypes were reinforced, 5 were exhibited more by the opposite

gender, and 3 were exhibited equal times by Trista and Alex. Thus, in determining

bachelor and bachelorette, the answer is both yes and no, as half are confirmed while half

are not.

Female Contestants (Bachelor) v. Male Contestants (Bachelorette)

female stereotypic behaviors (2 out of 8) (the stereotypes “impressed with appearances”

and “values female sexuality” were not used, as they were the only stereotypes that did

not follow the dichotomy); they were over twice as dependent as and six times more

they also held higher counts for 75% of stereotypes associated with women (6 out of 8),

lacking aggression 13 times more, lacking competition once more, lacking confidence 5

times as much, showing emotion twice as much, and expressing romance and desire for

marriage 76% more than their female counterparts. Thus, the males were also more

unstereotypic (75%) than stereotypic (37.5%). In addition, the males and females only

tied for one stereotype, lack of initiating affection, which neither group had any counts

gender, and only 1 was exhibited equal times by Trista and Alex. Thus, in determining

whether male and female stereotypes ring true overall for contestants of The Bachelor

and The Bachelorette, the answer is no, as only 5 stereotypes were confirmed while the

majority, 11, were not.

Alex (Bachelor) v. Male contestants (Bachelorette)

two (22%); he was 18% more sexually aggressive, and valued female appearance and

sexuality 1.6 times more than the male contestants of The Bachelorette. In contrast, Alex

did not hold higher counts for any of the stereotypes associated with women. Finally,

Alex and the male contestants tied for two male stereotypes - lack of initiating affection,

and lack of romance/desiring the Cinderella fairytale - as well as one female stereotype,

sexual modesty.

powerful contestant role. The male contestants exhibited 7 out of 8 female stereotypes

more frequently than Alex did while they only tied once, which seems to imply that men

do take on more “feminine” behaviors when positioned in a “female” role. However,

since there were more males in the passive role than in the active, powerful role, the

numbers tended to favor the male contestants in many instances. Thus, the truth of this

assumption may be skewed due to disproportionate numbers, despite the fact that both the

male contestants and Alex had about equal amount of air time per episode in both The

Trista. However, they also held higher counts for 5 out 8 traditionally male stereotypic

behaviors (not including “valuing female sexuality”), 62.5%; they were twice as

unromantic/not desiring of marriage, 4 times as independent, twice as sexually assertive,

twice as aggressive, and 5 counts more competitive than Trista, who was not competitive

at all.

Out of the 9 traditionally female stereotypic behaviors, Trista held higher counts

Bachelor. In contrast, Trista held higher counts for 2 of the stereotypes (25%) associated

with men, being twice as emotional and more than twice as confident as the females.

Finally, Trista and the female contestants tied for two male stereotypes – lacking

romance/desiring the Cinderella fairytale and lack of initiating affection - as well as two

female stereotypes, non-aggression and non-competitiveness.

This study sought to determine if a woman would take on more traditionally

masculine behaviors (stereotypes) when put in a traditionally “masculine” role – the

even though she was put in a powerful, male-oriented role, this did not lead her to take on

the majority of male stereotypic behaviors. However, similar to The Bachelor, since there

were more females in the passive contestant role than in the active, power role, the

numbers tended to favor the female contestants in many instances. Thus, the truth of this

assumption may be skewed due to disproportionate numbers, despite the fact that both the

female contestants and Trista had about equal amounts of air time per episode in both The

characteristics such as high confidence, aggression and independence, Ryan was a

sensitive, gentle person who wrote poems for Trista and was the ultimate romantic. Thus,

while Russ and Charlie aligned with Basow’s (1992) description of the traditional male

stereotype – tough, independent and anti-feminine – Ryan fit no such male stereotype.

Ultimately, he was chosen over the other stereotypically male contestants.

physical level, Amanda’s physique is paralleled with what Harrison (2003) refers to as

espouses as ideal are reinforced among women. In addition, surgical alterations to

achieve this “curvaceously thin” physique are portrayed as normal and desirable, a notion

supported by the results of Harrison’s 2003 study, which found that while women desired

a smaller waist and hips than their own, they also wanted a larger bust size, and exposure

to idealized body images was positively related to women’s approval of plastic surgery to

attain this image.

most about Amanda is her “creative sexuality” (The Bachelor, Episode 3, 2002), and their

relationship is one of passion and lust. Initially, Alex seems to like Shannon for being a

conservative girl, as she makes it to the final three, but his opinions toward her quickly

change when she doesn’t give him what he wants. During their overnight date, Shannon

is appalled when Alex pulls out a card offering the chance to forgo their individual rooms

for a couple’s suite, but Alex doesn’t understand why she is so upset. Consequently,

Shannon is eliminated at the rose ceremony in that episode, and it is clear it has

be outwardly rejected by a male, and indeed many studies have shown that sexual

assertiveness and the commodification of female sexuality is quickly becoming a new

type of female stereotype (DeRose, Fürsich & Haskins, 2003; Harris, 2004; Waggoner,

2004; Yep & Camacho, 2004). However, despite all of this and upon closer look, what is

really being labeled as deviant is Shannon’s “unfeminine” aggression and

for not willing to compromise her values is totally ignored, and even her comment post-

elimination that “I think that Alex is weak. I scared him, because I’m not going to say, ok

Alex, whatever you want” (The Bachelor, Episode 5, 2002), is discredited because

according to hegemony, she has already been classified as deviant. Thus, similar to Harris

(2004), Putnam (2001), and Graham-Bertolini’s (2004) critiques on Paradise Hotel,

Survivor, and Joe Millionaire, The Bachelor depicts women who break the barriers of

female stereotypes, but ultimately rejects these women in favor of those who more

subordination” to dominant male desire (Waggoner, 2004, p. 219). In addition,

cultivation theory supports belief in this assumption, as, according to McGhee & Frueh

(1980), heavy television viewers hold more gender-stereotyped perceptions than light

viewers, and thus the repeated exposure of female-stereotypical behavior results in a

further distorted perception of gender roles.

In the case of Trista, she chooses as her final two the most polar opposite men in

Ryan atypical is what Trista loves about him; she often comments on The Bachelorette

(Episode 3, 2003) that the fact that Ryan is a “sensitive soul” draws her toward him, and

even admits that Ryan’s romantic side is “less traditional” but that she has “always

wanted a person like that.” Indeed, Ryan becomes completely emotionally wrapped up in

Trista, writing her poems, professing his love for her and talking about jumping into

marriage. In total contrast is Ryan’s opposition, Charlie, who is highly confident and

aggressive; ironically, Trista is attracted most to these stereotypically male attributes in

his initially non-stereotypical behavior and bring him back to the mainstream of

patriarchic culture. This single act hegemonically reasserts the status quo, and reassures

viewers that despite the show’s feminist appearance, patriarchy still exists. In addition, in

applying cultivation theory, as Ryan’s behavior contrasts with the majority of male

behavior on television, heavy viewers are less likely to believe it due to lack of

consistency with other images they have seen. Viewers are, however, more likely to

behavior on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have on the viewing public. Through

cultivation, heavy viewers of these series are more likely to believe that traditionally

stereotypical gender roles, such as male proposals and female emotionality, are the norm

and are representative of most women and men. The stability of these stereotypes over

time and across other genres of television influences viewers to perceive this television

view as reality. Ultimately, this can lead to stereotyping people in the real world, and thus

them. The fact that male stereotypical traits are not “rewarded” with love by Trista is

positive in its non-acceptance, but also serves as further confirmation that female

stereotypes continue to be more ubiquitous and reinforced by their desirability than male

stereotypes in television. Thus, the overall results of this study support the notion that

the “bachelor/ette” role, the numbers tended to favor the male contestants over Alex and

the female contestants over Trista in many instances. Thus, comparisons made with

regard to frequency counts may have been skewed due to disproportionate numbers,

despite the fact that both the male contestants and Alex had about equal amount of air

time per episode in The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, respectively, and the same with

Trista and the female contestants. A way to rectify this discrepancy would be to use

weighted means analysis in future research where there is a disproportion. In addition,

only half of all episodes of each season were analyzed, and only the first season of each

desirable, and female stereotypes continue to persist over male. Despite The

Bachelorette’s guise as a ‘feminist’ alternative, traditional gender stereotypes are alive

and well, leading to a stabilization of social patterns among viewers that serves to

reinforce the institution of patriarchic heterosexuality. As seasons two and three of The

Bachelorette both culminated with the chosen men proposing, not much has changed.

However, with hope, future installments of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette will truly

Emotional 6 4 4 14

Likely to

Initiate Affection

Romantic/Desire

Cinderella Fairytale

Lacking Confidence 1 1 0 2

Lacking Aggression 0 0 0 0

Non-Competitive 0 0 0 0

Impressed with

Appearances

Unlikely to

Initiate Affection

Unromantic/Don’t

Desire Fairytale

Independent 1 0 2 3

Likely to

Initiate Affection

Romantic/Desire the

Cinderella Fairytale

Dependent 1 0 7 8

Unlikely to

Initiate Affection

Unromantic/Don’t

Desire Fairytale

Independent 1 3 0 4