Opinion | ‘The Golden Bachelor’ Is a Fantasy. Aging in America Isn’t.

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I’m Michelle Cottle, and I cowl nationwide politics for Opinion, however I’ve additionally executed quite a lot of reporting on the graying of America and what society seems to be like, because it ages right here. In order that has led me to turn into utterly obsessive about “The Golden Bachelor.”

So I’m undecided that “The Golden Bachelor” is one thing that I might say that I like, like. However “The Golden Bachelor” is totally mesmerizing as a result of it’s the first time they’ve executed this format with individuals of their 60s and 70s. And it’s not only a have a look at actuality TV and all of its tropes, but additionally simply sort of this fascinating have a look at how child boomers, specifically, see getting old and the way they need America to see getting old.

So on the common Bachelor franchise, the contestants are sort of younger and nubile of their 20s and 30s, and the twist on that is that everyone’s of their 60s and 70s.

And they’re severely of the boomer technology.

So we’re coping with this 72-year-old widower named Gary Turner —

— who comes from Indiana, and he’s simply Americana all the best way, however with higher hair and a twig tan, I believe.

Probably the most telling was the sequence opener the place the ladies come up and introduce themselves to Gary. It’s, from the get-go, sort of sizzling and heavy. They pull up within the limo, get out, and they’re on Gary like a duck on a junebug.

These usually are not your grandma’s boomers, so to talk. They’re extraordinarily toned and match and tan with — I’m fairly certain some have hair extensions. Positively certain some have had work executed. However they’re all targeted on projecting probably the most youthful, up for something —

— zippy, sort of sexually predatory vibe you may probably provide you with.

There are solely a few the ladies who usually are not enjoying the sport of “let’s act and look and sound as younger as humanly attainable.” And they’re booted the primary night time. These individuals don’t final lengthy. You might have a lady who whips in on a motorbike.

— flips her hair and tells Gary —

One of many finalists is a lady named Theresa who reveals up sort of all wrapped up, tells Gary it’s her birthday, and says —

And I’m identical to, oh —

Even Gary seems to be slightly frightened. It’s not only a query of, effectively, how do the producers deal with 70-year-old individuals making out like youngsters? It’s, how are we even watching these girls deal with the truth of getting old?

So it’s clear that these girls, along with simply making an attempt to return throughout as engaging or personable or good or charming or no matter, are simply so wanting to show they’re not previous.

And that’s undoubtedly the undercurrent of the present. Bizarre split-personality moments the place persons are speaking about their unhealthy knees or their unhealthy digestion or their cute grandkids or no matter. These individuals have had quite a lot of life expertise. A variety of them have misplaced spouses. A variety of them have troublesome household conditions. However on the identical time, they’re speculated to be telegraphing that I’m up for every thing, not simply younger at coronary heart, however sort of younger bodily, too. They’ve these girls sleep in bunk beds like they’re at summer season camp.

However these items are by no means allowed to intrude with the sort of, “have a look at how younger and perky I’m behaving.” So there’s an enormous stress at play. And I believe that really is fairly consultant of what you see in society basically.

What is totally fascinating about that is that it appears actually pretend and surreal on one degree, however alternatively, it does replicate this broader stress in society. So one of many issues that has been a reporting — I don’t know — virtually an epiphany is that you’ve got this type of understanding that in politics, older voters are constant, and that’s who the politicians cater to. They’re simply probably the most dependable voting bloc. And because the boomers, which has at all times been this 800-pound demographic gorilla, has aged, they understandably have needed their points checked out. They weren’t going to go quietly into this good night time.

However on the identical time, the entire thought of American society getting old is just not getting quite a lot of coverage consideration. We aren’t ready for this. And it’s, partly, as a result of no person likes to consider themselves as previous till it occurs. They don’t need to speak about what sort of housing modifications they’ll need to make, what sort of caregiving modifications they could face, what sort of medical points could come up. In case you discuss to individuals about how they’re going to spend their twilight years, they’re like, I’m simply going to remain in my home, and it’s going to be identical to it’s proper now. I’m by no means getting previous. And that’s very boomer-ish in its conception, the place 60 is meant to be the brand new 40, or within the case of “The Golden Bachelor,” the brand new 25.

And also you simply proceed to celebration prefer it’s 1985 or 1975 for so long as you may, and the remaining will maintain itself. On daily basis, an enormous variety of child boomers is getting into the senior class. And what’s taking place is, those that can afford it sort of kick it till it jumps on them, they usually have to determine what to do with their medical points or housing or care or no matter.

And those that can’t are getting utterly left behind. So that you see an increase in homelessness amongst seniors. You see an enormous reasonably priced housing crunch. You see a housing crunch basically when it comes to housing that’s accessible to seniors. Finally, you must take care of this. All people will get older, until they don’t have that privilege. However no person desires to pay any consideration to it till they completely need to.

All of us need to suppose that we’re using up on that bike, taking off our helmet, flipping our hair, and searching nice briefly skirts and plunging necklines effectively into our golden years. One of many issues that I believe has been onerous for boomers is that although they’re this vital demographic they usually have all this political clout, as you undergo the tradition, we nonetheless worship youth, and also you don’t get quite a lot of boomer-ish faces on TV. Definitely, actuality TV tends to be the province of the younger. So quite a lot of these girls speak about how —

So I believe that they’re undoubtedly making an attempt to faucet into this sense that I’ve actually seen amongst boomers, the place they really feel left behind. They really feel like they’ve simply been forgotten and that everyone’s making an attempt to maneuver so quick previous them.

So so far as the takeaway from this, from a cultural perspective, is it good, is it unhealthy, for one, it’s actuality TV and we shouldn’t learn an excessive amount of into it, though I say that after which, immediately, we’ve got a actuality TV president — oh, god. However I believe it’s instructive as a result of it does present you this bizarre dichotomy and the way ambivalent America is about getting old basically. I imply, in the event you watch this fastidiously, you’re like, wow, that is bizarre. [LAUGHS]

And so I’m right here to promote individuals on watching “The Golden Bachelor,” which, even in the event you simply need to hate watch it, holds up this type of funhouse mirror to how People and child boomers, specifically, are approaching getting old in all of its bizarre glory, the place you deny sure issues and cling to the concept that you’re at all times going to be younger, whilst that is creeping up on you.

And once you’re prepared for the finale, I might be there, Thursday, November 30. My husband might be compelled to look at.

[SIGHS]: We’ll be there with our Leslie t-shirts on, booing and hissing at Theresa. I’m simply saying.

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