The first episode of any new Bachelor season is always the most stressful for me. Twenty-five women attempting to make memorable first impressions is a recipe for great TV — and for me to pick a pillow up off my couch, bury my face in it, and scream. Repeatedly. I’m surprised I’m not hoarse this morning.
Even though I’m sure he’ll hurt me eventually, I am, for now, a big fan of our FIRST INTERNATIONAL BACHELOR, 27-year-old London banker Matt Grant. And not just for his 6′5" frame (a vision, courtesy of those years rowing and playing rugby, cricket, and football at university). Also for the way he humped that phone booth. The man said he an interesting sense of humor, I hope we get to see more of it.
Since I actually believed Matt when he said he’s looking for love, and that he’d be "gutted" if his 71-year-old father didn’t know his daughter-in-law and grandchildren, I wish producers wouldn’t have set him up with "the craziest girls yet." There really was no need for Stacey (pictured, with Matt) — what I imagine a Muppet would look and sound like it were to come to life — to be there. Had he kept her, I would have had to turn this Mini TV Watch over to someone else. She’s an insult to anyone who likes bad TV, because you couldn’t even pretend that she was real. Rubbing his leg? Giving him a pair of her panties? Telling him that he’s boring her by talking about where he’d take a woman in London? Saying "I have my bachelor’s in nutrition. And nothing and no one will everstop me. I want to find a pharmaceutical that will cure something thatno one has thought of"? Passing out in a bed before the rose ceremony? As Miss Earth New York Marshana put it, "I don’t want to say anything negative but…. I’m sorry. She is loud, belligerent, tasteless, tacky, classless. She’s riding my nerves like a pony." The only worthwhile thing that came out of having Stacey step a stiletto into that mansion was that we saw Erin H. is a Mean Girl: "If you’re so into nutrition, why don’t you get rid of those implants and lose a few pounds?… Stacey has nothing to offer him. Except for a bad boob job, a sequin blue dress, and her trashy tramp stamp." We’ll have to remember that Matt didn’t see that when he starts to really like her.
After the jump, the could-be-crazies we kinda liked, and the seemingly-sane ladies we’re rooting for.
Against my better judgment, I found myself liking a couple of the could-be-crazies. Tin Cup, a.k.a. Carri, thechurch marketer from Oklahoma City who ripped into a tin can with herteeth like Darryl Hannah does that lobster in Splash, seems harmless enough to keep around for the group dates. Ditto Chelsea, the arm wrestling champ from Santa Barbara. (I hope Matt doesn’t mind me saying this, but his clever confessional, "I only arm-wrestle women. Uh, pregnant women, normally," sounded like something Hugh Grant would’ve said.) I liked Jewel’s Ashlee’s song, but was sad she didn’t rhyme more with, well, you know: "I want you/ No one else could ever want you more/ I’m crazy for you/ Yeah, baby, I’m so crazy I’ll compete with 24 other girls." Normally, I’m anti-instruments on first dates, but I thought redheaded Michelle P. played the heck out of her clarinet after she got the reed wet and vibrating. (I wonder how many times they made her put her clarinet together, so the camera could catch how truly phallic it was.) And then we come to Shayne, the actress from Malibu, who only falls into the could-be-crazy category because she thought she needed to tell us that it’s really no big deal that her dad is Lorenzo Lamas.
As for the seemingly-sane ladies, I was happy to see Amanda R. get the first-impression rose. Partly because I wanted to see whether she could control her chronic hiccups during a one-on-one with Matt (and damn it, she could), but mostly because it confirmed that Matt is looking for a real mate: She’s 27, approachable, a former four-year resident of the UK, and, apparently, the woman he would’ve sketched had he been asked to draw his ideal specimen. Meanwhile, Noelle, the 26-year-old photographer, came off as a genuine sweetheart. Matt and I both appreciated the composed confidence of personal trainer Kristine, whose face reminded me of LeAnn Rimes. I wrote, "Oh, she’s 32" as a strike against her in my notes. Then remembered that I’m 32. (Waa-waaaaa). Though Matt sent some of the older women packing (30-year-old attorney Rebecca busting a move was somehow less shocking after watching Matt’s dance montage, no?) he kept 33-year-old hot dog vendor Erin S., with whom he shared some laughs. I’m curious to see how he responds when her age is revealed. And also when he learns that 22-year-old Robin didn’t go to any rugby matches when she lived in London for a bit. (Come on, that little nod she gave him when he asked wasn’t at all believable.)
Which bachelorette is your early favorite? And, more importantly, what would have been your strategy on that first night? Knowing myself, if I’d just been introduced to a British rower, I’d have asked him how plausible the end of Oxford Blues was. Which way is the door, Chris Harrison?
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Damn, Mandi, you crack me up. 95% of the time, I cringed on behalf of all semi-normal American women. THESE are the women they offered as representative of America? Poor Matt. He’s so hot, I’d spread him on a Triscuit, but he just has no idea what he’s in for. Please, ladies, don’t bring too much of the crazy; you’re making the average American gal look bad!
I was essentially screaming in horror every time Stacey and her weirdly botoxed face was on the screen. Then, because I am a glutton for punishment, I kept looking for her during the rose ceremony! I couldn’t find her for a while, and I wondered if she was still passed out, pantyless. Unfortunately, someone found her and apparently propped her up. Clearly her buzz had worn off, as she didn’t say anything remotely amusing at the end, darnit. LOVE the new bachelor and his hilarious dance moves (which, sad for him, are VERY Hugh Grant, but I love Hugh Grant, so it’s cool…)
Matt seems like a good bachelor – he has a much bigger vocab than the previous bachs, plus that accent and quite fetching. I wish he had a better group of girls to choose from.
My favorite girl is Amanda R – I liked her from the moment she stepped out of the limo.
Also, I believe most of those girls embellished their resumes – photographer (means, she works at Penn Camera), advertising exec (hey, I pass out flyers outside a train station), make-up artist (I work at the local cosmetic counter), and who could forget the former Bush aide (seroiusly girl friend you are UNEMPLOYED) at least Erin the “hot dog vendor” kept it real instead of calling herself a chef.
So freaking thrilled that this is back on TV! My roommate and I had more fun watching this last night than we’ve had in at least a month.
Our early judgment about the bachelorettes: anyone who has long, semi-curly brown hair appears to have a chance.
As for the crazies–keep ‘em around as long as possible. I loves me some good trash TV.
Ooh, also–for the record, I adore Bachelorbot 12.0. Though I do love the ones who just stand there like cardboard cutouts and cluelessly repeat whatever’s on the cue cards, I’m also in favor of the ones who get the joke. Matt’s dryly British commentary swiftly became my favorite part of the show last night.
I loved Shayne with “my grandfather was sorta big in his day.” Then we find out who it was. Honey – your grandfather was a freaking movie star. Good lord. I thought the attorney’s dancing was by far the most alarming thing I’ve seen on TV in like, 3 days.
If giving your panties away on a first-group date is a crime then let me be guilty!
Stacy apparently thought she was at an Eliot Spitzer fundraiser. Wonder if she was embarassed to watch herself on national television last night…doubt it. I was glad to see Matt has enough class to not appreciate her panty toss. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.
Even the pay-per-visit girls that I bring home when the wife is out of town have more class then that girl. Well off to help Hillary at a fund raiser.
I think what I like best is how unsubtle Matt was in his checking out of the women. His relentless oh-wows and full-on eying of many of the girls was amusing. Plus, it made me like him more than any of the previous Bachelors (at least so far) because he is at least admitting that these women are here for him and he can be a skeazeball as much as he wants because they will all “fall in love” with him by the middle of next week’s episode.
I thought that Stacey looked like a blow-up doll.
There used to be at least a few women who were somewhat sophisticated, demure and dazzling for a Bachelor. These chicks all look like rejects from earlier seasons. No offense. No Elizabeth Hurley type? Natch!
Maybe “hot dog vendor” is a euphemism.
My favorite part of reading this is tihs
‘ , Noelle, the 26-year-old photographer, came off as a genuine sweetheart. Matt and I both appreciated the composed confidence of personal trainer Kristine, whose face reminded me of LeAnn Rimes.’
but what kill me was this ‘ Matt and I ‘ jajaaaaa
Mandi … hhmmm are you falling for the guy? Maybe you should be on the show and show them all how to win jajaaa
Surely, Stacy was a plant by the producers to spice things up — Otherwise… Seriously???
I definitely liked Amanda R and Noelle. Sometimes these women just make you embarrassed to be female. Those two didn’t.
I normally watch this for the trainwreck, but I actually LIKE Matt. He’s sincere, has respect for the women (imagine that!), excellent manners, goofy sense of humour, is relaxed, shows genuine interest and is well-spoken. If he keeps being the way he was last night, the next time a guy asks me what women want, I’ll direct him to Matt Grant. And I can’t believe I said that. Hell just got really, really cold.
Oooh this show is so unintentionally funny, i love it! the panties girl was ridiculous,but a few i found normal….why is this show populated by blonds tho? Only one black girl remaining, even the Asian chick was cut (but she did work for Bush, so in my book that’s reason enough to send someone home!)
Chicks like her give women a bad name.
I strangely find many parallels between this week’s ep of the Bachelor and this season of Rock of Love, where there is also a blonde chick who looks like a Muppet, and there was also a chick too drunk to even make it to the first elimination ceremony. Good times!!!
I haven’t watched The Bachelor since Andrew Firestone was on it. But I read these recaps every week because Mandi, you are hilarious. Reading your comments on these increasingly unrealistic women make my day. Thank you.
I too am disappointed that I actually like Matt. It’s no fun if the Bachelor isn’t a total tool!
Does anyone know what kind of sports car that was that Matt was driving on the first episode? Thanks!
The car he is driving is a Maserati Quattroporte. It comes in a 2 and 4 door. It has been out for 3 yrs I think, early models got rave reviews but the transmission was clunky. They have corrected that. Base model starts at $90k and high end is around $110k. I think it is one of the prettiest sedans on the road. There are faster sedans (Audi RS6/BMW M5, Mercedes AMG, etc) but I understand this car to be the total package. Also don’t know if it is a great car for church on Sunday or would be a good daily commute/grocery getter. Switching gears (pun intended), I loved when the girl had to admit that she touched the other contestants panties (prior to her knowing what they were). This series should be fun. Isn’t it weird they always have a token person from another race. They keep them around one episode and then they are gone. I am not trying to make a racial statement in any way, it is just a pattern that keeps repeating (on many dating reality shows).
Okay, I’m finding it hilarious that people are talking about how Matt isn’t a tool. I think he is the biggest tool in the last few seasons, by far. He is totally eating up the attention he is getting and after two episodes it is obvious he won’t be able to settle down with one lady. Oh no, he will just use this as an opportunity to realize he can date up to 8 women at the same time!
I’m so into Bachelor! I tivo Medium and CSI: Miami then go watch Bachelor live. (Come on! I only watch Survivor and Idol!) Talk about the agony of defeat when they lose!!!
The funniest line from last night’s episode. Shayne telling the bachelor he wouldnt know who her father is. Sorry sweetie, America doesnt know who your father is.