Sean Lowe, otherwise known as ‘The Bachelor,’ may have chosen Catherine Giudici during Monday’s finale of ABC’s popular matchmaking reality show. But that doesn’t mean he and Catherine, whom he proposed to at the end of the episode, are ready to ride into untelevised matrimonial bliss and live happily ever after in camera-free obscurity.
Hardly.
Lowe has proven to be one of the more popular men to inhabit The Bachelor’s mansion in search of love. And ABC knows it. The network wasted no time in announcing that Lowe would be joining the 15th season of its even more popular Dancing With the Stars … starting next week. Even by reality TV standards, in which popularity on one show sometimes leads to another such gig, Lowe’s seamless shift from one ABC reality competition to another with nary a week in between seems pretty remarkable.
“He’s a great guy, and it’s a great story,” DWTS executive producer Conrad Green told USA Today. “He’s the name on everyone’s lips. And then the next day we announce he’s going to be on our show. It’s really good fun all around.”
If that weren’t enough, Lowe and Guidici also announced that they’ve asked ABC to televise their wedding—assuming, of course, it actually happens, as actual marriages stemming from The Bachelor have been a relative rarity. “We have decided that because our relationship started and [was] cultivated on a TV show, we’re going to have it on a TV show. ABC is going to cover our wedding!” Lowe said.
I guess Lowe’s logic makes a kind of sense. But at some point, I can’t help but wonder when enough reality is enough, when the couple might want to further cultivate their relationship off camera as well.
I also wonder if Lowe’s predilection for more media exposure illustrates the potentially addictive nature of the medium—not only for him, but for viewers, too. Those participating can have a hard time saying no to another go at reality-fueled attention. Meanwhile, for fans who can’t get enough of someone like Lowe, they don’t even have to miss a single week of his dapper big smile.
It may seem like a win-win from ABC’s perspective. But for participants and fans alike, I can’t help but wonder if it really is.
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