Every Wednesday night, I get together with a few of my best girlfriends and tune in, along with millions of other viewers to ABC’s hit show, “The Bachelor.” While watching this week, I was hit with an emotional shock. One of my favorite contestants was thrown off the show. What’s worse, the drunken girl was picked. She was throwing up in the bathroom! When my emotional turmoil subsided, I was hit with a vexing question: can people actually fall in love in the span of an abbreviated television season? And a bigger question: does love at first sight exist?
As for Ryan and Trista from “The Bachelorette,” today they are planning a wedding. In front of America he got down on one knee and proposed to her. It brought tears to my eyes. But can they really be in love after just a few months?
I read in Us magazine she is considering moving to Vail. It’s important to realize she is not a fan of cold weather. To me, this is a true sign of love. If a person is willing to move across the country that is a sign of true love.
I’ve not experienced love at first sight personally. Furthermore, if any of my friends have experienced it they have not told me. I need to get to know the person first and it would be pretty hard to become passionate about someone on national television. The majority of my friends who claim to be in love have been in their relationship for awhile, and none of us are getting engaged anytime soon.
All the other bachelors from the previous season have broken up with their bride to be. Joe Millionaire-who is not a millionaire, is no longer with the girl he chose on the show.
So, can people fall in love on television? I’d like to think love at first sight exists. Perhaps finding that special someone even can occur on a television show. As the saying goes “what is meant to be will happen.” Will your better half find you someday down the road? Some have already found their one and only. Others are still looking. If love at first sight is anything, it’s unpredictable.
What about the Fox television series “Married by America?” I thought we could evolve beyond arranged marriages, but I guess we have not.
Coming soon, Fox again will bring to our reality televison viewers “Mr. Right.” Basically this show has the same plot as them all, but all the bachelors are wearing masks. As Fox’s commercial for the show this could get ugly.
How do you distinguish lust from love? For me, love is that icky feeling you get when you are around someone to whom you have a connection. On the other hand, seeing someone I am attracted to physically, but I know I can’t have, is lust.
I decided to ask some of my coworkers what their opinions are on this matter. Craig Peters, sports editor believes in “lust at first sight.” Ad manager Crystal Garcia agreed with him.
Pam McTeer, assistant news editor, said, “I think you can get a vibe from someone but to say that it is love is superficial. As you get to know someone you learn how to love someone. In order to have the kind of love that is unconditional it takes commitment that a glance does not offer.”
Wilson Boyd, editor in chief, said “I never trusts my initial feelings for a girl.”
So what do you believe? Me, I do not believe in love at first sight. Then again, I have never experienced it, so you never know.
To me love is the absolute strongest feeling in the world. Love binds the world together and what would life be without love?
Everyone of us is loved by someone, and we should all love back. With all that is going on in the world right now, take a moment to think of a loved one. Think happy thoughts. Recall a memory and bring yourself back to that day.
Love is real. Lust is just lust. So those of you lusting around campus to find someone to love, try to actual look deep into someone’s soul. People are real and have feelings. That is what makes love.
Kit Wallace is a senior communication major.