Full of attractive, young contestants, beautiful scenery and romance, it’s no surprise “The Bachelor” is one of the most popular reality shows on television. Now, much to the delight of Blakeford Senior Life, a new spin-off, “The Golden Bachelor,” is providing representation of the older demographic.
“When we saw ‘The Golden Bachelor’ previews, we were like, ‘Hey, this may be a really good fit.’ ” Blakeford Life Enrichment Director Katelyn Morales said. “Our residents really do like reality TV. They’re just like anyone else, and we thought it was a great opportunity for them to see people like them living their golden years. Then ABC reached out to us, and it was like, ‘Hey, we’ll help you throw this viewing party.’ So it kind of just got bigger and bigger, and our residents loved it.”
To celebrate the airing of the show’s pilot episode, the community threw a watch party with more than 30 residents in attendance. The” cherry on top of the sundae” was a watch party kit from ABC containing snacks, Golden Bachelor Bingo, sparkling cider and Werther’s Original Caramels.
It was a bit of recognition for a demographic that is not thrust into the spotlight very often.
“We don’t stop doing the things we love just because we get older; we just find new ways to do those,” Morales said. “Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you can’t find love or you can’t play pickleball or you can’t go have these moments of joy, and I think the contestants were doing that.”
As of now, residents of the senior living community plan to continue to watch the show together when new episodes air on Thursdays. According to Morales, watching contestants similar to themselves on the small screen not only is inspiring but also combats stigmas associated with aging.
“I think for them it just felt like, ‘I’m seen, I’m heard,’ and it wasn’t twisted in a way that being older is wrong or not as glamorous,” Morales said. “It looked really good, and I think that’s super important for them.”
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