So Week 2 is over, and The Bachelorette Canada has already earned its place in the reality TV canon. Thanks to high production values, a healthy dose of female gaze, and the indomitable force that is Jasmine Lorimer, this show has become a masterpiece of the reality TV genre.
I know, I know, I’m gushing, but the truth is, Bachelorette Canada is a show that truly understands what it should be. Rather than allowing Jasmine to become the victim of aggressive suitors and a culture of toxic masculinity like its American cousin would likely do, the Canadian adaptation offer a variety of viewing treats. For example, this week saw Jasmine and our competitors travelling to a Sandals Resort in Jamaica, where things got steamy.
On her first one-on-one date, Jasmine selected brooding male model Thomas, famous for his “Sexual Tongue,” which viewers were introduced to on last week’s premiere. With her characteristic candor, Jasmine admitted a male model wasn’t her usual type, but she gamely made out with him on a beach while drinking wine. Jasmine is living her best life, kissing beautiful men and telling the cameras all about it.
Later, there were yet more treats, as one of the dates involved the men dressing up in identical green swim trunks and beach wrestling each other. It blatantly courted the female gaze, and I loved every second of it.
Jasmine herself, however, is the true treasure of the show. When she opened up about her upbringing, and her sadly deceased father’s addiction issues, she did so with poise and compassion. Lorimer referred to her father as “the best dad in the world,” while acknowledging that his struggle with alcoholism took a toll on their family. It was perhaps the realest thing I have ever seen on reality TV, and it made Jasmine, stunning as she is, truly relatable.
Later, Jasmine’s strength was on display again when she asserted her sexual agency. After a mediocre makeout session with Seth, Jasmine decided to face their lack of chemistry head on. She directly asked her suitor if he had ever “kissed anyone with feeling,” a question which baffled poor Seth, and proved the pair was incompatible. In the end, Seth was one of the young lads Jasmine sent packing at the rose ceremony.
What was remarkable about their exchange was that Jasmine didn’t beat around the sexual bush; she let it be known she wanted a man she could have a good time with both physically and emotionally. It would seem Jasmine is not afraid of being branded unladylike or slutty. She is inspirationally fearless, the portrait of a sexually empowered woman on the prowl.
In the end, Jasmine’s second week cemented The Bachelorette Canada as an exemplary reality show. No, it’s not real life. Sure, Jasmine has producers to manufacture fabulous dates, like recording love songs at Bob Marley’s old studio. And of course her hair and makeup are always flawlessly finished; however, what some of the best reality TV accomplishes is to take real life as its starting point, and show us a glossy, heightened version of what things could be like. Jasmine is living out a dating fantasy, to be sure, but it is one grounded by her real-life self-confidence, and a steadfast belief she deserves a husband with whom she can connect both physically and emotionally.
Quite frankly, Jasmine is my new dating role model. She provides some valuable lessons on how to mingle while single without losing sight of what matters to you. I am already counting down the days until next Tuesday…