Maria and Joey Deserve Each Other
Sydney's Attack on Maria in The Bachelor Was Manipulation Disguised as Altruism, But Was She on to Something?
Hi, I’m the Midwest Dweller — but since you’re here you already know that, so let’s get into it.
In this season of The Bachelor, contestants Sydney Gordon and Maria Georgas find themselves at the epicenter of a drama-filled narrative in competition for Joey Graziadei’s heart.
Let’s be honest, Sydney’s initial accusations of Maria’s “bullying” tendencies were just manipulation disguised as altruism. From fabricating accusations against Maria to portraying herself as the victim, #BachNation dismissed Sydney from the beginning. But while her actions seemed more like a bid for drama and b(achelor)-list fame, I think she may have actually been on to something — even if her pleas fell on willingly deaf ears.
After this week’s episode, Maria’s true colors may be starting to show. At the first (and only) cocktail party of the episode, Maria’s spiral into jealousy over his growing relationships with the other women is showing a toxic side of her that I think we all knew was there but didn’t want to admit. After expressing her feelings, Maria leaves the conversation to “think”, only to come back, once she realizes he isn’t going to come running after her, and say she has decided to stay. She then says she's not going to kiss him to make him "learn his lesson", but then ends up kissing him anyway. Girl, what?!
But the funny thing is, Joey’s only protest to her fears is that "she could be the one", playing up the Bachelor game. He might as well have told her, "Well you made it this far, congrats!" This makes me weary of his real intentions. Is he genuinely seeking love or simply playing the reality TV game? Is a real connection too much for viewers to ask for on this sensationalized, and very short, search for ever-lasting love? Either way, Joey could have gone a little deeper, expressing his feelings for Maria authentically and opening up to reassure her.
All drama aside, Maria exudes sex appeal, and Joey admits that they have a lot of physical chemistry… oh yeah, and then adds emotional chemistry too. Do you think Joey is just keeping her on for the fantasy suite? Maybe they deserve each other’s antics.
All in all, in a world where authenticity is overshadowed by performance, The Bachelor serves as a riveting exploration of modern romance. And none of it really matters. As someone who doesn’t normally watch The Bachelor, I understand why it’s so popular. It’s a low-stakes way to disconnect from our own shitty lives, romantic or otherwise, and I’m here for it.
Nate’s This Day in History
On March 1, 1803, the former territory of Ohio was admitted into the burgeoning United States of America as its 17th State. The move was prompted by President Thomas Jefferson, who signed an act of Congress that approved Ohio’s boundaries and state constitution on February 19, 1803. However, Congress never passed a formal resolution officially declaring Ohio the 17th state in America, as it was not required at the time.
This oversight went unnoticed for over a century, until 1953, as Ohio was preparing to celebrate its sesquicentennial. Upon discovering this significant clerical error, Ohio Congressman George H. Bender introduced a motion to retroactively admit Ohio to the Union on March 1, 1803, due to the Ohio General Assembly convening for the first time on that date.
And so we celebrate Ohio as the 17th state in America, despite it technically being the 3rd-most recent state officially recognized by the United States Congress. And Ohio wouldn’t have it any other way.