A Man's Perspective - Week 5

A few random thoughts from week 5 or as I like to call it, "The Ménage à trois episode".

- The 2 on 1 episode! This is always the big shakeup episode of the Bachelor pool and week 5 was no exception as 7 pool participants selected Ashley S as one of their top 3 girls. Anyone notice that this episode always happens when there are 3 to 5 girls that are obviously going home? Instead of making the episode predictable, ABC shakes things up and picks 2 girls from the top 7 to participate in the 2 on 1 episode. Brilliant!
- Warning - The week after the 2 on 1 episode is always...BORING.
- I always wonder how the girls are picked for the 2 on 1. No way Brad voluntarily picked them. Was he given a list of the top 7 by ABC and told to pick 2? If so, was Brad confused by having two girls with the same name and thought it would be easier to have only one Ashley left? I personally think the Elvis show requested two petite women and the Ashley's were the only two that fit the criteria.
- Do all of the group dates end up at the pool?
- Britt is a "Food Writer"? I thought she was a chef?
- Did someone say it is cocktail hour? Jaime time!! "Loyalty is not to any of the girls. It is to the mission. The mission to find your wife." Amen brother.

Week 5 Quote of the Week

"There are some girls where I have pretty strong feelings for and then there are girls that I'm questioning those relationships, so…I'm going to spend a week in Vegas to try to figure it out." Ahhh...okay. Relationships should not be in the same sentence as Vegas...Ever.

Advice for the Bachelorettes

Shawntel - This was a lesson for all of the women out there trying to impress a guy. Shawntel bought a lot of stuff without looking materialistic. That's very difficult to do and really cool. Not sure what Brad is looking for, but I personally really like Shawntel's style. She is elegant, yet she is wearing flip flops for the evening dinner. I like it. So, the question all of you have been asking, does A Man's Perspective approve of the dinner conversation. Yes. Too much talking about your job is a no no, but you can't not talk about your job. It tells a guy about your interests (however bizarre they are) and it is something that you are going to have to talk about at some point. The key is to not seem like your job is your life and to be light hearted about the conversation. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Shawntel is attractive and personable. The best part about Shawntel is that she has a captivating smile and she makes him laugh. At the end of the date, Brad says "I don't know, I just have fun with her." Ladies - If you can get a guy to continually say that, you will earn date #2, an exclusive relationship and eventually a ring. I think Shawntel is the front runner.

Emily - So Shawntel arrives with her 37 bags from her shopping spree and all the girls are showing off their best fake jealous smiles, except for Emily. I think she genuinely looked happy for her. Then on her date, she's traumatized but she doesn't use her emotions to try to bring Brad closer. In fact, she does everything she possibly can to avoid the drama and to hide her emotions for the late Ricky Bobby because she doesn't want to ruin the fun for everyone else. This girl is really nice. Maybe too nice. My only question for Emily - Why are you wearing rings on the fourth finger of your left hand?

Ashley H - You didn't impress me on your date. You were nervous. You lacked confidence and then Brad sent Ashley S home. Your mood entirely changed when Brad came back. There was confidence that hasn't been there the last 3 weeks. Confidence is attractive.

Chantal - You were so calm and collected the first few weeks and now you are a basket case. I don't think Chantal actually meant she loved Brad when the "L-Word" came out. Saying, I love that about you isn't a big deal. I think the worst thing Chantal did is she hesitated and then when put on the spot by Brad, tried to act like she did "love" Brad. Bad move. The Love comment shouldn't come out until the last two episodes. Enough with the love talk, let's talk about that rose ceremony dress. Was it ugly? Yes, but it showed off two of your best assets. But here is the thing, this is a dress that gets a guys attention if you are not dating him and you are trying to pick him up at the bar. Perhaps it is okay for date #2 or date #3. After that, men would rather you keep that dress in the closet.

Michelle - You don't have any chemistry with Brad. The kiss when you don't know what to say, is not a connection. Connections are made through words and feelings, not through kissing when you draw a blank. I agree with the Bach Blogger's conspiracy theory. I'm thinking that Michelle is an actress that ABC hired to boost ratings.

A few words for our parting Bachelorettes

Lisa M - I really liked you. Natural beauty, sweet girl, but there was no way you were going to be the last girl standing. The shy girl is never going to win the final rose. So why did ABC pick Lisa for the show? They typecast. There always has to be the shy girl that likes the Bachelor, is a shoulder to cry on for the drama queens and has the classic "regret" parting interview. I predict that Lisa will be engaged by the reunion episode.

Marissa - From my experience, doing anything unusual during the cocktail hour is a sure sign of desperation. When Brad said, "That is so sweet", his tone sounded like he felt guilty. "I know I have so much to give. All it takes is to find someone who is willing to accept that" Well said. Most confident departure yet.

Ashley S - This exit interview was tough to take. "What didn't he see in me? Finding love is really important to me." A word of advice that should have came from Dr. Drew, but is now coming from A Man's Perspective. When you stop trying to replace your dad and instead focus on gaining confidence in yourself, you will get what you are looking for. Your own confidence and satisfaction should never come from one person's love for you.