The Golden Bachelor: A Rose or a Thorn for Geriatrics and Gerontology?

On July 17, 2023, American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) announced that Gerry Turner, a 72-year-old retiree from Warsaw, Indiana, will be the first Golden Bachelor, and the oldest Bachelor lead to date. Airing this fall, The Golden Bachelor is a spinoff of The Bachelor, which is the longest-running dating reality television show and follows an eligible lead on his “journey to find love,” as well as the experiences of contestants who compete for the proposal at the end of each season. The Golden Bachelor has already garnered significant attention and speculation on what we should all expect from a presumably more mature lead and cast of contestants.

With a secure spot in pop culture for over 20 years, The Bachelor franchise featuring a Baby Boomer as the lead has the potential to generate public interest and enthusiasm for geriatrics and gerontology, emphasizing the importance of healthy aging and inspiring viewers of all ages to see older generations in a positive light. Despite physical and cognitive health declines, there is evidence that mental health improves with age.¹ Research on psychological well-being actually shows a U-shaped curve where well-being declines from childhood through middle age, and later increases through later adulthood.² While the media often depicts older adults in a negative light, The Golden Bachelor could be a turning point where viewers have an opportunity to see another side of aging.

The show’s airing is also an opportunity for researchers, clinicians, and advocates of older adults, to promote the field of geriatrics and gerontology through accurate information while simultaneously counteracting ageist views through education on healthy aging. It could even attract people to enter the geriatrics and gerontology field, inspire medical school students to obtain fellowships in geriatric care, and inspire research on successful aging. Clearly, The Golden Bachelor has the opportunity to stimulate the aging field and generate excitement about older adults as Mr. Turner and contestants step into the shoes normally filled by “trendy” twenty-somethings.

Despite progress, ageism continues to be pervasive and a very prevalent issue often overlooked by the younger generations. A recent poll conducted by AARP found that two-thirds of respondents reported seeing age discrimination in the workplace³ despite efforts that have been made to combat these stereotypes, including legislation and research movements. In 1967, Congress passed The Age Discrimination in Employment Act which prohibited age-discriminatory practices in all aspects of employment for those age 40+ years, including hiring, wages, and benefits.^4,5 Apart from legislative measures, research on “successful aging” is an example of efforts to better understand the factors that predict the absence of disease and functional decline.⁶ However, despite these efforts, the notion that older adults are grumpy, out of touch, unable to use basic technology, and a drain on society’s resources persists today.

Early promotion for The Golden Bachelor is already serving up a platitude of stereotypes. A video posted on The Bachelor’s official Instagram account introducing Mr. Turner explains to the audience that: “He posts his thirst traps [i.e. pictures of himself] in a leather-bound album. His DMs [i.e., direct messages that can be sent on Instagram] have postage. He gets the early bird special any time he wants. If you call him, he’ll answer the phone. He doesn’t have gray hair—he has wisdom highlights. Florida wants to retire and move to him.”⁷ Before the show has even aired, ageist stereotypes are already being assigned to the lead, raising concerns about storylines on the show we will see with this “golden” cast.

“How to Win the Bachelor”⁸ a book about The Bachelor written by Lizzie Pace and Chad Kultgen, creators of the Game of Roses podcast that comments upon The Bachelor as a sports event, reflects the need to be knowledgeable and strategic to avoid a “bad edit,” and win the lead’s affections. It is no secret that reality shows, like the Bachelor, are often edited to elicit the biggest response from their audience, and that will often include casting contestants in a poor light.⁹ For example, historically producers will secretly assign different “archetypes” to each contestant to ensure the season will play out in an acceptable sequence to reflect the preferred storyline. These archetypes often include, for example, a villain, a fool, a professional, or a free spirit,¹⁰ and many contestants will not know which they have been assigned until they watch along with the rest of the viewing audience.¹¹ Therefore, it is understandable to be both excited and pensive all at once about what will play out on our screens at home this fall.

And there are many things to be concerned about. For example, will the producers assign a fool archetype to a contestant who is hearing impaired or edited to appear unreasonably forgetful? Will any contestant be labeled as a villain if she is divorced instead of widowed? Could the contestants themselves perpetuate negative stereotypes (e.g., revealing health issues of competitors, perceived failings as a parent, unable to learn new things, easily confused) to appear more desirable? How will podcasts and fans talk about the contestants? Clearly, the show’s format could very well serve as an ideological echo chamber resulting in a “perfect storm” disseminating ageist messages.

The Bachelor franchise has not always acted, or responded, responsibly when producing a lead that does not fit into the historical mold, and that history should give all a healthy cause for concern of reinforcement of negative aging stereotypes or advance harmful assumptions about older adults. Previous leads and contestants through interviews and autobiographical behind-the-scenes books have described emotionally and physically demanding scenarios where they had to navigate the pitfalls set up by contestant rivals and show producers alike, some of whom even claimed mental health issues as a result.¹²

For example, Season 25 of The Bachelor, filmed in 2020 and aired in January 2021, featured Matt James, the first black Bachelor, under the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter protests resulting from the police shooting death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. The season was promoted as a step towards diversity on television, particularly for the Bachelor franchise, which has been historically criticized for not highlighting diverse casts. Despite the initial promise, the season sparked substantial controversy, considered by fans to be playing into racist stereotypes.¹³ For example, Mr. James’s father, who was divorced from his mother, was portrayed as an “absent black father,” which was seen as insensitive to the Black community.¹⁴ These negative optics where further compounded when the contestant that Mr. James ultimately chose, Rachael Kirkconnell, was later revealed in media posts to have dressed in Antebellum South clothing during a “Gone With the Wind” themed party, which was seen as paying homage to slavery. This controversy ultimately led to Chris Harrison, who served as the host and face of The Bachelor for nearly 20 years, being removed after he defended Ms. Kirkconnell, calling her a victim of the “woke police.”¹⁵ As The Bachelor wades into the aging field, the show and the aging field must acknowledge the impact the show can have on shaping perceptions in the public sphere and be held accountable.

But how can The Golden Bachelor combat ageist attitudes and promote healthy views of aging when it airs this Fall? In the aforementioned book “How to Win the Bachelor,” Mr. Pace and Ms. Kultgen break down all levels of participants into four audiences: a) the lead, b) the contestants, c) the producers, and d) the viewers,¹⁶ and it is our view that each audience has a crucial role in furtherance of this goal. First, Mr. Turner is already breaking the show’s mold by volunteering to be the first Golden Bachelor, and he should use this national attention to be a good representative against ageist comments by both contestants on the show and audiences after the show has aired. In a recent content analysis of aired television shows, Smith et al. found that of shows with ageist language featuring an older adult character, 70% of ageist comments came from the older adult themselves.¹⁷ Therefore, Mr. Turner speaking in self-deprecating humor or even using stereotypes to describe himself could actually perpetuate ageism instead of combating it.

The contestants also have a responsibility as older adults on screen to not fall prey to becoming or reinforcing stereotypes. While each will feel pressure to differentiate themselves from other contestants to win Mr. Turner’s heart, they must recognize the new role they play on television and the impact their representation may have on audiences. For example, they can highlight their presumably greater experience in dating since many may have had prior experiences in relationships at different stages and durations, which could, in turn, highlight the wisdom that emerges in older age. In addition, it is imperative that producers hire a consultant from our geriatrics and gerontology field in a decision-making role in production to ensure that all perspectives are showcased on the show and to take advantage of opportunities to educate the public on aging-related issues. Indeed, the study by Smith et al. also found that shows which included writers or producers aged 60+ years were less likely to have ageist content on their show.¹⁴ Finally, the viewers at home can be mindful of their discussions about the show through word of mouth or social media. Ultimately, the best outcome, if all players work together, would be greater respect for older adults, pushback on common ageist attitudes, and a reminder that everyone, regardless of age, deserves the opportunity to find love and respect.

The aging field will be holding a collective breath to see if the Golden Bachelor will be a positive step towards breaking ageist attitudes and encouraging people to enter the aging field, or if it will fall prey to standard stereotyping. If not handled responsibly, the season has the potential to perpetuate ageist beliefs and biases that may ultimately hinder progress in the field.