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Yesterday, "The Bachelorette's" Emily Maynard made headlines when she was accused of cheating, and then made more when both she and fiance Jef Holm denied the alleged tall tales.
According to Jef's brother Mike, a Holm family vacation turned sour when Jef apparently found text messages from Emily to another man, but less than an hour after the story broke, both Emily and Jef released statements dismissing Mike's claims. However, today Jef went so far as to tell People that "with the history [Mike] has with [their] family, nobody should be surprised," adding to their pile of dirty laundry aired out through national publications.
And hey, it worked. Interest in the nearly-forgotten reality relationship surged, and gossip sites ran countless pieces on the innermost workings of the Maynard-Holm union. "The Bachelor" franchise relies on this drama, and this particular angle exceeded the quotient -- especially if producers want to keep buzz for "The Bachelor" Canada at some sort of constant, or the January premiere of "The Bachelor" season 17. But just how long can this formula last?
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"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" rely on "breaking" news, personal revelations, and gossip-based cover stories, especially if they're biding time until the start of a new season. Emily and Jef made their engagement official at the end of July, but with over a month having passed and no updates released since, a "cheating" scandal directed eyes back to the franchise. True, Mike Holm's alleged scoop may have just happened to coincide with a hiatus lull, but regardless of seamless timing, this type of publicity keeps viewers roped in for next installment.
"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" legacies are built on this concept. Earlier this year, the legitimacy of Courtney Robertson and Ben Flajnik's relationship was questioned, while just six days ago, details of their wedding venue were "leaked." Meanwhile, Emily Maynard herself was arguably born out of drama: although she won the 15th season of "The Bachelor," she and Brad Womack soon split, and she used that drama as a springboard to helm her own "Bachelorette." (And, as we all know, that's how most of the "Bachelors" and "Bachelorettes" are chosen -- because it somehow didn't work out with the previous iteration.)
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The question is whether fans will get sick of it, or chalk it up as par for the course. Considering seasons of "The Bachelor" are well into double-digits and "The Bachelorette" is approaching the same, producers would be ill-advised to "fix" something that isn't necessarily broken. Audiences still tune into "The Bachelor" and click on links revolving around it, so why should anything change?
It's just a shame that viewers haven't asked for a little bit more. Sure, they're signing on (along with the cast) for contrived plot developments and rose ceremonies filled with fraught close-ups, but in addition to the two hours they give to the show a week, they're now giving even more by reading news of Emily Maynard's supposed texts.
When will a few fans ask for more?