Ashley Temporarily Breaks Ben's Heart by Picking JP on The Bachelorette

That is Ben on The Bachelorette, after Ashley rejected his on-his-knees proposal and then sent him out to sea, from Fiji, in a little dinghy.

Prior to being rejected Ben had declared his love for Ashley and asked her family members for permission to marry her.

Ben said, "Everything in life to me is clear -- this is it. I do believe Ashley is in love with me."

Ashley really gave Ben no reason to think otherwise. These Bachelorette/Bachelor type reality shows can be a bit cruel.

In real life leading a guy on would not be seen as a good character trait.

After rejecting Ben, JP arrived. Ashley quickly accepted JP's marriage proposal, even though it was not delivered by JP down on his knees.

Prior to the proposal rejections and acceptances, we saw the boys meet Ashley's mom, step-dad, brother and sister from hell.

The sister's name is Chrystie. She is an older sister. Covered head to toe with what looked to be tattoos of cartoon characters. Within 15 minutes of meeting JP, the sister, who Ashley later lashed out at saying "You're such a bitch!" because sister Chrystie had come to the conclusion, based on very limited data, that JP was not a suitable match for Ashley.

I think sister Chrystie's primary problem was the HUGE age difference and something to do with one or the other not making one or the other laugh. I think the real problem was Chrystie found herself with a quick case of the HOTS for JP, making divorced sister Chrystie in full jealous sister mode.

I thought sister Chrystie was quite articulate. But I can see why Ashley thought she was being a bitch. I'd have trouble accepting advice from anyone who's idea of a good idea was to cover their body with tattoos.

Prior to making her final selection the boys were taken on one more date. On Ben's date Ashley was in full seductress mode, covering Ben all over with mud. Later it appeared the two former lovebirds spent the night together, while it was made clear on the eventual winner's, I mean fiance's, date, Ashley left JP's bedroom and went to wherever her own bed was.

On the After the Final Rose Show, Ben was up first to get interviewed by a now puffy-haired Chris Harrison. Ben seemed like he's survived his heartbreak. The women in the audience seemed to swoon over him. But not nearly as much as the women swooned over Ames on the Men Tell All episode Sunday night. Ames got a rock star mania level of swooning.

I think perky ultra-green boy, Ryan, should be dropped from contention for being the next The Bachelor and consideration given to both Ames and Ben. Ames would be very amusing robotically navigating a couple dozen women. As would Ben. Ryan, not so much.

There are rumors on the Interwebs, rarely to be believed, that ABC has paid Ashley and JP $50K, each, to keep quiet, for at least a month, regarding the fact that they've already split up. This to avoid yet one more incident of one of these odd reality TV romances coming to a quick end.

I would think both JP and Ben could do a lot better for themselves than Ashley. I would not be able to get past the annoying voice, the constant playing with her hair, and her family, shallow boy that I be.

The Bachelorette Ashley Scores 2 Out of 3 in the Fantasy Suites

The latest iteration of The Bachelorette is really not delivering the entertainment. But, the ratings are good, with the show being in the Top 10.

Barack Obama interrupted Monday's Fantasy Suite Episode.

Ben Flajnik was first up. I wonder how you pronounce that last name?

Ben & Ashley had fun on a boat. Ashley felt it was like being on a honeymoon as she lathered suntan lotion on Ben. So, Ashley was already in a honeymoon mood well before she handed Ben that corny card that tells Ben if he's feeling it, and Ashley agrees, they can spend the night together in the Fantasy Suite.

Soon we saw Ben carrying Ashley to bed. I do not know why what happens on that bed in the Fantasy Suite is not recorded for our voyeuristic viewing pleasure.

Up next was Ben's twin, Constantine Tzortzis. Again I've no idea how to pronounce that name. If I remember right Constantine's Fantasy Suite date consisted of flying around Fiji. I think a waterfall may have been involved. Then we got to the part where the Fantasy Suite card gets played.

However, even before Constantine was presented with the offer spend the night with Ashley, in connubial bliss, he decided he just was not that in to her and left to return to the states.

I forgot to mention, before Ben had his way with Ashley the mysterious returnee we'd been shown last week in the previews knocked on Ashley's door. It was Ryan. The guy she dumped in Taiwan. Ryan seems way too smarmy to me. He came across as sort of weird. And like he was doing some sort of audition to be the next Bachelor. Ryan made his case, gave Ashley the address of where he was staying. Later Ashley showed up at Ryan's place and rejected him again.

Ryan took it well. I don't like grown men who use the word "gosh" a lot. I don't know why it annoys me.

After the break for Barack it was JP Rosenbaum's chance to impress Ashley with his Fantasy Suite prowess. The previews had made it seem like JP commits some sort of unforgivable error in the Fantasy Suite, or prior to the Fantasy Suite.

The DVR recording stopped before The Bachelorette did, so I saw no previews. Before the recording stopped I did see JP and Ashley make it into the Fantasy Suite where Ashley slipped into something more comfortable, going to commercial as JP crawled on top of her on their Fantasy Suite bed.

Do the potential husbands see each other when not on a date with Ashley, like they do in the other parts of the husband audition process? Did Ben come back from his night in the Fantasy Suite and tell Constantine all the gory details? That'd be a bit of a turnoff. I don't think JP would handle hearing the details of Ben's night of bliss. I suspect the boys do not see each other during the Fantasy Suite of the husband audition process.

Next week is the Men Tell All episode. Those are always boring. Then the following week we get to see Ashley's sister tell her she likes neither of Ashley's potential husbands.

On The Bachelorette Ashley Sends Ames Home After Visiting His Hometown

Ames did not make the cut for the Fantasy Suite Husband Auditions on Monday's The Bachelorette Hometown Date Edition.

I thought both Constantine and Ames were dressed very sloppily. Ames seemed to have a bit of a droopy drawers thing going on with bright blue underwear sticking out.

I can't help but wonder if it was that odd underwear exposure that had Ashley deciding not to take Ames to a Fantasy Suite.

The Bachelorette is a Top Ten show during the summer TV doldrums. I guess this is what motivates ABC to stretch the show out for 2 hours. I don't think I could watch it without the invention of the DVR.

The visits to the Hometowns always seem to follow the same script. As do those growing feelings that could be LOVE.

After Ashley rejected him, Ames looked a bit dumbstruck, with his mouth open and teeth blaring bright white in a perma-smile. Ames walks and stands very awkwardly, at times, sort of a bit robotic.

Of her 4 husband choices Ames, to me, seemed to be the one who actually might have truly fallen for this hapless girl.

In the previews it appears that JP messes up real bad on the Fantasy Suite date. If that is the case that leaves it down to the twins, Constantine and Ben.

However, in the previews, true to formula, someone shows up in Fiji and surprises Ashley. Surely they are not dragging back Bentley one more time. If that is the case, that is likely what sent JP over the edge.

Or is it Ames who decided to take one big risk for LOVE and fly himself to Fiji?

Ashley losing it at her sister, who is critical of the 3 guys with whom Ashley is having her fantasy, looked to be some riveting TV viewing.

On The Bachelorette Ames Gets Beaten Up While Ashley Goes Insane Over Bentley

I was not going to say anything about this week's episode of The Bachelorette.

And then I saw, yesterday, that The Bachelorette is in the Top 10 at #7 in the latest Nielsen Ratings.

So, I guess I am not alone in finding this bizarre train wreck to be somewhat entertaining to watch.

This week Ashley and the boys were in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Beautiful town.

So, what does Ashley, I mean the show's producer's, come up with for us to watch? A group date where 8 of the boys train for hours in the Thai national sport of trying to kill someone via boxing and kicking.

After the training the boys are loaded on to a transit device. As they were being transported the boys were very nervous as to what was in store for them.

They got to some sort of square with a boxing ring. Soon the fighting was underway.

But before that happened the boys had to exchange their clothes for special boxing attire. This had Ames ending up in pink shorts, with matching pink shoes and pink boxing gloves. That is Ames bringing up the rear as the boxing boys head to the ring, in the picture above.

I don't know how it was chosen as to who fought who, but pink shorts Ames fought solar panel billionaire, Ryan P. Ames made it clear he had never been in a fight before. While the other boys made it sound as if getting in fights was a major pasttime for them. Ryan P. beat up Ames bad and won the bout.

Ames sat down looking dazed. All were concerned. Soon Ames was walked to an ambulance and hauled away to learn that Ryan P. had inflicted a minor concussion on him.

Side note on Ames. He is sort of goofy looking, til he talks. He is by far the most articulate of the boys.

Additional side note. Just like in the previous episode, in the latest episode, Ashley went on and on about Bentley.

Eventually the Bentley obsession led Ashley to telling Chris Harrison that she could barely function without getting some sort of closure regarding Bentley. I'm thinking to myself, he left the show, how much closure do you need?

Chris Harrison seemed a bit disgusted with Ashley for mucking up the patented process in this manner. But Harrison said he'd see what he could do.

Last week, in the previews we learned that Bentley was returning. And we were led to believe we would see that return in Monday's episode. That did not happen.

Instead, in the previews for next week, we see the same thing we did last week, except this time the door opens and there's Bentley. Who hugs. And maybe kisses Ashley.

Then, also in the previews, we see Ashley letting the boys know about the return of Bentley. This does not seem to sit too well with most of the boys. It appears much drama ensues.

Previously to the previews we'd seen Ashley take William and Ben C. on one of those dates were at least one boy is guaranteed a ticket home. And no rose. On this particular date neither boy got a rose.

Soon after the trio had floated up an elephant infested river, somewhere in Thailand, William took Ashley aside and informed her that the other guy on the date, Ben C., just was not all that in to her. That he had talked about the dating sites he was gonna get on as soon as he was released from his Ashley hell.

Ashley then marched over to Ben C. and banished him immediately, citing his crimes and giving the lawyer no chance to offer up a defense.

So, we have Ashley banishing Ben C., who seemed like a nice guy, banishing him without probable cause, while she remains smitten with Bentley, who she was warned about by Michelle Money. And who left the Ashley's husband hunt by choice.

After rejecting Ben C., Ashley and William continued on their date. William really had no chance to recover from the roast where he'd driven Ashley to tears by saying how upset he was to see he was stuck with Ashley when he was hoping for Emily or Chantall. And that Ashley needed a breast enlargement procedure. And that her forehead was too big.

After some stilted conversation Ashley decided there was no chance the chemistry with William would revive to Bentley level smittedness. And so she told William it was time for him to go.

William did not take being sent home too well. He informed us of what a living hell home was, how stupid he was, what a screw up he was, how his life was over, how he was 30 and never gonna lose his virginity now. That he was going to crawl back in his hole and pull his rock lid back over him.

If you were feeling bad for sad William, feel bad no longer. William has crawled out of his hole and is on Bachelor Pad where he once more will have a chance to lose his virginity. Maybe Michelle Money might do him the favor?

Jumping back to the 'cocktail party' that followed the boxing match. All were remorse with worry about Ames. Then Ames showed up, still dazed, but still managing to be more articulate than any of the other boys when talking to Ashley.

I would have thought Ashley would have given the Sacred Rose to Ames that night, after the living hell she had put him through. But instead, for reasons that made no sense to me, she gave the Sacred Rose to a guy I did not even remember seeing before.

At the Main Sacred Rose Ceremony she made poor beat up Ames wait well into the rose dispensal before asking him if he would accept a Sacred Rose. In the end it was between solar panel billionaire, Ryan P., and Nick, the personal trainer, who seemed pretty bland, and with bad taste, what with one of those dumb looking "soul patches" under his lower lip.

It was Nick who did not get a rose. He did not seem to heartbroken about the rejection.

I can't imagine why the show's producers did not give Ashley closure regarding Bentley by simply showing her some of the tapes of Bentley saying she was not his type, that he's not into alien foreheads, that he wanted it to be Emily, that he's not even remotely attracted to her, that her body repulses him.

I guess it was cheaper to fly Bentley to Hong Kong, that being the location of next week's rivettng drama, than simply let Ashley see video evidencne of what a scummy scumbag Bentley is.

Maybe the producers and Chris Harrison did not think of that solution to Ashley's Bentley closure needs.....

On The Bachelorette Bentley Breaks Ashley's Heart While Jeff Goes Home After Taking Off His Mask

The Bachelorette is so ridiculous. I am referring both to the show and the current one seeking a husband, Ashley.

Why do Ashley's "dates" so often have to involve dance routines? This time Ben C. was the victim of something called something like a mob dance.

When we cut from the dancing to the boys back home, we hear Bentley plotting to make Ashley cry.

Prior to a big "Group Date" Jeff takes off his Phantom of the Opera mask to reveal that the mask was not really masking all that much. Very weird guy.

Who got even weirder when it was his turn to roast Ashley at the Comedy Club Bachelorette Roast which was the fabulous date Ashley had planned for the group date boys.

Jeff thought it was the height of hilarity to make fun of the size, or, more precisely, lack of size, of Ashley's boobs.

It is very endearing to most women to have their boobs made fun of. Following Jeff's lead, several of the other guys also thought it was a good idea to roast Ashley's boobs.

Then William, who has gone from a goofy, sweet-natured guy to a nutjob, thought this roasting was an opportunity to launch his stand up comedy career. No one must have ever informed William that one must be funny to have a career in comedy.

William actually said, "They say one man's trash is another man's treasure. I thought I signed up to be with Emily or Chantal."

Ashley was driven to tears by the roasting. So, who comforted her? Another guy who wished the Bachelorette had been Emily, that being the dastardly Bentley.

Bentley comforted Ashley by saying, "Your body, your face is beautiful, you're the best dancer in the world, but you do have small boobs."

Ryan P. got the Sacred Rose on the Roasting Date, I guess for being the least offensive.

Then, back at the Bachelor Pad, Bentley informs the boys that he can not be away from his daughter any longer, but tells the viewers that he's played everyone, that he didn't find Ashley the least bit attractive, and that he knew he'd never all in love with her.

The last time we saw a bachelor go to the Bachelorette's house is was a long walk on crutches, by that season's guy who was there for the wrong reason. I can't remember his name, but I think the duped one was Ali.

Somehow Bentley shows up at Ashley's pad without having to walk there. He laments about having to make Ashley cry, but seems more concerned that his hair looks OK.

Bentley tells Ashley he is leaving. Using the daughter excuse. Ashley reveals she's fallen for Bentley, that he was the one she saw being with at the end. Ashley ends up in bed, alone, sobbing, not knowing if she can continue, when the only guy she had any feelings for has left.

Now, this seems so ridiculous. Ashley had been warned about Bentley by Michelle Money. I don't think she went on one of the all important One on One dates with Bentley. Ashley had known Bentley for all of 2 weeks. Maybe less.

It all seems so fake and scripted. Like the outtakes after the Sacred Rose Ceremony where we see the now un-masked Jeff sitting on the toilet while Bentley stands next to him looking at himself in the mirror and talking. Maybe Jeff still had the mask on at that point. Regardless, it was weird and creepy, fake and phony.

As for the Sacred Rose Ceremony. Ashley had to send 2 boys home. The unmasked Jeff and Chris D. did not get a rose. But, the now creepy William got the last rose of the night and said, "I'm sorry" as the broken-hearted Ashley gave him the rose.

Rumors on the Interwebs are that Bentley returns. The Bachelorette needs new writers.

The Bachelorette's Ashley Sends Drunk Tim Home & Keeps The Masked Man Jeff

I had not intended to watch the first episode of the latest iteration of The Bachelorette. But then when Dancing with the Stars ended, up started The Bachelorette, with nary a break.

The DWTS DVR recording stopped after about a half hour. Then I realized the DVR was recording The Bachelorette. So, I continued watching til I caught up with the recording, right at the commercial break before the Sacred Rose Ceremony.

I sort of got hooked, due to this always weird show, seeming even weirder, than usual. Maybe I was just tired.

I fast forwarded through much of the intro. There were several bios of just some of the boys. Are they the ones who made it far in the game? I mean, search for love? After maybe 5 or 6 bios, the 25 boys started arriving via limos.

Ashley Hebert is The Bachelorette this time around. Ashley had been rejected on The Bachelor by Brad Womack, who preferred Emily.

One of Ashley's potential husbands, Bentley, also prefers Emily. Michelle Money, she of crazy lady fame on Brad Womack's The Bachelor, apparently warned Ashley that Bentley had that horrible Bachelorette/Bachelor disease of not being in it for the right reasons.

But, Ashley thought Bentley was cute, overlooked Michelle's warnings and gave Bentley one of the Sacred Roses. I know this from the previews of the season that started the show, where we see Bentley breaking Ashley heart, or appearing to do so.

I also know Ashley gave Bentley one of the Sacred Roses because I looked at the ABC The Bachelorette website to see if I could see the famous masked man, Jeff, without his mask.

Yes, one of the boys got out of the limo with most of his face covered by a mask. Not due to some hideous deformity. But because his gimmick was he believed with the mask people are forced to judge him on his inner beauty, not his outer beauty. Or something like that.

On the ABC The Bachelorette website's graphic of Who's In & Who's Out? Jeff's face is all blacked out.

If I were Ashley, I would have told Jeff to take the mask off or go home. As the boys got more alcohol in them, Jeff's mask became more and more of an issue, as it unsettled some of the potential husbands.

Ashley kept the guy in the mask, but did send another one home before the Sacred Rose Ceremony.

That would be Tim, a liquor distributor from New York, who drank too much, had trouble talking to Ashley, then passed out.

And then in a contrived scene, marching towards the passed out Tim, with the camera behind her, Ashley tried to wake Tim up. When that failed Ashley went to request the assistance of some of the burly men to help her haul Tim out to a waiting car to send him home.

Tim was not in it for the right reasons. I don't know if I am.