What the Bachelor franchise tells us about our romance habits

Avid Bachelor fans have been soaking up this key love lesson for years — and research shows Aussies are better at it than their American counterparts.

Loved-up Aussies are ahead of the game this Valentines Day, with new research suggesting we’re more sincere than our American counterparts.

And surprisingly, there’s a lesson in love to be learnt from our favourite reality TV shows.

Deakin University researcher Dr Jodi McAlister has spent years studying statements of love in popular culture and found Australians to be more hearty than those in the States.

She said Australians were found to be more sceptical of uttering those three words, which was evident in her studies of the Australian and US versions on The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise.

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Australian Bachelorette contestants aren’t as wordy. Sophie Monk with Bachelorette winner Stu Laundy. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“Australians aren’t wordy — looking at the Australian show versus its American counterpart, ‘I love you’ phrase constructions were said approximately three times more in the US version,” she said.

“In the US version, ‘I love you’ has to be uttered and re-uttered to be believed — and even then, its meaning is in doubt until it’s reinforced by romantic gifts such as roses or weddings rings. Our Bachelors and Bachelorettes tend to only say ‘I love you’ once, and they arguably mean it more often, because we have a much higher success rate for our shows’ couples than the US does.”

American contestants are far more likely to say I love you. US Bachelorette contestant Becca with her choice, Garrett. Picture: ABC/Paul Hebert

Opting for a quality-over-quantity approach, Aussie lovebirds are more likely to hold off feelings for Mr or Ms Right.

“That doesn’t mean Australians are unromantic though; we have a rich and vibrant romance writing community, and many Australian romance authors are huge names on the international scene. But, as a culture, I think sometimes we can feel a bit awkward and uncomfortable about love.”

And when it comes to love Down Under, Dr McAlister said books and TV shows often impacted popular perception.

“The way we see romantic love represented gives us an opportunity to work out what we want love to look like,” she said.

“One of the most common myths about popular culture is that we consume it uncritically, but that’s not the truth. The Bachelor is a great example of this. The show offers us a wide variety of different potential love stories, and as we pick our favourite contestant, we’re making judgments ourselves about what we think love stories should look like.”

But she has some advice for any Batchie fans out there.

“For anyone planning a grand romantic gesture, remember to listen. Listening to your partner is just about the most romantic thing you can do.

“And if they’re making a declaration of love to you, you better make sure that you’re listening.”

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