Deep Thoughts from The Bachelor: Did Ali Make The Right Choice?

February 9, 2010     Posted in Buzz


By Lauren

It happened suddenly. I was doing some work in my living room while one of my roommates watched The Bachelor in the background. I needed a break from all the writing so I joined her on the couch. Ten minutes later, I was hooked.

Now my Monday nights have been taken over by this cheesy sh*tshow that I wish I wasn’t so damn addicted to, and my Tuesdays are spent hashing out all the crazy-girl drama with my friends.

Today’s topic: Ali, obvi.

On last night’s episode of The Bachelor, Ali was presented with a choice (one orchestrated by ABC, I assume): does she choose her job or (potential) love?

Ali was torn, as evidenced by a good 50 minutes of the show dedicated to her not-so-pretty crying face. As she said, she was being forced to choose between her two loves: her job and Jake. Does she give up her career on the 25% chance that she could end up with the hot, six-pack-sportin’ man of her dreams, or does she take the safe and logical path and return to her career?

In the end (SPOILER ALERT), Ali shocks the world and says goodbye to Jake, wipes the snot off her crying face, and heads back home.

I couldn’t believe it. Not only because I thought all the girls on this show were coo coo for Cocoa Puffs or because I actually respected the girl (she’d been such a bitch up to that point), but because every single one of my friends thought she made the wrong choice. “She shouldn’t choose her job over love,” one of my friends told me. I was shocked and speechless (and, trust me, speechless doesn’t happen often). I mean, it’s 2010; isn’t it a little antiquated to choose a man over your own independent success? Haven’t we spent the past 50 years fighting for the right to be strong and fearless women who don’t need a man to be happy?

How can we, as women, not support this girl for choosing a sure thing instead of gambling her life away? I mean, what if she stayed and ended up walking away with nothing?

I’m embarrassed that I’m giving this girl and this show so much thought (and that I watch it in the first place), but last night’s episode really made me think. Did Ali make the right choice?

What do you think?

15 Comments on "Deep Thoughts from The Bachelor: Did Ali Make The Right Choice?"

  1. Kharissa says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 201011:27 am 

    As much as I loathe Ali and her bitchiness, I have to admit that her and Jake had an amazing chemistry. When he opened the car door, you couldn't help but swoon at how he literally ran to her side and hugged her.

    So even though I am glad she is gone (I'm rooting for Gia or Tenley), I do believe she made the wrong choice. She made a commitment coming on to the show, and it seemed like she really loved him. A 25% chance would be better than the 0% chance she has now (although the spoilers for the next episodes hint at something else…).

    But then of course you have to look at the other side, what if she stays and he chooses someone else in the end? She's now unemployed and still single. BUT (!!!) at least she doesn't have to spend the rest of her life wondering and questioning her decision. And we already know she has a college degree, it may take some time, but she will eventually get a good job (and she's only -what- 23, 25??).

    But really though. I'm so glad she's gone.

  2. Allison says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 201011:41 am 

    She made the right choice.

    Even if she had been chosen by Jake in the end, what are the chances they would work? No bachelor from that show has made it to the wedding aisle with the girl they pick in the end.

    She is young, she may be able to find another job if she had stayed and not been chosen, but realizing you gave up a job for a man, who in the end turns out to be the wrong choice, is something that you will become a stigma for.

    She's a good role model, she needs to put herself first, as I'm sure Jake is doing with this show.

  3. natalie says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 201012:04 pm 

    i think it's safe to say that there's a bunch more men in the world than there are jobs, especially right now in this economy. i'm sure ali worked hard all through college to get the job she currently has and how ridiculous would it be to throw that away for someone she's barely known a month and who is supposedly "in love" with 3 other women?? i'm sure she could find another decent young man who isn't dating 3 other women and who she has 100% of being with in the end, instead of 25%. yes, she may have had an undeniable chemistry with jake but as i'm sure most women have gone through, "breaking up" (if you can even call this that) is hard to do, but it's not impossible to get through and there will always be someone else. i agree with lauren, it is completely antiquated to choose a man over a job. we need to be secure and be dependent upon ourselves, especially if it ever comes down to being alone. it would be a no-brainer for me. good choice, ali. i think he's going to end up with tenley anyway ;)

  4. Lizzy says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 201012:24 pm 

    I agree with Allison she made the right choice, even though all the way till the end there was this person inside me wishing she would say no, but overall she did..if she would have left the job then people would have disliked her more.

  5. wendy hill says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20101:03 pm 

    I really like alli I hope she comes back they had the best chemistry and where most comfortable together as a couple if not her gia

  6. foxjacket says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20103:01 pm 

    Reality Steve said it the best (no spoilers here but do not read his website if you don't want to be spoiled!).

    "If Ali really did love him, why did she choose her job over him?

    Ummmm, it’s 2010. This economy blows. I can’t believe how many people are bothered by the fact that she chose her work over Jake. Please. I thought it was a no-brainer. Yeah, I’ll give up a job at one of the up-and-coming companies in America at Facebook, to stick around on a show a couple more weeks where I’d have a 1-in-3 chance to maybe continue dating some guy that’ll eventually flame out. You people are nuts if you would give up a job for a guy. ESPECIALLY when it comes to this show. Maybe when you’re dealing with real life, and you’ve been seeing someone for a couple years, and it’s time to make that decision, then yeah, that makes sense. That’s real life. This isn’t. But after three weeks on a reality show that’s produced one marriage? Are you kidding me? You’re gonna give up a job in this economy to chase that pipe dream? Ali will have plenty of opportunities to meet better guys than Jake in the future. She made the right call. Grandma approves."

  7. maddie says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20103:54 pm 

    Ali works for facebook something with their ads.. but anyways if there was a 75% chance of walking away with absolutely nothing I'd go the safe route too. Atleast I'd have my job, even if I loved the man. Feelings arn't always mutual.

  8. maddie says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20103:57 pm 

    opps didn't read that the other comments about her working for facebook!! :) )sorrry!

  9. Kharissa says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20103:59 pm 

    Okay I was not aware that she worked for Facebook.

    That changes things a bit…now I'm leaning towards the fact that she made the right choice.

    Either way, the fact still stands that I'm SO glad she left!!

  10. Jackelyn-San Francis says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20108:50 pm 

    I think Ali made the right decision. I've wanted her to win because to me, she seems so down to earth and she has the LEAST baggage out of all those crazy girls up there (don't even get me started). It's just that, Jake didn't seem like he REALLY wanted her to stay. I didn't like how he said that it was her decision and he didn't want it to be his burden. I felt like when she came to see Jake and spill the news, that he could care less. I don't know, but this show is ridiculous. Why go on a show and try to find love, when you know that there are OBVIOUSLY other girls he'll fall in love with as well? I just don't get it.

    But back to my point, if Jake was really the one for her, if he did really love her as much as she loved him, he would have known right then and there. I know they try to make it seem like he equally loves all 4 girls, but I know that deep down (in the unedited versions), that he cares about one more than the other. As they say, if he doesn't love you now, he's never going to love you.

    There was no way that she should have put A CHANCE for Jake before her career. He said he couldn't guarantee a ring, and just hearing that broke my heart. I really think at this point, Ali deserves better. If this was true love, both of them would not have doubted her staying. It would have been a no brainer.

    As for the next episode, I'm pretty sure she's just calling to tell him that she's sorry and that she hopes he finds the one. Sigh. How in the world did I get so hooked and emotional about a stupid reality show?!!! Anyway, it's his life…he can do what he wants to.

  11. Mazuba says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 20109:19 pm 

    Doesnt she go back in the next episode?i saw that in the preview for the next episode..

  12. Kate says:
    Tue, 9th Feb 201010:22 pm 

    She a hundred percent made the right choice. I am so glad that she choose her job over a man who might possibly some day love her.

  13. Emily says:
    Wed, 10th Feb 20107:35 am 

    She made the right decision, but I am a bit disappointed in the show's producer's. At the point that they have 3 girls left, things are getting serious, and Jake and Ali's feelings should have been respected and the producer's should have found a way to make it work and maybe just do weekends and local locations for Ali. But they totally made her choose for the sake of drama, because I feel that right now, there really isn't any. Now Jake has one of the wrong girls staying and that's not really fair to him or that girl. I actually saw him ending up with either Ali or Tenley, so I think it's a bit sad.

  14. Mark says:
    Mon, 1st Mar 20105:26 pm 

    Yeah she made the right choice. And I'm glad that Tennley wasn't chosen either…. that's the best thing that could have happened to her!!

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