A New Season, A New Bachelorette...And a Masked Bandit!? Welcome Back to Crazyville!!

Hello party people!  What a season premiere!!  I was wondering if I was watching The Bachelorette, the new Batman movie, or a scene out of Animal House!  The drama meter was on high alert, a masked bandit was on the prowl, the drinks were flowing a little too much for one tipsy bachelor, and Ashley was on her best behaviour for the first night in the mansion.  What happens next is anyone's guess!  Grab your libation of choice, and let's dive into some good old fashioned dissin' and hissin'!!  ;)

First of all, let's start by saying that I think Ashley being chosen as the next Bachelorette was a surprise for many people, including me.  I was hoping to see a few of the other Bachelorettes from last season in the running for this season, but as I started to watch the premiere, I saw a few things to consider.  Ashley clearly has regrets about what she did during Brad's season and is very welcoming of a second chance to redeem herself.  She is also fortunate enough to have her own season with a new crop of men to choose from.  No doubt she'll have her own season of drama to deal with, but this is what ABC is banking on, and I can't say I blame them.  As we know, it's all about the ratings and shock value.

Speaking of shock value, let's talk about the guys on the show this season!  I'm not going to analyze all 25 men...you can go to the ABC website and check them out on your own.  I did notice several men who stood out, and have to provide you with my fiddy cents' worth in breaking them down for you:

Ryan P - The Solar Energy Executive and the one who received the first impression rose at the cocktail party.  What a cutie!  There's something about him that makes me want to know more about him.  Obviously, Ashley felt the same way.  Otherwise, that rose would have gone to another stud!

JP - The cutie Construction Manager from NY.  One look at him and I already know this guy will be around for a while.  Adorable and he seems really nice.  We'll see what happens!

Ames  - The Portfolio Manager from NYC who has run in 39 marathons!  He's the one who was hoping Ashley would be the next Bachelorette.  I predict we;ll see a lot more of him, too!

Ben - The winemaker from Sonoma.  Smooth move bringing out the big guns and offering her some vino as soon as her got out of the limo!  I was surprised she stopped at just one glass, but I'm sure she'll be dipping into the sauce soon enough!  He's adorable, and I really wanted to try his wine!!

Bentley - Ah yet, the one Ashley was 'warned' about.  He's the single dad from salt Lake City with the daughter named Cozy.  I'm sorry, but was I the only one wondering why the hell anyone would name their daughter something like that!?  Anyway, I digress.  As we saw in the previews for later this season, Bentley looks like he's going to be the ultimate douchebag to Ashley.  Let's see just how badly he wants that title.  I smell drama and a whole lot of trouble with this one.

Anthony - The butcher from New Jersey.  OK....this guy looks like that guy who used to date the porn star Traci Lords (John Enos III).  Check him out!  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004897/ .  I laughed when I thought of this!!  This guy was so weird and awkward around Ashley, I actually felt sorry for him.  Rico Suave is better off heading back to Jersey and checking out the ladies of Jerseylicious!!

West - The prosecutor.  I liked him from the second he stepped out of the limo.  His story is sad, but he obviously knows how to be in a committed relationship, as he was married previously (and had the wife pass away at home).  I hope Ashley keeps him around for a while.  The broken compass being stuck on West was cheesey, but cute at the same time.  Unfortunately, he's dealing with some controversy right now regarding his wife's death.  In case you haven't heard, check out the link to an article I found at the People website:  http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20497138,00.html .  Obviously, being on a reality show like The Bachelorette, nothing is sacred, and you need to be prepared to have every hidden skeleton and secret come out in the tabloids and on TV.

William - William is the Cell Phone Salesman from Ohio with the bad track record in the dating department.  He's a cutie and there's something about him that I'm sure will make Ashley keep him around for a while. 

Tim - The hot mess Liquor Distributor from Kentucky.  Is anyone else howling at the irony of his job title!?  The guy must have dove into a barrel of hooch and snored it out on the patio!  What a disaster.  So not surprised she kicked his drunk ass out of the mansion.  I don't think she wanted a reminder of how bad she was with the liquor during Brad's season. 

Jeff - OK, saved the strangest bachelor for last.  Did someone forget to tell me that a caped crusader would be on the show this season??   The guys in the house already call him Batman! The mask is so strange, and I guess for one episode, it's OK to try and see if Ashley would see through the hidden face and offer him a rose based on his personality and out of sheer curiosity.  Any bets on how long Mask Boy will keep that thing on?  How the hell is she supposed to try and kiss him with that mask on?  Maybe we'll find out next week...same Bat time, same Bat channel!

OK, those are some of the men who stood out for me during the premiere.  Let me chat for a minute about Ashley's makeover.  I have to say, the long, darker hair suits her, and the stylists at ABC did a great job of making her look like a polished and attractive Bachelorette who's looking for love.  The dress was beautiful, although I thought after she was picked up several times by some of the men she met, that dress was going to rip in a few places! If you are one of those people who loves to know where the Bachelorette gets her great outfits and bling, check out the Possessionista website.  Dana Weiss does a great job at finding out what the labels are, what they cost and where you can find them (if they're still in stock!)  http://www.possessionista.com/ . I check this site weekly, and love knowing what all of the designer labels are!  It's a pretty cool site.

When Ashley showed up at the mansion prior to everyone arriving to meet her, I was surprised at how candid she was with Chris Harrison during their one-to-one chat.  Clearly, the girl knows she messed up royally with all of the complaining and insecurities she aired out with Brad.  Her vulnerability came through, and while I was really skeptical of her being chosen for this season, I think she will have an interesting season of her own. 

I'm going to skip right to the cocktail party and the time she spends with the men.  I love this part of the premiere, as you see how ridiculous things get with the men jonesing for private time with Ashley.  If you don't have balls of steel and are willing to steal her away, or lucky enough to have her single you out, these poor saps were going to be SOL. 

A few people stood out for me during the party.  First, I loved the chemistry between Ashley and Ryan P.  They are very cute together and you can tell she's into him already.  The girl hasn't perfected her poker face...her interest was pretty obvious with some of the men.  Mike was pretty funny with the guitar that he whipped into the pool.  A little crazy, but hilarious nevertheless.  William and Ashley have a great chemistry, and as I mentioned before, I hope she keeps him around for a while.

Let's dish about Ashley's time with Bentley.  It's so obvious that she's attracted to this guy and questioning why she was warned about him.  Once she said she was pleasantly surprised by him,   I knew she would be sucked into his charms and want to keep him around for a while.  The question is...for how long?

OK...let's talk about the HUGE, drunk elephant in the room...Tim!  What a ridiculous, eembarrassing disaster.  That guy was so wasted, frat boys looked like choir boys compared to his sloppy behaviour and snoring that would break glass.  Is it any wonder that Ashley had the guys drag him out of the house and send him home to sober up and realize what a Douche Lord he was on the show!!

Here is the list of men Ashley gave a rose to after the cocktail party:

Ryan (first impression rose)
Jeff
Constantine
Ben F.
Lucas
Steven
Matt
Nick
JP
Ames
Chris D.
Ryan M
Blake
Mickey
Ben C.
West
William
Bentley

Judging by the previews, Ashley's in for a lot of fun and romance with the men and heartache and drama with Bentley!!  I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see how this all plays out.  I'll see you next week, when we can dish about Ashley's first dates, more drama and anything else that gets thrown into the mix.  Thanks for reading the blog and for your continued support.  It means a lot to me!  If there is anything you want me to cover in my entries, please let me know.  I love your emails and comments!

Until next time....XO

I'm Baaaaack!!! And Guess What? Ashley's Back as the Bachelorette! Here Come the Fireworks!! ;)

Hello party people!  I have missed you!  The last two months seemed to fly by.  It seems like it was only yesterday that we saw Brad and Emily get engaged on the season finale of The Bachelor, and now we're about to see Ashley have her chance at love on the next installment of the Bachelorette. 

Let's be brutally honest...I know from all the emails and comments people have sent my way that Ashley isn't everyone's first, or even second choice as the Bachelorette.  She was at best a crazy train wreck with her boozy behaviour and stalkerazzi scenes with Brad and the other women.  However, I have watched enough seasons of these shows to know that Mike Fleiss sees potential in some wild cat fights, drunken brawls and steamy hot tub scenes.  For ABC, it's all about the ratings and shock value, and I'm sure Ashley and her harem of beefcake will rise to the occasion in this area.  I have read a few of Reality Steve's blog entries, and decided very early not to follow it to the end, so I can be surprised with the end of the season like everyone else.   

I will be back next week to dish all about the season premiere with you, and would love to make this blog more interactive and enjoyable for you.  I welcome your suggestions and comments for this, but I also have a few fun things planned throughout the season for you.  I will have some Skype chats during the season, a live blog/Bachelorette night at a venue TBD, and am working on a contest for later in the season.  Stay tuned!!   

As always, I want to thank you for being so supportive and receptive to my blog.  What started as a fun pastime for myself and my girlfriends has blown up into something that has brought me some great friends and followers from all over the world.  It's a labour of love for me, and a guilty pleasure that I am more than happy to write about.  I look forward to seeing what happens starting May 23rd!!  Take care, try to stay out  of trouble and have a fantastic weekend!!  See you next week!!

Until next time...XO