The Golden Blunder — Carol ReMarks

The Golden Blunder.

I am not a person who regularly watches reality television. I get enough of reality in my ordinary life and by watching the news, so when I take to watching entertainment on the boob tube, it is for pure escapism.

But, a coworker brought The Golden Bachelor to my attention.

One morning, she came in and was talking up a storm about it, and she described it to me. It piqued my interest. The synopsis goes like this: a widowed silver fox is a golden bachelor looking for a second chance at love later in life. Yes, please.

It sounded sort of sweet and nice to me. I had never watched a single episode of any original Bachelor, but I knew what it was about.

After the first episode, I knew something wasn’t right with Gerry, The Golden Bachelor. He seemed cringey to me. My intuition was on high alert. Something wasn’t right, and it was obvious.

via GIPHY

Here are some entrances from the limo ride on the first night as the ladies introduce themselves to Gerry Turner, The Golden Bachelor.

SPOILER ALERT AHEAD

If you haven’t watched The Golden Bachelor yet, Theresa wins. She exited the limo and entered Gerry’s life in her “birthday” suit. And here’s the spoiler alert: the entire nation sat in shock and awe when Theresa turned up as The Golden Bachelor’s selection for the golden rose.

Except I knew Theresa would win when it came down between her and Leslie. She seemed easy to manipulate, which appeared to be Gerry’s thing. I don’t think he likes strong and independent women. As the show continued, Gerry revealed himself to be the type of man who likes to be constantly doted on.

And who couldn’t predict that this so-called love story wouldn’t last?

they are older
they are older with set ways
they are older with set ways and established lives
they are older with set ways and established lives in separate states

Their marriage lasted three months.

Why would you get married without knowing your future first? I believe they knew neither would live in the other’s state and were looking for a middle ground to set up a house. They couldn’t agree on anything. So, divorce it was.

Perhaps they had to get married by a specific time for Gerry to get paid. I have no idea, but according to this article from Men’s Health, the singles who show up to compete for the heart of the Golden Bachelor are paid nothing.

However, the Bachelor or Bachelorette is said to be paid between $100,000 and $250,000, and they also get to keep the clothes they wear on the show. They also receive sponsorships, future appearances on talk shows and podcasts, and social media boosts.

But, low and behold, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist are calling it quits. They made their announcement on Good Morning America.

EXCLUSIVE: “The Golden Bachelor” couple Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist announce they are getting divorced.

“We’ve looked closely at our situation…and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage.” https://t.co/tmeLsD9HqB pic.twitter.com/4rYZw58tGn

— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 12, 2024

Was this a surprise, though?

People on X did not disappoint with their reaction to the announcement.

The Golden Bachelor Scammed America & Got Away with It https://t.co/aOu4VxsAwt
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM THIS FIASCO? THE RED FLAGS WERE THERE RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING…..BEGINNING WITH GERRY’S LIES!

— Beatty Cohan (@beattymsw) April 16, 2024

Yeah, about those lies, Gerry.

The Golden Bachelor was supposedly thoroughly vetted by the show’s producers but he was not completely honest in his past dating experiences and his financial situation was glamourized for the viewing audience.

Despite Gerry’s claims that he hadn’t been in a relationship since Toni’s death, his ex’s claims hit The Hollywood Reporter’s website just one day before The Golden Bachelor season finale.

As it turned out, the widower who said he “hadn’t dated in 45 years” had been in a serious relationship, reaching out to his ex — who went by Carolyn — just one month after his wife died.

[…]

Though he spoke fondly about his long career as a restauranteur, Gerry left out the fact that he had sold his fast food franchise in 1985 and began a second act of sorts, working in maintenance. – Yahoo Entertainment